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The Not So Distant Light

Posted by mark on Jan 08 2016 in Midwestern Landscapes
The Not So Distant LIght
The Not So Distant LIght

A little pull-over in the Allegan Forest. There is a small parking area carved into the woods, with a gated-off two track leading back to several large fields, one of which has a handful of crumbling foundation slabs from some sort of long gone building complex. Earlier this week on a snowy day a shaft of sunlight emerged, hitting just the road with direct light, while I stood a few yards off in the shadow. Well, thankfully I had an old twin lens reflex camera with me....

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Agate Detail

Posted by mark on Dec 16 2015 in Minerals
Agate Detail
Agate Detail

A macro photo of an agate slice: 

Approximately 3x lifesized, 56 stacked images. Backlit. There is not much point in focus stacking something relatively flat like this - but moving the focal plane into the semi-transparent rock slice does seem to bring out some details and structures that enhance the image. And stacking also spared me from having to align the stone to the camera's focal plane.

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Bismuth Crystal

Posted by mark on Dec 14 2015 in Minerals

A 4x lifesized macro of a bismuth Crystal:

Bismuth Crystal
Bismuth Crystal

This portion of the crsytal was in a recessed "stair step" structure, which was very difficult to light. I wound up abondoning the use of flash and instead shot with ambient lighting. This resulted in a very long shutter speed  of about 1/2 second for each image.  Made with a Pentax K01 and reverse mounted SMC K 24 f3.5. 70 stacked images.

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Ammonite

Posted by mark on Dec 11 2015 in Extreme Macro

Closeup of the central swirl of an Ammonite fossil:

Ammonite Closeup
Ammonite Closeup

 Made from 16 exposures focus stacked in Photoshop, magnification of approximately 1.5x lifesized.

 

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Planthopper

Posted by mark on Dec 10 2015 in Announcements, Insect Photography

A Planthopper collected last summer and photographed yesterday, December 9:

DOF Stacked Photograph of Planthopper Insect
Planthopper

Taken at approximately 4x lifsized.

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Signature Artist Gallery 2015

Posted by mark on Dec 09 2015 in Announcements, Exhibits
Booth at Signature Gallery 2015

The 2015 Signature Artist Gallery is open and underway for our 36th season! Here's a snapshot of my corner of the gallery this year: 

Creatures Book Cover
Creatures Book Cover

 I'm also featuring a photobook of extreme macro photos - Creatures!  As always the gallery features multiple forms of fine art -watercolors, pastels, jewelery, pottery, metal, turned wood, archetectual ornaments, fiber, and furniture. There are even a few swords and drinking horns. This years gallery is again located at 4602 West Main Street, Kalamazoo, MI 49006. For more about the gallery visit our website -  signature-artist.com

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Ant Queen

Posted by mark on Dec 02 2015 in Insect Photography

I wanted to make a stacked macro today, so I pulled a specimen out of the freezer without looking, figuring I'd work with whatever I got.

Small Wasp (possibly family Sphecidae.)
Small Wasp (possibly family Sphecidae.)

Ouch! I winced when I saw how small this one was! Why do I even bother to collect things this size...

 So - here it is... When I collected it I thought it was a drone ant with wings intact, but looking at it I think it is actually a wasp, possibly family Sphecidae - thread waisted wasps.It  was very small and this portrait was taken at about 8x lifesized. Update: I have since learned that this is indeed a winged ant.

Small Wasp (Reference Image)
Small Wasp (Reference Image)

Pentax K01, K24mm f3.5 reverse mounted on a lot of extension. Here is a reference image of the insect, taken at about 1:1 lifesized:

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Milkweed Bug

Posted by mark on Nov 28 2015 in Extreme Macro
Milkweed Bug, Oncopeltus fasciatu
Milkweed Bug, Oncopeltus fasciatu

A focus stacked macro photo of a Milkweed Bug, probably Oncopeltus fasciatu: 

Collected several weeks ago when the milkweed seedpods were getting ready to open. Shot at about 4x lifesized, Pentax K01 with reverse mounted SMC K 24mm f3.5 on extension. 130 exposures in 2 stacks, combined in Zerene Stacker.

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The Story of Snow has its own website and blog! Take a look:

www.storyofsnow.com

Click Here to buy the book on Amazon.

Story of Snow

The Story of Snow: The Science of Winter's Wonder. By Mark Cassino with Jon Nelson - from Chronicle Books. Click here for more info.

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