another live foram (Foraminifera)

[Charles Krebs]

Here's a live one that I found the other day. You don't think of these as "mobile" until to try to take a "stack".

This is actually a combination of darkfield and (partial) crossed polarizers.

Taken with the 20X. The test, as seen here, measures 0.34mm wide and 0.28mm tall (0.013x0.011 inch).

[Mitch640]

You don't think of these as "mobile" until to try to take a "stack".

There are so many things that don't look like they should or could move, and then they do.

This is beautiful. Is he swimming with "bristles" that can't be seen? Looks like he's going to grow into a snail.

[Charles Krebs]

These are a lot like testate amoebae. Many thin pseudopodia emerge from the holes in the "shell". This is what can cause them to move. It's really slow(!) but you do need to be careful doing a stack when they are "active". (On this shot you can barely make out a single pseudopod at about 3 o'clock)

[sonyalpha]

Just to inform all of you very keen Micro-photographers on here....................I do study all of your excellent work.................but just don't posses the language and knowledge to comment more deeply than to repeat all the usual layman's observations................Like....Living Jewellery......Amazing creatures etc:

Please forgive me..................I promise that I do look and I do appreciate all of your amazing efforts:

sonyalpha

[Pau]

Charles, again an extraordinary image, the best I never seen of a living foram; not an usual subjet

This is actually a combination of darkfield and (partial) crossed polarizers.

Can you explain a little your technique?. A normal darkfield stop plus cross polars or something combined?

[Charles Krebs]

Pau,

Can you explain a little your technique?

I photographed the same "view" in both darkfield and then (partially) crossed polarizers. They looked remarkably similar (there was no birefringence that "lit up" with polarization), but on the subject, the "edges" were more transparent than the center. While I liked the darkfield better overall, the polarized version showed the edge detail better. So I simply layered the images in PS and used the "best" parts of each.

[Pau]

Thanks Charles, I was thinking in both techniques simultaneously when taking the pictures.