Photography often produces incredibly intimate results, but these self portraits by Erno-Erik Raitanen offer a different take—showing off his bacteria in fine detail.
The pictures weren’t created using a camera, but his own bacteria, cultivated on the gelatin surface of film negatives. He explains:
“I have gathered the bacteria samples from my own body. The bacteria consumed the film surface producing photographic images that are entirely created by a chance. I have been removed from the process but, at the same time, the images are a product of my body; self-portraits.”
In reality, these aren’t microscopic views of bacteria, but records of their activity on the surface of the film. The results are certainly bright, bold and colorful—but do you think they count as self portraiture? [Erno-Erik Raitanen via Photo JoJo via Peta Pixel]
