No idea why it took so long to discover this highly informative forum. Although I have been into photomacrography for a long time, this was like opening Pandora’s box.
As for my person – I am a professional entomologist working at the Natural History Museum Vienna, mainly as curator of the Staphylinoidea collection, as photographer and as graphics editor for our scientific journals. Equipment-wise I use a Nikon D1x, D200 and quite a huge arsenal of expensive lenses (fortunately I bought those before I got married
) for usual photography and moderate close-ups (up to 1:1). For stronger magnifications I use a Novoflex bellows in combination with an EL-Nikkor 75/4 or Leitz Photars, or a Leica MZ16A in combo with a Leica DFC490 (a highly overpriced item), and Automontage for stacking - another highly overpriced thingy, but the only mature software the time I bought it. Meanwhile Helicon Focus and even CombineZ have come of age and I generally disssuade anyone from purchasing Automontage unless he has too much money (in my case the institute bought it).A lot of questions concerning problems that arose during my work I already found answered when quickly browsing the various subfora, so I expect a substantial push forward in the quality of my work. Also, the images I have seen so far partly made me drool.
The only person here I have come across before is Charles Krebs with whose work I am familiar from the HF fora and from Nikon Small World. Three kowtows to you Charles – your work is breath-taking.
So, what can possibly contribute to this community? Well, I am a beetle expert and also know quite a few things about other arthropods, so I might help with IDs. I am quite savvy with Photoshop and various postprocessing techniques (who knows what input is possible). Finally, discussing my own problems could possibly help others solving theirs as well.
Anyway, here I am, now you have to deal with the smart-a$$ from Austria who mostly describes new species of beetles when he is not taking pictures of his two daughters, chocolate, musicals, landscapes, etc. and, of course, insects.
Finally, a pictorial intro as well
This is the head of a Chinese rovebeetle (sic!) I recently described.
The long side represents about 1.5 mm. Can't remember how many images the stack consisted of but it was around 25. Shot through the Leica MZ16A using Automontage.
Cheers
