This is my preserved Brown Recluse Spider. I bring it out from time to time when I change the setup of my camera gear. I put the bellows and the 4X Plan Finite Achromatic microscope objective on the bellows and extended it out to 160 mm from the sensor plane of the camera to the tip of the objective.
I placed the spider inside a ping-pong ball with a piece of black felt in the back and illuminated the outer surface from multiple directions.
This is a focus stacked image consisting of 218 images processed into one using Zerene Stacker.
Thanks, I've had it out several times before and it provides me a standard for comparisons with different setups.
You manage to stage your preserved speciments very well, I imagine that can't be easy.
Preserving any organic material can be a challenge how do you do it?
EnglishBrenda wrote:
You manage to stage your preserved speciments very well, I imagine that can't be easy.
Thanks, Brenda. I've had this one since last summer and it is holding up well. It does take a bit of effort to get them into position for legs and antenna don't naturally want to go where I want them to and it takes a soft touch and patience. At times I wear a magnifying visor to see what it and I am doing.
EnglishBrenda wrote:
You manage to stage your preserved speciments very well, I imagine that can't be easy.
Thanks, Brenda. I've had this one since last summer and it is holding up well. It does take a bit of effort to get them into position for legs and antenna don't naturally want to go where I want them to and it takes a soft touch and patience. At times I wear a magnifying visor to see what it and I am doing.
Thanks and it's warming to hear that you enjoy seeing it.
Don, the 2nd son wrote:
Preserving any organic material can be a challenge how do you do it?
Thanks, I keep them in denatured alcohol and I change it about every three months. The soft bodied specimens like beetle larva, I dip into scalding water for about a minute to kill the bacteria in its gut to keep them from turning black and then store them in the alcohol.
The fuzzy ones and moths I keep in a sealed container with mothballs to kill and keep out any scavengers that eat on them.
Cleaning the off the crud and the fatty wax that insects exude is the most time consuming part of the preservation process.
Beautifully done! As always.
Mark Sturtevant wrote:
Beautifully done! As always.
Thanks, Mark. I enjoy changing my gear from time to time for it is said that "variety is the spice of life".
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