Richard Sharell, Nature-Lover

A DigitalNZ Story by Sienna Latham

What strikes me most about these photographs — whether portraits of strangers or family members, landscapes, pictorial shadow-play or bug-filled wonder — is the sense of love they convey. When Sharell turned his keen eye and camera to a potential subject, he *focused*, letting the frame's contents mark the limits of the world, letting that moment stretch out indefinitely. It's gentle, beguiling and utterly magical. For more on Sharell, see this piece by Leonard Bell: http://www.art-newzealand.com/Issue120/sharell.htm

lepidoptera, mantids, stick insects, spiders, nature, landscapes, trees, water, earth, snow, sky, sand, wind, women, men, children, life, naturalist, modernist, pictorialist

Image: Harmless creature and its fearful shadow. From the portfolio: Untitled (insects)

Harmless creature and its fearful shadow. From the portfolio: Untitled (insects)

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

Image: Sudwind (Southwind)

Sudwind (Southwind)

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

Image: Untitled (Paua shells). From the portfolio: With Eyes and Heart

Untitled (Paua shells). From the portfolio: With Eyes and Heart

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

Image: Vorlesen

Vorlesen

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

Image: Young Mantis

Young Mantis

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

Image: Der Windelbaum im Säuglingsheim (The nappy tree in the infant home)

Der Windelbaum im Säuglingsheim (The nappy tree in the infant home)

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

Image: Stick insect in mimicry. From the portfolio: Untitled (insects)

Stick insect in mimicry. From the portfolio: Untitled (insects)

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

Image: Head with proboscis (Red Admiral)

Head with proboscis (Red Admiral)

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

Image: Mantis laying the egg-case (a)

Mantis laying the egg-case (a)

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

Image: [Blue bottle fly]. From the portfolio: A Sham Saint or the story of the sad end of a Blue Bottle Fly

[Blue bottle fly]. From the portfolio: A Sham Saint or the story of the sad end of a Blue Bottle Fly

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

Image: [wind blown landscape]

[wind blown landscape]

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

Image: [Hatching moth]. From the portfolio: Birth of a Beauty: The Hatching of the Emperor Gum Moth Antheraea eucalypti

[Hatching moth]. From the portfolio: Birth of a Beauty: The Hatching of the Emperor Gum Moth Antheraea eucalypti

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

Image: [winter landscape]

[winter landscape]

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

Image: Face of Praying Mantis

Face of Praying Mantis

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

Image: [Girl]

[Girl]

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

Image: Hover fly (Melangyna novaezelandiae)

Hover fly (Melangyna novaezelandiae)

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

Image: [Praying mantis]. From the portfolio: A Sham Saint or the story of the sad end of a Blue Bottle Fly

[Praying mantis]. From the portfolio: A Sham Saint or the story of the sad end of a Blue Bottle Fly

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

Image: Young male Giant weta

Young male Giant weta

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

Image: Blick vom Pares zu den St. Vigilier Dolomiten - View from Mt. Pares to the Dolomited of St. Vigil

Blick vom Pares zu den St. Vigilier Dolomiten - View from Mt. Pares to the Dolomited of St. Vigil

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

Image: Egg of Monarch darkened just before hatching

Egg of Monarch darkened just before hatching

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

Image: [Hatching moth]. From the portfolio: Birth of a Beauty: The Hatching of the Emperor Gum Moth Antheraea eucalypti

[Hatching moth]. From the portfolio: Birth of a Beauty: The Hatching of the Emperor Gum Moth Antheraea eucalypti

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

Image: Peripatus from rotten log

Peripatus from rotten log

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

Image: [Praying mantis and fly]. From the portfolio: A Sham Saint or the story of the sad end of a Blue Bottle Fly

[Praying mantis and fly]. From the portfolio: A Sham Saint or the story of the sad end of a Blue Bottle Fly

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

Image: Lili

Lili

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

Image: Hafen von Hvar (Lesina)

Hafen von Hvar (Lesina)

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

Image: Caterpillar of Venusia verriculata

Caterpillar of Venusia verriculata

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

Image: [winter landscape]

[winter landscape]

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

Image: Trite Jumping Spider Close Up

Trite Jumping Spider Close Up

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

Image: Untitled

Untitled

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

Image: Schatten vom letzten Sommer (Shadows from the last summer)

Schatten vom letzten Sommer (Shadows from the last summer)

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

Image: Monarch caterpillar on seed pod of Swan Plant, eating egg shell

Monarch caterpillar on seed pod of Swan Plant, eating egg shell

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

Image: Eisblocke

Eisblocke

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

Image: Eva Maria F.

Eva Maria F.

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

Image: Summer day

Summer day

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

Image: Schatten des Todes / Shadows of death

Schatten des Todes / Shadows of death

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

Image: Liebe am Kirtag

Liebe am Kirtag

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

Image: Die Schierlingwiese

Die Schierlingwiese

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

Image: Abend - Evening after Rain

Abend - Evening after Rain

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

Image: Frühling - Prelude to spring

Frühling - Prelude to spring

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

Image: Mittag im kinderheim

Mittag im kinderheim

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

Image: Feldarbeit - Work in the Fields

Feldarbeit - Work in the Fields

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

Image: Wellen im Sand - Waves of sand

Wellen im Sand - Waves of sand

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

Image: Elfi

Elfi

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

Image: Vorfrühling in Enzenbach - Before spring in the Lower Alps in Styria

Vorfrühling in Enzenbach - Before spring in the Lower Alps in Styria

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

Image: Just hatched Magpie moth

Just hatched Magpie moth

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

Profile of head of tuatara

Alexander Turnbull Library

Image: Beefeater

Beefeater

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

Image: [Hatching moth]. From the portfolio: Birth of a Beauty: The Hatching of the Emperor Gum Moth Antheraea eucalypti

[Hatching moth]. From the portfolio: Birth of a Beauty: The Hatching of the Emperor Gum Moth Antheraea eucalypti

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

Image: Blick in dem Himmel

Blick in dem Himmel

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

Image: Werft in Rovigno

Werft in Rovigno

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

Image: Moulting, drying wings

Moulting, drying wings

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

Image: Stick insects and their grotesque shadows. From the portfolio: Untitled (insects)

Stick insects and their grotesque shadows. From the portfolio: Untitled (insects)

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

Image: Big brown stick-insect (Acanthoderus horridus) on dry brown rose twigs. From the portfolio: Untitled (insects)

Big brown stick-insect (Acanthoderus horridus) on dry brown rose twigs. From the portfolio: Untitled (insects)

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

Image: Belmont Hill. From the portfolio: With Eyes and Heart

Belmont Hill. From the portfolio: With Eyes and Heart

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

Image: Small fruit fly on insectivorous Sundew (Drosophila)

Small fruit fly on insectivorous Sundew (Drosophila)

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

Image: Im steirischen Hohenwinde - In the Styrien High Wind

Im steirischen Hohenwinde - In the Styrien High Wind

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

Image: Die Marmolata. Glacier in the Dolomites.

Die Marmolata. Glacier in the Dolomites.

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

Image: Wetterlarche. Storm broken Mountain Larch on the Precipice

Wetterlarche. Storm broken Mountain Larch on the Precipice

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

Image: Rhythm. From the portfolio: Untitled (insects)

Rhythm. From the portfolio: Untitled (insects)

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

Image: Blick vom Pares zum Heilgkreuzkofel und Gardenazza - Dolomiten. View From Mt. Pares to the Holy Cross Mount and Gardenazza - Dolomites.

Blick vom Pares zum Heilgkreuzkofel und Gardenazza - Dolomiten. View From Mt. Pares to the Holy Cross Mount and Gardenazza - Dolomites.

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

Image: Bildnisstudie

Bildnisstudie

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

Image: Palm Lily moth (Epiphryne verriculata)

Palm Lily moth (Epiphryne verriculata)

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

Image: Paralysed spiders from Mason bees nest, larvae and pupa

Paralysed spiders from Mason bees nest, larvae and pupa

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

Image: Tui (Prosthemadera novaeseelandiae)

Tui (Prosthemadera novaeseelandiae)

Alexander Turnbull Library

Image: Young Mantis just hatching from egg case

Young Mantis just hatching from egg case

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

Image: Stick insect. From the portfolio: Untitled (insects)

Stick insect. From the portfolio: Untitled (insects)

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

Image: [branch]

[branch]

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

Image: Praying Mantis'. From the portfolio: Untitled (insects)

Praying Mantis'. From the portfolio: Untitled (insects)

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

Image: Mercury Spiders from Mason Wasps Nest

Mercury Spiders from Mason Wasps Nest

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

Image: The beautiful green-golden eye of the tuatara

The beautiful green-golden eye of the tuatara

Alexander Turnbull Library

Image: Girl kicking giant puff-ball fungus (Clavatia gigantea)

Girl kicking giant puff-ball fungus (Clavatia gigantea)

Alexander Turnbull Library