Stacked macro photograph of a fruit fly

[Ecooper]

Almost exactly a month ago I posted a photo of a sow bug (order Isopoda) on my blog that I created from a stack of 57 separate images. But I was really unsatisfied with the photo and decided it was time to invest in more equipment. I ordered a 4X microscope objective off Ebay and started building a precision focusing rail out of a Zeiss Microscope Focus Arm.

The focusing rail is now functional. The trickiest thing was figuring out how to provide soft, even lighting to a tiny specimen positioned only 14mm from the front of the lens while simultaneously avoiding lens flare. I also needed to find a suitably photogenic subject. Given that it was snowing on the day I took the photo below, a trip to the garden to look for tiny insects wasn’t an option!

I had an epiphany yesterday morning while eating a small tub of yogurt and a banana. I finished the yogurt and realized that it was made from thin white plastic and was the perfect size and shape to fit over both the microscope lens and a specimen. All I had to do was to cut a hole in the bottom to insert the subject. Meanwhile a couple of fruit flies started to buzz around my banana...”aha” I thought, “my specimens have arrived!”

Below is one of the photos resulting from a meeting of yogurt container and fruit fly.

Cheers,

EC www.macrocritters.wordpress.com

http://www.flickr.com/photos/creepy-crawlers/8295163252/'>

http://www.flickr.com/photos/creepy-crawlers/8295163252/'>fruitfly 1 edit copyright ernie cooper 2012 crop 3_filtered by http://www.flickr.com/people/creepy-crawlers/'>ernie.cooper, on Flickr

 

[Mime454]

Impressive beyond words.

 

[aNisip]

That ff needs to shave! Amazing, as usual! :clap:

 

[Paradoxica]

Cool, I wonder what evolutionary purpose there is to being so fuzzy?

 

[Digger]

astonishing. wish i had an engineer's imagination! as a photographer, i'd love to see a pix of the set up you designed.

cheers,

Digger

 

[Ecooper]

Cool, I wonder what evolutionary purpose there is to being so fuzzy?

I wonder the same thing. I understand that the hairs can be key identification characteristics, so they must serve some function.

EC

www.macrocritters.wordpress.com

 

[Ecooper]

astonishing. wish i had an engineer's imagination! as a photographer, i'd love to see a pix of the set up you designed.

cheers,

Digger

I wrote more about it on my blog, and included a couple of photos. The pic below shows the set-up: microscope on its back, camera mounted where the condenser would have been and the specimen is mounted where the microscope head should go. The specimen mount is a mechanical stage (for moving a microscope slide) attached vertically to provide movement of the specimen vertically and horizontally. The lens and subject are covered by the yogurt container.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/creepy-crawlers/8295201922/'>

http://www.flickr.com/photos/creepy-crawlers/8295201922/'>bellows and yogurt container_filtered by http://www.flickr.com/people/creepy-crawlers/'>ernie.cooper, on Flickr

The pic below shows the lens (covered by a paper lens shade) and fruit fly specimen on the tip of a sewing needle. I removed the outer barrel of the lens and added the shade to reduce the chance of lens flare.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/creepy-crawlers/8295201290/'>

http://www.flickr.com/photos/creepy-crawlers/8295201290/'>bellows and lens shade_filtered by http://www.flickr.com/people/creepy-crawlers/'>ernie.cooper, on Flickr

I am now slowly dismantling the rail; taking detailed photos as I go, and finishing the cosmetic details. Once I am done and have it back together I plan to post an in-depth, illustrated description of the project. Not sure whether I will add that to my current blog or start a new one specifically about equipment.

My next project will be to make a vertical version!

Cheers,

EC

www.macrocritters.wordpress.com

 

[MikhailsDinos]

Wonderful!

 

[sally]

inspirational!

 

[Peter Clausen]

Insects are the ultimate subject matter for photography, in my opinion. Most people wouldn't consider a fruit fly a fitting subject, but your process and results prove otherwise. Fantastic!

 

[Zapins]

The hairs are probably to keep water droplets off them. The hairs prevent the water from sticking to their bodies and drowning them. The same reason floating aquatic plants have hairs on their surfaces - to prevent the water from adhering to their top surface and sinking them.

I like the detail of your photo.