Macro Timelapses of Organisms Drying Out

“Dry Out” is a new short film by Vienna, Austria-based photographer Christian Stangl. Using macro lenses and a microscope, Stangl shot timelapses showing various organic things drying out.

“Life needs water. But this fluid tends to evaporate over time into a gaseous state,” Stangl writes. “Drying out is a chemical process that takes hours, days, or even weeks. Without enough water, the organism’s metabolism is stopping.”

Stangl employed high-resolution cameras and shot over 100 different sequences for the film to capture the strange and eerily beautiful transformations seen as water disappears.

Here are some still frames from the short film:

“The visual aesthetics and drama of these transformations captivated me,” Stangl writes, adding that “[N]o non-microbial animals were harmed in this video.”

You can find more of Stangl’s work on his website, Facebook, Flickr, and Vimeo.