Stuck in the Cyano-sea doldrums

[Charles Krebs]

I had some deep green cyanobacteria in a sample jar so I thought I might take a few pattern shots. But my Vivitar 283 flash, which has provided flawless performance for about 6 years wouldn't trigger! These are constantly moving slowly when they have some space, and flash is really needed for high magnification DIC. So I found a dense clump that was compressed under the cover slip and couldn't move during a 1/2 second exposure. A lone diatom was trapped as well like a ship that couldn't move.

Olympus BHS, 100/1.40, DIC

[Jacek]

1/2 seconds is really low, it's easy for small vibrations, etc. I use the 100x lens one light bulb with 3W power LED, an additional area equipped the lens. In the original lighting is too dark for me.
Photo and it turned out you very well. What class is the class

[Pau]

Excellent composition, it makes a very good abstract.

[discomorphella]

Hi Charlie--
That's really beautiful. I assume you are using your electronic shutter so the 0.5 second exposure was just due to the amount of light available, not an attempt to avoid shutter vibration. "Deep green cyanobacteria" sounds a bit funny, a microscopic version of the oxymoronic "jumbo shrimp". Was this a marine or freshwater sample?

David

[Charles Krebs]

1/2 seconds is really low

I assume you are using your electronic shutter so the 0.5 second exposure was just due to the amount of light available

It was a long exposure... longer than typical even for DIC with the 100X. The clump of cyanobacteria was very dense and it took a long exposure to "pump" sufficient light through it.

Got the flash working again and this is a little more like the original shot I had "envisioned"...


Olympus BHS, 60/1.40 S Plan Apo, DIC, electronic flash, Canon T3i. 125X on camera sensor.

[myriophyllum]

Hi Charles,

very fine composition, well done once more. :-)

Greetings

Jens