Thanks in advance and sorry if I don't get to respond right away.
My first photo post.
Moderators: Chris S., Pau, Beatsy, rjlittlefield, ChrisR
My first photo post.
HI, My names Michael and I'm from Southwest Texas. I found this awesome sight a few months ago and I've been soaking up all kinds of info. Thanks for that. I've been taking photos of different insects and items and experimenting with lighting and backgrounds. I think I found a combination I like so now I'm just looking for some feedback from anyone willing to take the time and offer some helpful tips. No particulars, any advice/tips are appreciated and welcomed. However, I do have one specific question and I'm hoping someone could help with it. Can Tricaine-S be used to sedate different aquatic insects?
Thanks in advance and sorry if I don't get to respond right away.
Thanks in advance and sorry if I don't get to respond right away.
Mike
Welcome, Michael.
Thise are very good first photos! I am guessing sample preparation, lighting and stacking will further improve image quality. For specific suggestions, you may want to post a picture of your rig (what scope, objective, how is camera connected).
If you already have Tricaine-S, why not try it? If you have to buy it, I suggest getting lidocaine, which is known to work for some critters. You can get lidocaine from a vet or a dentist. If you are near 77030 area and can drive to my place, I can gift you a vial of lidocaine.
Thise are very good first photos! I am guessing sample preparation, lighting and stacking will further improve image quality. For specific suggestions, you may want to post a picture of your rig (what scope, objective, how is camera connected).
If you already have Tricaine-S, why not try it? If you have to buy it, I suggest getting lidocaine, which is known to work for some critters. You can get lidocaine from a vet or a dentist. If you are near 77030 area and can drive to my place, I can gift you a vial of lidocaine.
Thank you, zzffnn! Hopefully you can suggest a few more tidbits with the images of my setup. Two pics, only difference is the specimen stage: one for dry subjects and the other for aquatic subjects.
I do not have tricaine-s, but my other hobby is my aquarium which is why I was asking. came across it a few times while reading about different things. Thanks for offering the vial, but I live about 8 hrs from there, lol. I'll probably look into the lidocaine within the week. Again, thanks for the help and your time.
scope?
objective: labomed LP Plan Achro 4x and Nikon Eplan 10 LWD
CAmera:Nikon D5100 with extension tubes is attached to velbon slider and bolted down to re-purposed 12X12 cutting board. It's weighed down with different equipment: flash, super-clamp, manfrotto flex arm, x,y and z stages, magnifying lens(to see micrometer) and a heavy steel cylinder placed in the middle for added stability.
I do not have tricaine-s, but my other hobby is my aquarium which is why I was asking. came across it a few times while reading about different things. Thanks for offering the vial, but I live about 8 hrs from there, lol. I'll probably look into the lidocaine within the week. Again, thanks for the help and your time.
scope?
objective: labomed LP Plan Achro 4x and Nikon Eplan 10 LWD
CAmera:Nikon D5100 with extension tubes is attached to velbon slider and bolted down to re-purposed 12X12 cutting board. It's weighed down with different equipment: flash, super-clamp, manfrotto flex arm, x,y and z stages, magnifying lens(to see micrometer) and a heavy steel cylinder placed in the middle for added stability.
Mike
I am a microscope guy, so you would get better suggestions from more experienced members. I would just post here to bring up your thread
I think your dry mosquito shot needs more light. I could not tell for sure, though you seemed to use a thick piece of styrofoam as diffusion material (and your mosquito was placed inside the foam)? Maybe use semi-opaque plastic from gallan-sized water bottles instead, and/or add 2 more flash units underneath? You slave flashes do not need to be fancy - those $30 Chinese ones should be good enough.
Also, laying your subject flat may help.
For the aquarium shots, making walls and the whole container thinner will help. Also if you are stacking in that case, you may want to move the camera instead of moving the aquarium. Moving aquarium would move you subjects along with water, making stacking difficult.
I think your dry mosquito shot needs more light. I could not tell for sure, though you seemed to use a thick piece of styrofoam as diffusion material (and your mosquito was placed inside the foam)? Maybe use semi-opaque plastic from gallan-sized water bottles instead, and/or add 2 more flash units underneath? You slave flashes do not need to be fancy - those $30 Chinese ones should be good enough.
Also, laying your subject flat may help.
For the aquarium shots, making walls and the whole container thinner will help. Also if you are stacking in that case, you may want to move the camera instead of moving the aquarium. Moving aquarium would move you subjects along with water, making stacking difficult.
OK, I really wasn't sure where to post this because I remember reading one of the administrators posts where he said these kinds of setups were basically simple microscopes. The styrofoam piece is thick, its the protective casing from the Nikon objective. The mosquito was placed inside the foam with a fine needle. I have thought about getting more flashes, but I have a specific one in mind and I'm in no rush to get it so ill keep on experimenting with different lights and materials.
As far as the thinner walls for the wet stage, how much thinner do microscope slides get? I was thing about using the glass cover but I wasn't sure if they'd hold up against all the handling. Thanks for your suggestions zzffnn!
As far as the thinner walls for the wet stage, how much thinner do microscope slides get? I was thing about using the glass cover but I wasn't sure if they'd hold up against all the handling. Thanks for your suggestions zzffnn!
Mike
Michael,
I would suggest replacing the foam piece with a thin (folded) roll of white paper. If there is too much light from flash above, then put a few more piece of paper on top as diffusion. Styrofoam is way too thick for even the highest power of flash. You should see a significant improvement by using paper instead of styrofoam.
As with the aquarium, sorry I was not sure if you were using microscope slides. In that case, you rig there looks good. To keep more subjects in focus and reduce vibration, you may reduce the Z axis volume/length (assuming XY axises are on the surface facing your objective) - instead of gluing one slide as wall vertically, stack one or two slides horizontally so that Z axis is around 3-4 mm thick (one slide is 1mm thick). Less Z axis volume would allow you to use light from behind too, if you so desire.
I would suggest replacing the foam piece with a thin (folded) roll of white paper. If there is too much light from flash above, then put a few more piece of paper on top as diffusion. Styrofoam is way too thick for even the highest power of flash. You should see a significant improvement by using paper instead of styrofoam.
As with the aquarium, sorry I was not sure if you were using microscope slides. In that case, you rig there looks good. To keep more subjects in focus and reduce vibration, you may reduce the Z axis volume/length (assuming XY axises are on the surface facing your objective) - instead of gluing one slide as wall vertically, stack one or two slides horizontally so that Z axis is around 3-4 mm thick (one slide is 1mm thick). Less Z axis volume would allow you to use light from behind too, if you so desire.
This thread shows a Walgreen (over the counter) lidocaine:
http://www.photomacrography.net/forum/v ... hp?t=28961
Its concentration may be too low for insects. You may try spraying it onto insect directly.
http://www.photomacrography.net/forum/v ... hp?t=28961
Its concentration may be too low for insects. You may try spraying it onto insect directly.
Great advice, Thanks!! Hadn't even occurred to me that doubling slides would also work as diffuser. Ill also check the local stores about that lidocaine spray. Thanks again.
By the way, you said you're a microscope guy,right? I was hoping you might know of someplace where i could get an already made fluorescent slide for fluorescence microscopy. I've tried looking online but I guess I'm not searching in the right places because I can find very little about that. Or perhaps you can recommend some subject material that I could mount on a slide and would not be too difficult to keep usable for a month or so.The reason I ask is that I recently inherited a fluorescent microscope with all, or most, of the accessories and before I begin to make my own slides(or attempt to anyways) I want to know I can operate the microscope efficiently. thanks
By the way, you said you're a microscope guy,right? I was hoping you might know of someplace where i could get an already made fluorescent slide for fluorescence microscopy. I've tried looking online but I guess I'm not searching in the right places because I can find very little about that. Or perhaps you can recommend some subject material that I could mount on a slide and would not be too difficult to keep usable for a month or so.The reason I ask is that I recently inherited a fluorescent microscope with all, or most, of the accessories and before I begin to make my own slides(or attempt to anyways) I want to know I can operate the microscope efficiently. thanks
Mike
cmagno, as I understand, that's an adjustable dual LED light, produced by some unknown company and sold under different brands. For example, Fisher Scientific had it in their catalog: https://www.fishersci.com/shop/products ... r-2/s01461
Each light head has twelve 5mm LEDs, which means 12*20=240mA. At 3.2V it means about 0.75W of power, which is less than JANSJÖ.
Each light head has twelve 5mm LEDs, which means 12*20=240mA. At 3.2V it means about 0.75W of power, which is less than JANSJÖ.
cmagno, sorry I've taken so long to write back. Bushman.K was spot on with the lights I use! I'm pretty new to this type of photography so I'm just experimenting with different types of lighting sources. I found my current light on ebay along with some other lights and whichever doesn't make the grade goes back up for sale,lol. zzffnn, thank you for taking the time to help me out, very much appreciated.
Mike
Watching with interest.
Polystyrene does diffuse strongly, but a disposable drinks cup can work well though it still soaks up a lot of light.
If you then let the light source just get into the end of the cup so it can bounce around inside, it'll get a lot brighter.
Crinkly tissue like kitchen paper transmits better, and if you separate two sheets to make a two-layer diffuser it evens things out.
Polystyrene does diffuse strongly, but a disposable drinks cup can work well though it still soaks up a lot of light.
If you then let the light source just get into the end of the cup so it can bounce around inside, it'll get a lot brighter.
Crinkly tissue like kitchen paper transmits better, and if you separate two sheets to make a two-layer diffuser it evens things out.