What's In My Back Garden (so to speak). (1 Viewer)

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My spirit insect came a'callin.

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:D
 
Did it come for tea!

What is it and what sort of lens did you use on what camera! :D
I used a photomacrography setup that exploits something called "focus stacking". (Here's link describing the process: LINK) I use an inspection microscope for some things and a standard macro-extension setup of others. (An inspection scope uses reflected light and a biological scope uses transmitted light. I only use reflected light, i.e. LED or flash illumination.) For vertical work, I use the microscope + camera and for horizontal work I use a bellows and extention tubes + camera. This photo stack was taken using a vertical setup. (see attached photos.) In both cases I use microscope lenses with an adapter, if needed. I use Mititoyo inpsection lenses. This particular photo was taken with a Mititoyo 2x, magnification 4.2x, 48 images stacked, and step-size 90.8 microns. If you read the contents of the link above you will understand how the in-focus image planes are combined to give a large depth of field. It is a red wasp that annoyed me on my back porch. I captured and euthanized him and then photographed him. Please note that the elaborate setup I have is not necessary for focus-stacking, but I have been doing this for about 10 years and gradually built this setup over time to make the process easier. There's a site dedicated to photomacrography and focus stacking that you can visit. (I am member named 'BugEyes' on that forum.) This link will take you to the "gallery" section of the forum. Just click on some of the entries to see the work of people using this process that are WAY better than I am at it. photomacrography.net gallery . Anyone can view and you don't have to register to the forum to view the images. There's a section on the forum called 'Beginners Macro' that has a lot of good info in it.

Vertical setup using scope:
vertical_setup.jpg


Horizontal setup (most people use this type of setup):

horizontal_setup.jpg
 
I used a photomacrography setup that exploits something called "focus stacking". (Here's link describing the process: LINK) I use an inspection microscope for some things and a standard macro-extension setup of others. (An inspection scope uses reflected light and a biological scope uses transmitted light. I only use reflected light, i.e. LED or flash illumination.) For vertical work, I use the microscope + camera and for horizontal work I use a bellows and extention tubes + camera. This photo stack was taken using a vertical setup. (see attached photos.) In both cases I use microscope lenses with an adapter, if needed. I use Mititoyo inpsection lenses. This particular photo was taken with a Mititoyo 2x, magnification 4.2x, 48 images stacked, and step-size 90.8 microns. If you read the contents of the link above you will understand how the in-focus image planes are combined to give a large depth of field. It is a red wasp that annoyed me on my back porch. I captured and euthanized him and then photographed him. Please note that the elaborate setup I have is not necessary for focus-stacking, but I have been doing this for about 10 years and gradually built this setup over time to make the process easier. There's a site dedicated to photomacrography and focus stacking that you can visit. (I am member named 'BugEyes' on that forum.) This link will take you to the "gallery" section of the forum. Just click on some of the entries to see the work of people using this process that are WAY better than I am at it. photomacrography.net gallery . Anyone can view and you don't have to register to the forum to view the images. There's a section on the forum called 'Beginners Macro' that has a lot of good info in it.

Vertical setup using scope:
View attachment 705371

Horizontal setup (most people use this type of setup):

View attachment 705372

Oh, that's all? Pffft! I'm sure most all of us have something similar stuffed somewhere back in a closet?
 
Thanks for this, I've often wondered how such great pics are achieved. I checked out the links as well and some useful stuff once I get my head around it and as for the forum link "WoW," some amazing stuff, my thanks for that. :D
 
Oh, that's all? Pffft! I'm sure most all of us have something similar stuffed somewhere back in a closet?
I started off with just a simple machining slide, one of those cheap Chinese ones from Harbor Freight. It had a lot of "mass" which reduced vibrations but a huge amount of slop in the movement. I took a standard macro lens (100mm) and made my first stacks using that. Attach camera on the sliding part and attach subject on the non-moving part. Determine (based on magnification) step size (which at low magnifcations will be in 0.5 - 2.0 mm range, usually) and find near and far focus points, and then manually shoot, step slide, repeat. Below is one of the first images I made using that clunky setup. Not counting the camera, lens, and flash (standard stuff), my only investment was in the machinist slide. You don't need all the elaborate stuff I cobbled together over the years. I collected all the stuff and have been improving my setup over ten years. The forum referred to has a section just for setups. Everybody that does this stuff has to cobble together things. Here's what you can do with minimal stuff. It's the eye of a common housefly (Musca domestica).

House_Fly_Musca_domestica1_50pct.jpg
 
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