What do you use to clean your objects.

[All Ex]

I took the oportunity to test my new rig (I`m planing to post a video on the construction of it) when a friend of mine brought me some insects, but almost in all cases I ended up with that no mater how I clean my bugs I am caming in a result with lots of dirt.
My cleaning prosses is :

• I clean first with very hot water (not boiled) and a drop of dish detergent,
• I then wash it with a solution of 30% Acetone and some drops of alcohol.

What is your sugestion on the isue of eliminating the litle bits of dust apearing on the final images?

[Charles Krebs]

Naturally it depends greatly on how delicate the subject is, and how large it is. Warm water with a drop of dish-soap can work well, but (if the subject is not extremely delicate) brushing with a fine bristled artist paint brush used at the same time helps a great deal. Often I will do that, and then take the (still wet) subject to a stereo microscope. There I will look at it carefully and use wet toothpicks that I have sharpened to a very fine point with a razor blade. (I don't normally use metal pins for this as they will often cause damage or scratching). These are used to dislodge dirt that in crevices and other dirt that is strongly adhered. Then it goes back to the warm water and brush for another go-round. A final gentle blow-dry with "canned air". You will likely still need to do "spotting" in a program like Photoshop.

Some have tried ultrasonic cleaners, but my experience with them is that the above method works as well or better.

(also see: http://extreme-macro.co.uk/cleaning-insects/ )

[All Ex]

I already have a fine painters' tiny brush. Sometimes I use it immersed in alcohol, but it does not, by itself, do the job.

Perhaps, or better said, "unavoidable," is the use of a stereo microscope that makes the difference, Johan Ingles-Le Nobel`s site is the first site I visited, and I go there very often. I'll buy a stereo microscope eventually--it is necessary.

The use of toothpicks is something interesting.

Till now I am making the most of the cleaning process in Photoshop, but I consider this something like cheating. In one way or another I prefer to use PS only to deal with some issues of the color (increase a little the saturation and contrast). By the way, I found out that Lightroom is doing ä very decent job, too).

Thank you very much, Charles, for your tips.