Merlin Tuttle is one of world’s leading bat experts. With his photography, he proofs that bats are not some scary bloodthirsty vampires hiding in the shadows. Actually, there is just one bat species that consumes blood, all other bat species are either insect or flower nectar-eaters just like these cute guys on the pictures. Similarly to honeybees, bats play an essential role in spreading the pollen of the plants and that makes them a vital part in nature.
Merlin Tuttle is the founder of the Bat Conservation International organization. He has dedicated his entire career to the conservation of bats. Part of his work includes photographing bats in order to catch their harmless nature. Among his thousands of photos of bats, there are adorable images of bats covered with flower pollen and their tongues sticking out to feed on sweet flower nectar.
One of the reasons why he takes so many pictures is to show the bat world in a new light that has never seen before. He is so dedicated to the cause that he actually bathes the bats with baby shampoo before the shots and follows his policy to never photograph bats with snarling or scary faces.
About the photography, Tuttle shares, “Most of my action photos are taken in m portable, walk-in studio at a distance of just 1 to 1.5 meters. Four to eight high-speed flashes are required.”
You can find out more about the Tuttle’s incredible work in his new book “The Secret Lives of Bats”, which will be available in Amazon by October 20, 2015.
