In May 2021, I began photographing moths in anticipation of National Moth Week, held during the last full week and two weekends of July.

Woefully underappreciated, moths are fascinating creatures, with 160,000 recorded species—over nine times the number of butterfly species! They come in an astonishing array of shapes, sizes, and colors. While we sleep, moths are often hard at work, pollinating plants and contributing to ecosystems in unseen ways.

Moths play a crucial role in the natural world. A significant majority of terrestrial birds rear their young on insects, with moth caterpillars serving as a primary food source.

The goal of this self-produced project was to spotlight moths—whose global populations are in alarming decline—encourage participation in citizen science initiatives (like a moth to a flame), and bring attention to National Moth Week.