Blue Horntail Head

[svalley]

A dorsal view of the head of a female Sirex juvencus californicus Ashmead, one of its common names is the Blue Horntail. It belongs to the Hymenoptera woodwasp family Siricidae.

Leica MZ16 stereomicroscope w/extended depth of field imaging system
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"You can't build a time machine without weird optics"
Steve Valley - Albany, Oregon

[Ken Ramos]

Great shot there SteveV, gotta question The ocelli, is that just the way the light is hitting the one up front (center) or is there something pecular about it. That extended DOF imageing system is something. By the way, I went to the site you referenced in your Community post, boy that software really hits ones wallet...doesn't it?
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Ken Ramos
Rutherford Co., Western North Carolina

"Social isolate?"

[svalley]

Ken, The front ocelli reflected the light a little differently than the others. ImagePro is spendy alright. That is why I will not be getting an update anytime soon. Tight state budgets here in Oregon.
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"You can't build a time machine without weird optics"
Steve Valley - Albany, Oregon

[beetleman]

Wonderful head study Steve. Very sharp and super Detail.
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Take Nothing but Pictures--Leave Nothing but Footprints.
Doug Breda

[svalley]

Thanks for the kind comments, guys.
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"You can't build a time machine without weird optics"
Steve Valley - Albany, Oregon

[Bruce Williams]

Excellent photo Steve with good dof (assuming this is not a stacked image). What type of extended dof imaging system are you using?

Your photos have given me some interesting reading on the internet - so thanks for that too.

(also enjoyed your other postings).

Bruce

Addendum: Have just caught up with your original posting and the Stack-and-Stitch discussion in the Macro and Micro technique section of this forum.

[svalley]

Hi Bruce, This was shot with an exteded depth of field (stacking) system. I am using a Leica MZ16 stereomicroscope fitted with an automated Z-stepper that is controlled by a program called In-Focus that runs like a plugin in a program called ImagePro. ImagePro has the routines that produce the extended depth composite from the stack. In-Focus has flaws that cause it to occasionally lock up in the middle of a stack, so I hope to be able to upgrade to a new version of ImagePro which has its own built in z-stepping routine.
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"You can't build a time machine without weird optics"
Steve Valley - Albany, Oregon

[Charles Krebs]

Steve,