There is something immediately unsettling about the worlds in Benedek Lampert’s latest photography project. At first glance, they resemble familiar wildlife scenes: tigers move through a burned forest, a panda wanders among towering green stalks, and penguins stand surrounded by ice. Look a little closer, however, and the illusion begins to unravel. The forests, oceans, and frozen landscapes in “The Nature We Replaced” (T.N.W.R.) aren’t recreations of nature at all. They are carefully constructed miniature environments made from materials linked to the very problems that threaten the animals pictured inside them.
Created by Hungarian photographer Benedek Lampert, the conceptual series represents a significant shift in his approach to miniature photography. For more than a decade, Lampert has specialized in building highly detailed scenes with scale models, handcrafted environments, practical effects, and carefully controlled photography. Bored Panda readers may already be familiar with his incredibly detailed miniature photography. We previously featured his toy photography spanning subjects such as Star Wars and other fictional worlds, as well as his ambitious miniature recreation of Ernest Shackleton’s Endurance expedition. With T.N.W.R., however, perfect realism takes a back seat to something more important: meaning.
Scroll down to explore Lampert’s T.N.W.R. series, along with behind-the-scenes photographs revealing how some of these miniature worlds were constructed. And as you make your way through the project, let us know which image or concept left the strongest impression on you.
