Shutterbug: the beauty of bugs

Take a closer look at local insect life in shutterbug, an exhibition of Ian Lane’s photography at UBC’s Beaty Biodiversity Museum. This interactive family-friendly feature exhibition runs from March 11, 2015 – September 6, 2015.

Ian Lane was a member of Nature Vancouver. An amateur photographer and insect enthusiast, Ian donated over 10,000 photographic slides to the Spencer Entomological Collection at the Beaty Biodiversity Museum. The most spectacular images in that collection are showcased in shutterbug. Many of these were documented with the date, location, and species name of the subject, serving as a valuable contribution to scientific research.

“The exhibition, shutterbug, is about one man’s passion for insects and photography. Ian was a self-titled amateur, but his enthusiasm together with his meticulous documentation resulted in a valuable contribution to science,” says Yukiko Stranger-Galey, Exhibits Manager, “We hope that Ian’s story will inspire others.”  

Ian was particularly enthralled with moths and dragonflies. A series of prints in the exhibition shows a “sequence of a dragonfly molting. Ian sat there for hours taking photographs of the process,” Stranger-Galey explains, “This speaks to his patience, dedication, and above all love for nature photography.”

Visitors can be a bug and snap a selfie in the dress up area and are encouraged to use #BeatyBug when sharing pictures on social media. There is a lot for families to partake in: ladybird bingo, a scavenger hunt of the museum, origami, and sketching bugs.

This exhibition is part of the Capture Photography Festival. Capture is Vancouver’s photography festival running annually during the month of April.

Press along with community partners, special guests and staff, are invited to the opening of the exhibition on Tuesday March 10th. From 6:30pm – 9:00pm listen to live music from Sweet Scarlet, enjoy appetizers and a cash bar while hearing from the Museum Director and those involved in creating shutterbug. Be among the first to explore the exhibition.

For more information on shutterbug please visit www.beatymuseum.ubc.ca/shutterbug  

About Ian Lane

Ian Verne Lane (1926-2013) was born in Regina to Dr. Verne and Hilma Lane. A graduate of McGill University, Ian spent most of his working life outdoors as a land surveyor for the Saskatchewan government before retiring to Vancouver in 1986.

Ian’s passions included nature, hiking, photography, skiing, gardening, and ballroom dancing. He was a long-time member of Nature Vancouver and was renowned for his beautiful photographs of insects, especially dragonflies, moths, and butterflies, many of which have been published.

About Nature Vancouver

Nature Vancouver is a not-for-profit charitable society founded in 1918 by Professor John Davidson. The society promotes the enjoyment of nature, fosters public interest and education in the appreciation and study of nature, encourages the wise use and conservation of natural resources, works for the complete protection of endangered species and ecosystems, and promotes access to and maintenance of natural areas in the vicinity of Vancouver.

About the Beaty Biodiversity Museum

The Beaty Biodiversity Museum is at 2212 Main Mall on the University of British Columbia campus. Dubbed the “Best Collection of Weird Things in Drawers,” this natural history museum exhibits more than 2 million specimens divided among six collections: the Cowan Tetrapod Collection, The Herbarium, the Spencer Entomological Collection, the Fish Collection, the Marine Invertebrate Collection and the Fossil Collection. The Museum is home to Canada's largest blue whale skeleton, which is suspended in the two-story glass atrium.