Urmas Tartes
An Estonian scientist who uses photography to reveal the hidden, miniature worlds of insects and mosses, merging art with ecology.
Born 1963 (age 63)·Estonian biologist and photographer·Birthday: September 19·Baby Boomers
Biography
Urmas Tartes, born in 1963, carved a unique path by refusing to separate his scientific mind from his artistic eye. As a biologist, his work delves into the often-overlooked ecosystems of invertebrates and bryophytes in Estonia's forests and bogs. But it is through his camera lens that he found his most compelling voice. Tartes specializes in extreme macro photography, producing startlingly intimate portraits of spiders, beetles, and dewdrops on moss that transform scientific subjects into scenes of abstract beauty. His images, widely exhibited and published, serve a dual purpose: they are precise scientific records and arresting works of art that pull the public into the narrative of conservation. He has argued that seeing nature closely is the first step toward valuing it, using his photography as a powerful tool for environmental education and advocacy in the Baltic region and beyond.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Urmas was born in 1963, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Urmas Was Born
The biggest hits of 1963
#1 Movie
Cleopatra
Best Picture
Tom Jones
#1 TV Show
Beverly Hillbillies
Urmas's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1963Born
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1968Started school
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1976Became a teenager
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1979Could drive
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1981Could vote
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1984Turned 21
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1993Turned 30
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
2003Turned 40
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2013Turned 50
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
2023Turned 60
ChatGPT goes mainstream; Israel-Hamas war begins
Gas: $3.52/galHome: $361,600Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Flowers" — Miley CyrusBest Picture: Oppenheimer
2026Age 63 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Pioneered a distinctive style of scientific macro photography that documents Estonian microfauna and flora.
- Authored and illustrated several influential nature photography books that blend scientific insight with visual artistry.
- His photographic work has been used extensively in environmental campaigns and educational materials across Europe.
Did You Know?
His macro photographs have been featured in international science and photography magazines like National Geographic.
Tartes often gives lectures and workshops on how to use photography as a tool for biological research and nature communication.
He has a species of parasitic wasp from Estonia named in his honor (Chrysis tartesi).
“The forest floor is a universe, and moss is its ancient language.”
