Levon Biss Archives | Moss and Fog

That strange looking little pod that you walked by. The spiky seed that dangles from a fall branch. These small moments may seem trivial.

Photographer Levon Biss knows they aren’t trivial, and shows us the magic and hidden beauty that these small pieces of nature offer.

A dried seed pod with a split open exterior revealing delicate, white floral-like structures inside.

British photographer Levon Biss brings a botanical marvel into sharp focus with his beautiful book The Hidden Beauty of Seeds & Fruits.

Using extreme magnification, he reveals structures that we rarely stop to notice. Hidden worlds of texture, symmetry, and ingenious design.

A close-up view of a textured pine cone with a brownish hue, set against a neutral background.

Take, for instance, the specimen above: a seed cone whose surface resembles an elaborate weave of scales and armor.

Biss’s technique captures every ridge, fissure, and spine in startling clarity, showing nature’s engineering at both its most functional and its most aesthetic.

What might otherwise be dismissed as a simple pod is transformed into something that feels monumental, almost sculptural.

A grid of various natural seed pods and botanical specimens arranged artistically on a neutral background, showcasing different shapes and textures.

Biss’s practice sits at the intersection of art and science. Each photograph is built from multiple stacked exposures, allowing the entire object, from the finest surface hairs to the deepest recesses, to be perfectly in focus.

Four uniquely shaped ceramic pieces arranged in a symmetrical layout, each exhibiting textured surfaces and intricate patterns.

A close-up view of a textured seed pod with intricate patterns of dried leaves and tendrils, set against a neutral background.

This meticulous process highlights the evolutionary creativity hidden in the plant world: seeds with aerodynamic wings, burrs designed to latch onto fur, shells that crack open under pressure, and cones like this one that seem forged in miniature.

A close-up image of a unique seed pod with a curved, elongated shape, featuring a textured brown surface and a small rounded seed at the top, set against a neutral background.

A close-up photograph of a pod with three seed cones attached to a long, spiky stem, showcasing intricate textures and details against a soft background.

A top-down view of a cross-section of a large, hollowed-out nut, revealing its inner structure with light and dark colors, surrounded by a light background.

Best known for his Microsculpture project, which revealed insects in breathtaking macro detail, Biss has now turns his lens to carpology, the study of seeds and fruits.

A close-up view of a decorative acorn, featuring a smooth brown top and a textured bottom with concentric stripes, set against a beige background.

” After spending months researching the carpological collection at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Levon selected just over one hundred striking samples to be featured in this book, The Hidden Beauty of Seeds & Fruits.

Captioned with scientific text that provides the backstory for each specimen, The Hidden Beauty of Seeds & Fruits is guaranteed to amaze, entertain, and educate.

What becomes clearly apparent through Levon’s botanical images is the mechanical and structural adaptations plants utilise in their bid to reproduce.

Seed dispersal is a crucial process that allows plants to spread their offspring over a wide area, reducing competition and increasing the chances of survival. “

-LevonBiss.com

A close-up of an unusual seed pod with a smooth, golden-brown interior, flanked by dark, elongated outer shells, set against a neutral background.

Close-up of a cluster of brown nuts surrounded by sharp, spiky thorns against a dark background.

See more of Biss’ stunning work on his website. The book The Hidden Beauty of Seeds & Fruits: The Botanical Photography of Levon Biss is available for sale here.