Photomicrography

Meysha · Apr 18, 2005

I didn't really know where to post this so I took a shot.

So I know we've got our little Macro Guessing Game thread, but you should check out what this guy does with a microscope! It's absolutely awesome the colours of these crystals and molecules that he gets.
http://www.oncloserinspection.com/

There are also movies of growing crystals that are amazing to watch.
What blew my mind were the cross polarized crystals. The colours = WOW!

BTW what is cross polarizing? Is it just putting two layers of polarizing filter infront of the camera - but so each of them have different effects.

ferny · Apr 18, 2005

This thread would be better off in the general forum I think. It's just like normal photography but with a different lens. I've given it a go using a reversed lens on a spotting scope. It's almost impossible to get a good focus because nothings stable but you get similar results.

BTW what is cross polarizing?

I think it's when you polarize the light source and have a polarizer on your lens. If you do it with plastics you get funky colours around the stress lines. Little rainbows.

terri · Apr 18, 2005

This thread would be better off in the general forum I think.

Agreed.

Unimaxium · Apr 18, 2005

get yourself one of these, and you could make those yourself. Notice in the image that it has what looks like a D2X attached to the front :drool:

Meysha · Apr 18, 2005

Unimaxium said:
get yourself one of these, and you could make those yourself. Notice in the image that it has what looks like a D2X attached to the front

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Did you check out the brochure for that thing! That is so awesome... and soooo expensive, i imagine. Too scared to even go looking for a price.

Unimaxium · Apr 18, 2005

I can't even find any prices for it. I think you have to get a custom quote from a dealer. The only price I could find was a lab that owns one that rents access for $15-30 per hour. :shock:

Sergiozal · Apr 20, 2005

Meysha said:
BTW what is cross polarizing?

The phisics involved are quite difficult to explain, but take a look on this:

http://www.naturescapes.net/042004/wh0404.htm

ferny · Apr 20, 2005

Ahh, I was think of birefringence.
A couple of quick links (not fully read the pages) for info. And even a picture to! :mrgreen:

http://www.oberlin.edu/physics/catalog/demonstrations/optics/birefringence.html
http://www.everything2.org/index.pl?node_id=1325608
http://www.everything2.org/index.pl?node=birefringence

Meysha · Apr 20, 2005

So it's just 'ultra' polarising? to put it in other words.

Here's what I understood:
You polarise the light from the flash so only polarised light is hitting the object.
Then the polariser on the camera takes care of the rest of the ambient light and also makes sure all the flash light is polarised.

Sergiozal · Apr 20, 2005

Kind of.
When you polarize the flash light in one direction, you can control better what is going to pass through the polarizer filter. If you put two polarizer filters and cross them, there will be no light passing (99,99%)
It is a good way to make an adjustable neutral density filter