Focus Stacked Image of Black and Red Ant Mandibles (Page 2): AWESOME!!!! Simply awesome. Just VERY curious about your setup Is that a home made lens hood over the objective lens ?

Ray D Loc: Grand Rapids, Michigan

AWESOME!!!! Simply awesome. Just VERY curious about your setup Is that a home made lens hood over the objective lens ? Also, what is the spherical objective on the right ? How many shots did you use for your stack?
You are sooo very good at this. I am trying to learn more.

randave2001 Loc: Richmond

Fantastic images and very interesting shot of your setup.

sippyjug104 Loc: Missouri

Ray D wrote:

AWESOME!!!! Simply awesome. Just VERY curious about your setup Is that a home made lens hood over the objective lens ? Also, what is the spherical objective on the right ? How many shots did you use for your stack?
You are sooo very good at this. I am trying to learn more.

Ray, Thanks for viewing and for inquiring. Yes, it is a DYI lens hood I make for all my optics. I make it from a black velvet material that I get from the Hobby Lobby craft store. I also use it to flock all of the internal surfaces of my extension tubes and the surfaces of any adapter fittings. Glare must be eliminated when everything in a session is magnified.

What you see to the right is one of the IKEA Jansjo desk lamps that I use for illumination. I use them along with DIY diffusion and place them at different angles to create the style of lights and shadows I want.

The depth of field of a 10X microscope objective is 0.0087 mm so focus stacking is the only practical way to create an image with any depth. These sessions were in the 350 image range and I only bring depth to the portion of the subject that I want to showcase and beyond that will be a blur. I use a digital motorized focus rail to advance the camera in precise increments and activate the shutter for each shot taken.

sippyjug104 Loc: Missouri

randave2001 wrote:

Fantastic images and very interesting shot of your setup.

Thanks, Randave2001. I appreciate your feedback.

sippyjug104 Loc: Missouri

nimbushopper wrote:

Wow!

Thanks, Nimbushopper.

sippyjug104 Loc: Missouri

jaymatt wrote:

Thanks, Jaymatt. Keep an eye out for those wood-chewers in those old barns.

rrozema Loc: Sacramento, California

wow

kpmac Loc: Ragley, La

Excellent as always. I think that ant bit me before.

raymondh Loc: Walker, MI

How terrifying would this be in a miniature version of a Spielberg classic!!

merrytexan Loc: georgia

sippyjug104 wrote:

This is a focus-stacked image of my preserved black and red carpenter ant's mandibles taken at 10X magnification using a microscope objective as the optic for the camera. Below is a picture showing one of the ants staged before the camera as it posed for its session.

They use their powerful mandibles to gnaw galleries and tunnels in wood to build their nests and they can be as destructive to your home as termites.

I may sleep with the light on tonight! Excellent job, sippy!

Barn Owl

sippyjug104, Your macro work should be a featured display in a national museum.

Sinewsworn Loc: Port Orchard, WA

sippyjug104 wrote:

This is a focus-stacked image of my preserved black and red carpenter ant's mandibles taken at 10X magnification using a microscope objective as the optic for the camera. Below is a picture showing one of the ants staged before the camera as it posed for its session.

They use their powerful mandibles to gnaw galleries and tunnels in wood to build their nests and they can be as destructive to your home as termites.

Wonderful! Do you work for a museum? The consistently very high quality of your work makes one wonder...
Thanx for sharing.

sippyjug104 Loc: Missouri

rrozema wrote:

wow

Thanks, Rrozema.

sippyjug104 Loc: Missouri

kpmac wrote:

Excellent as always. I think that ant bit me before.

Thanks, Kpmac. I've been bitten by these little buggers and they pinch like the dickens.

sippyjug104 Loc: Missouri

raymondh wrote:

How terrifying would this be in a miniature version of a Spielberg classic!!

Thanks, Raymondh. The first Sci-Fi movie that I remember seeing as a lad was "Rodan". Since then, I've always wanted to stay away from Japan.