Carabid

[svalley]

Promecognathus spp. Black shiny subjects are always challenging. I wanted to show fine surface detail as well as sculpturing without hot-spots. I also wanted to convey the impression of shape to make it more 3-dimensional. I used strategically placed reflectors that were in turn reflected by the shiny beetle. I don't know if I totally succeeded.



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

[gpmatthews]

Very nice, Steve - I think I rate that as a success! Looks good.
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Graham

Though we lean upon the same balustrade, the colours of the mountain are different.

[beetleman]

I think you did a wonderful job on this ground beetle Steve. You got surface texture showing on some of the surface without blowing out lots of the other areas which adds to the 3D effect. Whoever mounted this beetle did a super job also. I love the open jaws and spread palps. One question....why no scale bars?
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Take Nothing but Pictures--Leave Nothing but Footprints.
Doug Breda

[svalley]

Thanks for the comments.

Doug, I recently created a set of scale bars, but most of my images do not have them included. The entomomolgists I am shooting for usually do not want them and unfortunatly I have not kept much in the way of notes on settings and magnifications I used. I know they would be useful and and I am trying to include them in more of my master files as as a layer.

My boss is a Carabid expert and does a really great job of mounting. I do not get to shoot them very often because our focus is on pest insects.
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"You can't build a time machine without weird optics"
Steve Valley - Albany, Oregon