Cat Skull

beetleman · Post by **beetleman** » Wed Feb 07, 2007 11:05 am

A cat skull. I would have to guess a young one (not many teeth..How many teeth does a cat have?). A stack of 15 photos to increase the DOF. Size is 3.5" long by 2" high. Here are some of the other skull pictures I have posted in the past. take care.
Doug

http://www.photomacrography.net/forum/v ... =bat+skull

http://www.photomacrography.net/forum/v ... =bat+skull

http://www.photomacrography.net/forum/v ... =bat+skull

MacroLuv · Post by **MacroLuv** » Wed Feb 07, 2007 11:22 am

What a teeth!

Middle ones could be used as arrows. Looks sharp as shark's.

Bruce Williams · Post by **Bruce Williams** » Wed Feb 07, 2007 2:12 pm

You've done a great job with this moggie's skull Doug. The textures are spot on giving the skull a real feeling of substance and weight. I really like what you've done. IMO the fact that you've not stepped focus through to the far back helps give a more realistic three dimensional affect - the important parts are in sharp focus and the lighting is superb. The slightly translucent base to the eye socket is just magic!

I liked your other skull photos too. They are particularly interesting to me just now as I am hoping to have a shrew's scull to photograph in the very near future and I'll be leaning heavily on your work for sure.

Bruce

beetleman · Post by **beetleman** » Wed Feb 07, 2007 3:02 pm

Thanks Bruce...just wait till I tell my wife I have someone else interested in skullduggery. All the skulls (only have five) I have are usually road killed animals. If I see one and it is not too decomposed, I try to put it somewhere out of the way to wait for all the little critters to do all the dirtywork and than I take the skull and put it in some bleach and that cleans anything left off of it.

Nikola..they look alot like sharks` teeth don`t they

Mike B in OKlahoma · Post by **Mike B in OKlahoma** » Wed Feb 07, 2007 4:48 pm

Very interesting, looks like a subject I'd come up with!

beetleman · Post by **beetleman** » Wed Feb 07, 2007 5:00 pm

oooh... A snake skull would be Kool

Ib Mathiasen · Post by **Ib Mathiasen** » Wed Feb 07, 2007 5:43 pm

Nice foto - almost 3D

There are something fantastic with a (cranium) skull - and catch in a good shot like this is great - nice work

crotermund · Post by **crotermund** » Wed Feb 07, 2007 9:27 pm

Awesome picture, Doug. I am assuming that you used dermestid beetles to get it in such a pristine clean condition yourself? If so, I'd love to hear about the process.

beetleman · Post by **beetleman** » Thu Feb 08, 2007 9:15 am

Hi Craig, nothing fancy like that ( I think I saw that on a show, Dirty Jobs I think)), like I said, I usually make sure the dead animal is somewhere out of the way (sometimes the town workers will pick them up off the side of the road) and I let nature take its course. Once all the maggots and beetles are done, I take the skull home, put it into bleach for a while and the bleach does a good job of finishing off anything left organic and killing all the germs

On the show"Dirty Jobs" they used the beetles to clean the flesh and then I think they boiled them to finish the skulls off. I think the company was called "The Bone Room" http://www.boneroom.com/
Here is their receipe.... http://www.boneroom.com/faqs/bones.html#cleaning

Danny · Post by **Danny** » Fri Feb 09, 2007 12:45 am

Well this is different Doug. That DOF is just right for this. Unique and clever shooting to get this just right. Good use of light with soft shadows. Well done.

All the best Doug, I can't get over how unique this is, amazing !!!

Danny.