If you’ve spent any time camping or hiking among tall grass and brush, you’ve most likely noticed the little hitchhiking seeds and burrs that stick to your socks, pants, and pets. They can be harshly poky and sharp, designed to grab onto whomever passes by and stay attached until the traveler gets to a new place, a brilliant way to propagate their species.
South African photographer Dillon Marsh has a stunning series of these burrs and seeds, entitled Hitchhikers. Taken in beautiful macro photography, the images look scientific in nature, lit warmly, and in crisp, stunning detail. Fascinating to see the diversity of seeds, thorns, and burrs found in rural South Africa. Via Behance:
Seeds in the form of thorns and burs are familiar features of the tall grass or underbrush of South African landscapes. Some bare hooks and barbs designed to latch onto the fur or fleece of passing animals, while others grow sharp spikes intended to pierce hooves and feet. This allows them to spread to new areas, even crossing to other continents, earning them the collective name ‘hitchhiker plants’. Macro photography reveals the often unnoticed details of these intricate seeds.
