Crystal fantasies

Cactusdave · Post by **Cactusdave** » Fri Dec 26, 2014 8:41 am

A few crystal images for Christmas. Hope Santa was kind to you all and he was careful how he placed that new Planapo reverentially under the tree!

Crystal landscapes do lend themselves to fantastical interpretations and here are a few of mine. All the images are of an old slide of the chemical salicin(e) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salicin taken with a Nikon X10 plan DIC objective and polarised light with a retarder.

I call this one " A Land of Ice and Fire"

This one I call " The Spreading Darkness Steals the Colour from the World"

This one I call "The Destruction of the Ring of Power"

Hope you enjoy them. Have a great 2015.

David

steveminchington · Post by **steveminchington** » Fri Dec 26, 2014 9:10 am

Superb images Dave... Wonderful colours too!

vasselle · Post by **vasselle** » Fri Dec 26, 2014 11:17 am

Hello
Superbes séries images
Cordialement seb

Cactusdave · Post by **Cactusdave** » Sat Dec 27, 2014 2:27 am

Thanks Steve and vasselle for your kind comments.

carlos.uruguay · Post by **carlos.uruguay** » Sat Dec 27, 2014 8:51 am

pwnell · Post by **pwnell** » Sat Dec 27, 2014 11:45 am

Middle one is very interesting

Cactusdave · Post by **Cactusdave** » Sat Dec 27, 2014 1:24 pm

Thanks Carlos and Waldo.
The second image is a fortuitous chance. The edge of the coverslip on this old slide has lifted slightly allowing some air intrusion. This has altered the behaviour of that area towards the polarised light and retarder. Where there is mountant and no air the retarder produces the bright colours, where there is air the effect of the retarder is negated and a simple black and white(ish) polarised image is seen.

RogelioMoreno · Post by **RogelioMoreno** » Sat Dec 27, 2014 1:39 pm

Nice, specially #2.

Rogelio