Nobodys perfect......

One of my goals this winter was to photograph a snowflake. This photo proves that not only are no two snowflakes the same, some are downright ugly. Actually this was just my first attempt--I am delighted that it worked as well as it did! I did have to adjust (that's putting it mildly) it with Photo shop. I used my Nikon D80 and an old simple microscope that I don't mind leaving outside to get to the correct temperature. Hopefully there will be some better snowflake creating conditions in the future. I'll keep this image just in case!

Whatsit?

I was playing around and decided that this was worth sharing. Any guesses?

Crystallography even!

This is my first attempt at trying to get a decent photomicrograph of the inside of a geode. The geode is only about 6cm in diameter, and the image width represents a distance of about 6mm in the geode. The lighting is partially from the "front" and partially by strongly illuminating the back side of the geode. This image was a combination of nine images using Adobe CS4. The colors are difficult to adjust since the backlighting does give a very brown cast (the outside of the geode is the typical Indiana limestone brown). I obviously need to improve the "front" lighting, but have been having trouble getting the lamp system aligned for the Nikon Model M.

What a Toy!

Click for a larger stereo view.

In the foreground are the phase contrast and interference color phase attachments. I have my Nikon D80 on a platform for stability. There are numerous options for attaching video and still cameras. It came with enough spare parts and replacement bulbs to keep me happy for years.

The Ultimate Toy!

I visited a surplus outlet last month and bid on a pallet that had what was obviously one or more microscopes on it. I was the lucky(?) bidder and was absolutely thrilled when I unpacked everything. The major item was a complete Nikon inverted microscope with all the attachments necessary for photomicrography! I still have to figure out how to use some of the accessories, but for my first try I tried looking at the stamen/pistol of a shamrock that was blooming. As you can see, the image quality is fantastic! Now I have to look for some bugs or something else interesting and small.

more photomicrography

I spent the day playing with a new program "helicon focus" that is indeed wonderful. Anyone who has tried to do photomicrography understands how difficult it is to have a significant depth of field. the following "composite" is put together from 25 images shot at slightly different distances.

Timelapse photography is fun

Combining photography and gardening is fun. I have an old Kodak DC260 camera which has a time-lapse function. The following is a short .avi movie I created using images taken over a five day period.



The photos were reduced using IRFAN and then combined using GIF Animator. I love the little fungus (upper left in the pot).