A fractal is a non-regular geometric shape that has the same degree of non-regularity on all scales. Fractals can be thought of as never-ending patterns. You can get more in-depth with this mathematical phenomenon here.
I CAN’T GET ENOUGH OF THIS.
I have photographed a lot of examples of fractals in nature, and they will live here.
Eagle Salsify
| I went back and forth on the type of plant this is. I’m sticking with salsify, and since this was growing in front of my office, it got the moniker eagle. I took this photo because of the repeated patterns in the flower. I am a total sucker for this kind of thing. It turns out that salsify is an edible plant. I am interested in foraging locally for food and finding out what grows wild all over the SF Bay Area. The wiki for this plant is worth checking out. |
Sunny Succulent
| I took this a few months after my daughter was born, on an iPhone 6. I was probably at a nursery and liked the way the sun was reflecting off the water at the center of this freshly watered succulent. Succulents are a great representation of fractals in nature, and I am a sucker for a geometric repeating pattern. |
A fractal is a non-regular geometric shape that has the same degree of non-regularity on all scales. Fractals can be thought of as never-ending patterns. You can get more in-depth with this mathematical phenomenon here.
Sturgeon Scales
| I want to give the author Dan Brown the credit for introducing me to fractals. I’m not sure he deserves the credit, but there it is. This sturgeon is swimming in the rainforest at the California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park. I’m surprised at how the scale details came through. If you have ever photographed at an aquarium, you know that the lighting is always shit. |
I have been going back and forth on whether fish scales count or not, and I’m standing by my classification here.
Baha’i Wall
| I took this while I was on vacation with my husband in Mexico. The resort we were staying at had sea walls along the beach. I was struck by the beauty of the natural building materials. The repeating patterns of the different corals are pleasing to the eye. I live for this kind of shit. It brings me a lot of joy when I stumble upon fractals represented in the wild. |
Pine Cones
This image is pretty self-explanatory, so I thought I would share some pinecone facts with you here. Did you know that pine cones can stay on a tree for more than 10 years before dropping to the ground? I also learned that Ancient Romans associated pinecones with Venus, the Goddess of love and fertility. You can find more fun facts here.