Insects are challenging to mount!
One thing I did just do that worked is superglue a moth on a thumbtack with flat metal push surface. The tack can then be stuck on the stage with double-sided tape and is fairly easy to pick up with tweezers and can be set down without risk of falling over. I found a little moth the size of a mosquito and mounted it this way effortlessly. It was laying on it's back so I only had to touch it once very gently. A thinner pin on it would be nice, so it could be photoshopped out, if showing. Perhaps some extremely thin wire would work, glued to the side of the tack's pin... yep, also easy to do, I used copper wire from a defunct electric motor, wrapped around in thousands of layers for an electromagnet. This material can be easily bent for better positioning too, and could be glued to anything, a piece of paper, whatever. It's too flexible to stick in a cork, you'd need a very soft putty or melted wax or something like that.
Mounting Subjects Idea
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PaulFurman
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augusthouse
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Paul,
Len Willan has a unique method for pin mounted specimens that may apply in part or full to your project(s).
http://www.photomacrography.net/forum/v ... php?t=8722
Craig
Len Willan has a unique method for pin mounted specimens that may apply in part or full to your project(s).
http://www.photomacrography.net/forum/v ... php?t=8722
Craig
To use a classic quote from 'Antz' - "I almost know exactly what I'm doing!"
A headless (remove nylon head with a flame) #000, 00, or 0 insect pin (000 is the finest) stuck half way into a bug works well
SEE HERE
SEE HERE
NU.
student of entomology
Quote – Holmes on ‘Entomology’
” I suppose you are an entomologist ? “
” Not quite so ambitious as that, sir. I should like to put my eyes on the individual entitled to that name.
No man can be truly called an entomologist,
sir; the subject is too vast for any single human intelligence to grasp.”
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr
The Poet at the Breakfast Table.
Nikon camera, lenses and objectives
Olympus microscope and objectives
student of entomology
Quote – Holmes on ‘Entomology’
” I suppose you are an entomologist ? “
” Not quite so ambitious as that, sir. I should like to put my eyes on the individual entitled to that name.
No man can be truly called an entomologist,
sir; the subject is too vast for any single human intelligence to grasp.”
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr
The Poet at the Breakfast Table.
Nikon camera, lenses and objectives
Olympus microscope and objectives
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PaulFurman
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Great ideas, please feel free to make more suggestions in this thread. I re-read that Willan idea again & finally think I understand the pin pivots on a ball joint set in a tube with some gunk to hold it.
Having the pin hidden from the perspective would be ideal, although I've kind of painted myself into a corner with the rotation stage, I'm all set up for a stage where you basically set the subject on the stage, centered, maybe lifted a bit on a short wire or screw & shoot from the side, from my recent post: Re: Tabletop Bellows Rig Upgrades Then I can rotate it easily & tilt, raise, shift, etc. I'm imagining ways to put the wire in one of the side holes & bend in an L shape so the subject is still in the center... I'll post pics when I figure it out. Each setup will have different needs, there definitely isn't just one perfect solution.
Having the pin hidden from the perspective would be ideal, although I've kind of painted myself into a corner with the rotation stage, I'm all set up for a stage where you basically set the subject on the stage, centered, maybe lifted a bit on a short wire or screw & shoot from the side, from my recent post: Re: Tabletop Bellows Rig Upgrades Then I can rotate it easily & tilt, raise, shift, etc. I'm imagining ways to put the wire in one of the side holes & bend in an L shape so the subject is still in the center... I'll post pics when I figure it out. Each setup will have different needs, there definitely isn't just one perfect solution.
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PaulFurman
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Here's the setup with & without wire, and results without the wire. I should have shot from the other side, the tip of the tack is shown. I could somehow secure a longer wire in one of the side holes like the smaller screw and bend in an L shape.Perhaps some extremely thin wire would work, glued to the side of the tack's pin... yep, also easy to do, I used copper wire from a defunct electric motor, wrapped around in thousands of layers for an electromagnet.
'mosquito' moth
7x with Oly 20/2 on D700 at 1 sec, 112 steps at 50 microns each.
(corrected from 5 microns)
Last edited by PaulFurman on Tue Jan 05, 2010 9:43 am, edited 1 time in total.
Hi Guys,
Sorry that I'm jumping in a bit late, but I just found this thread.
I have been using curved sewing/tapestry needles in an attempt to mount some bugs, but have found that the wire is waaay too thick and is very visible in the resulting pics.
I tried bending thinner wired general sewing needles, but they are very brittle and break well before they bend. The straight needle from behind the subject looks like a cool idea, but I have been keeping my background materials waay back from the subject so that they will just appear as colored blur. Any ideas???
Bruce
Sorry that I'm jumping in a bit late, but I just found this thread.
I have been using curved sewing/tapestry needles in an attempt to mount some bugs, but have found that the wire is waaay too thick and is very visible in the resulting pics.
I tried bending thinner wired general sewing needles, but they are very brittle and break well before they bend. The straight needle from behind the subject looks like a cool idea, but I have been keeping my background materials waay back from the subject so that they will just appear as colored blur. Any ideas???
Bruce
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PaulFurman
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The copper wire above has been working well for me. It's easy to bend a little 'L' on top, super-glued to the bottom of the abdomen, the vertical part can sit just a little behind the deepest leg and/or rotated till it hides behind a leg. That fine copper is still almost as thick as the finest sewing needles but the dark color is less obtrusive than silver. In this shot, the bright white glow at bottom is the top of the thumbtack (tilted looking down on it), the copper extension is hidden but is about as thick as the biggest leg.
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PaulFurman
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Here's another one using the wire & superglue where the glue got messy, in the lower-left is a copper wire glued to the abdomen & rear legs for mounting. Perhaps the attempt to wash in rubbing alcohol caused the glue to spread out like that, it's a thick goopy mix.
6x on Olympus Auto-Macro 20mm f/2 at f/2.8, 1/1.6 sec, 148 and 112 frames at 20 to 50 microns
edit: 20-50, not 2-5 microns
edit: California Ladybird Beetle - Coccinella californica http://bugguide.net/node/view/65466
6x on Olympus Auto-Macro 20mm f/2 at f/2.8, 1/1.6 sec, 148 and 112 frames at 20 to 50 microns
edit: 20-50, not 2-5 microns
edit: California Ladybird Beetle - Coccinella californica http://bugguide.net/node/view/65466