Here in New York City, the American Museum of Nature and Science recently featured an exhibit called “Extinct and Endangered.” In it, 40 photographs Levon Biss took feature rare insects in ultra-high resolution displayed against a matte black background. The space behind each photo (the dark background and ample wall space in the halls) emphasizes details such as the graceful scallop of a butterfly’s wings, the tiny hairs on a hornet’s abdomen, or the metallic shimmer of a beetle’s shell. That’s because in this exhibit, as in life, clearing away the background noise amplifies the essentials.