MYXOMYCETES II

Walter Piorkowski · Post by **Walter Piorkowski** » Mon Oct 16, 2006 8:36 pm

Olympus C-2000
Plus Additional MicroExplorer CM-3500 closeup lens

More myxomycete images for my slime mold loving friends.

Upper image showing purple unripened fuiting body, tan body dryed out and many beginning the bursting process.

Center image my favorite subject Stemonitis axifera. NOTE: Please see the photography through the microscope forum for an image of the surface net and spores of axifera.

Unknown species amongst the moss.

Walt

Ken Ramos · Post by **Ken Ramos** » Tue Oct 17, 2006 2:52 am

These are wonderful Walt!

In the second image it appears as though you have captured S. axifera in the early stage of fruitification. You referenced Prof. Stephensons book, that is an excellent publication for anyone beginning a study of the fantastic organisms. Doug passed on an interestiing link to me here a day or so ago, some my also enjoy what this article has to say about myxos. Thanks again Doug!

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/issues/20 ... _mar01.php

beetleman · Post by **beetleman** » Tue Oct 17, 2006 5:00 am

Yes Walt, very beautiful photos. The more I read about these little life forms the stranger they get. More like alien life form

That CM-3500 lens system is working rather nicely for you.

Your very welcome Ken

Walter Piorkowski · Post by **Walter Piorkowski** » Tue Oct 17, 2006 7:45 am

Thanks Ken, Doug. I am aware of the article in the link and have personally corresponded with Professer Stephenson over the years. A very nice and immensly knowledgable man.

I have never been able to afford a macro lens so I got the closeup set. Whats nice about them is the travel from camera to camera as I change.

Walt

Ken Ramos · Post by **Ken Ramos** » Tue Oct 17, 2006 5:55 pm

You know Walt, I wish there were a site like this one, with forums and an image uploader, where all the myxo fanatics meet to share their finds, findings, macro and microphotographs of these wonderful little forms of life and to get together to do some serious research into these things.

Walter Piorkowski · Post by **Walter Piorkowski** » Thu Oct 19, 2006 3:12 pm

Ken, I couldn't agree more, but then we would need more time off from work and chores to keep filling the forum. I'll stick with what you guys have created here for now. We will see how much more our present forum members can tolerate.

Walt

beetleman · Post by **beetleman** » Thu Oct 19, 2006 4:40 pm

Count me in Fellas. I just ordered the book Walt suggested in the other post, so I am on my way to "Myxo-Madness"

(I also can`t wait for spring to come and it is only Fall)

Ken Ramos · Post by **Ken Ramos** » Thu Oct 19, 2006 5:36 pm

I have the same book Doug and it is a wealth of information on Myxo's. Just because the weather is turning cold does not mean you still cannot find last summers myxo's. They may not be as colorful but they will appear somewhat like the ones I have recently imaged, which makes them much harder to find. In the meantime while you are waiting on your book, I might suggest that you acquire, if you have not one already, a 7X or 10X Hastings Triplet loupe (Baush and Lomb hand lens preferably). The reason for it being a Hastings Triplet is that you will not have that "pin coushion" affect (commonly found in Coddington magnifiers) at the field edge and the field of view will be flat edge to edge. This will be your most valuable tool afield besides keen eyesight, the book, and of course your camera. If you really get into them, you may want to purchase a stereomicroscope later on, so save your pennies.