Continuing Adventures With Stacking: Pollen!

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KurtM
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Continuing Adventures With Stacking: Pollen!

#1 Post by KurtM » Fri Jul 29, 2016 12:40 am

I really must get back to making pollen slides! It's another subject for microscopy that I find fascinating, and another one that's just about impossible to get good images of without stacking. But I'm quickly discovering that there's an awful lot more to it than merely loading a series of images into a program and enjoying blissful results. I feel like I am taking great liberties in a rather aggressive retouching approach here, and always worry they look overcooked. But I'm pretty confident that they're at least better than what comes straight out of the oven.

As for the slides, I made these a couple springs ago using glycerin jelly obtained from Brunel in the UK (yes, the Colonies may order from them too). There's two flavors of glycerin jelly: plain, and stained, and I am in the habit of making slides using both for every sampling. So all images are straight DIC, no wave plate.

Image 1: Cotton, through the 40x/.35 objective, DIC.
Image 2: Pine tree, 40x obj, DIC. Google pine pollen sometime if you want an interesting diversion.
Image 3: Pine pollen through the 100x. Who knew pine tree pollen contains pumpkin seeds?
Image 4: Evening primrose, 40x, DIC. We used to call 'em buttercups because if you touch your nose to them it comes back yellow. With pollen of course!
Image 5: Again, through the 100x. These grains are large, and you can see the shape when you examine the flower through the stereo scope. Very cool!

Mounting pollen in glycerin jelly has the unfortunate effect of washing out most of the natural color. All of these grains were a delightful buttery yellow when fresh, and I'd love to figure out how to retain it. Any other words of wisdom from those who know more about pollen than I do are certainly welcome here, as are comments regarding stacking and post processing. Thank you!
Attachments
2016-07-27 cotton pollen 40x 1024px.jpg
2016-07-27 cotton pollen 40x 1024px.jpg (222.79 KiB) Viewed 5710 times
2016-07-27 pine pollen 40x 1024px.jpg
2016-07-27 pine pollen 40x 1024px.jpg (120.44 KiB) Viewed 5710 times
2016-07-28 pine pollen 100x 1024px.jpg
2016-07-28 pine pollen 100x 1024px.jpg (165.66 KiB) Viewed 5710 times
2016-07-28 evening primrose pollen 40x 1024px.jpg
2016-07-28 evening primrose pollen 40x 1024px.jpg (123.56 KiB) Viewed 5710 times
2016-07-28 evening primrose pollen 100x 1024pxp.jpg
2016-07-28 evening primrose pollen 100x 1024pxp.jpg (168.66 KiB) Viewed 5710 times
Cheers,
Kurt Maurer
League City, Texas
email: ngc704(at)gmail(dot)com
https://www.flickr.com/photos/67904872@ ... 912223623/

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mrsonchus
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Re: Continuing Adventures With Stacking: Pollen!

#2 Post by mrsonchus » Fri Jul 29, 2016 1:12 am

Beautiful images Kurt! You're getting the hang of this stacking business my friend - a lovely set! :D :)
John B

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zzffnn
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Re: Continuing Adventures With Stacking: Pollen!

#3 Post by zzffnn » Fri Jul 29, 2016 1:32 am

Very nice!!

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Johann
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Re: Continuing Adventures With Stacking: Pollen!

#4 Post by Johann » Fri Jul 29, 2016 6:22 am

Nice Kurt :)
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vasselle
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Re: Continuing Adventures With Stacking: Pollen!

#5 Post by vasselle » Fri Jul 29, 2016 2:48 pm

Bonjour
Très belle séries images.
Merci pour la partage
Cordialement sbe
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rabitt
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Re: Continuing Adventures With Stacking: Pollen!

#6 Post by rabitt » Fri Jul 29, 2016 10:30 pm

Like your pine pollen photos, I found some on my sticky tape this past Spring.

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KurtM
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Re: Continuing Adventures With Stacking: Pollen!

#7 Post by KurtM » Sat Jul 30, 2016 3:22 am

Thank you all for the kind comments! :)

rabitt, I'd like to hear more about your sticky tape experiments...? I assume you were collecting airborne particles and examining them, could you expound a bit on how you set up the tape, and then how you got your looks at the catches?
Cheers,
Kurt Maurer
League City, Texas
email: ngc704(at)gmail(dot)com
https://www.flickr.com/photos/67904872@ ... 912223623/

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exmarine
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Re: Continuing Adventures With Stacking: Pollen!

#8 Post by exmarine » Sat Jul 30, 2016 7:37 am

Great work Kurt, really good definition. Good to work with. I must admit I am really impressed with your photography.
Thank you :shock:
Best regards
exmarine :x

uses Watson 'Service' 1950 compound.
uses Watson Stereo 1960 ish.

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KurtM
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Re: Continuing Adventures With Stacking: Pollen!

#9 Post by KurtM » Sat Jul 30, 2016 4:58 pm

exmarine, good to see you 'round, where have you been hiding?
Cheers,
Kurt Maurer
League City, Texas
email: ngc704(at)gmail(dot)com
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rabitt
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Re: Continuing Adventures With Stacking: Pollen!

#10 Post by rabitt » Sun Jul 31, 2016 12:28 am

I got the idea from a basic beginner’s book that has a wealth of information on all
Subjects one might use a microscope for. Called “The World of the Microscope” on
Page 41. See attached sketch.
It does have some limitations, the transparent tape glue turns a milky white from the
Water after a while.
Attachments
Pollen Trap.pdf
(259.53 KiB) Downloaded 200 times

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gekko
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Re: Continuing Adventures With Stacking: Pollen!

#11 Post by gekko » Tue Aug 02, 2016 12:11 am

Great images, all of them! Being surrounded by pine trees, I've tried to image pine pollen many times under all kinds of lighting and magnifications but never got anything like your images. I am amazed at the detail and beauty of your pine pollen images.

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Re: Continuing Adventures With Stacking: Pollen!

#12 Post by KurtM » Tue Aug 02, 2016 12:58 am

Thanks gekko :D . But you're gonna give me a big head if you keep that up... :P

rabitt, very cool, thank you! Now, please, a little more info on the book? Author and exact title (I came up with several candidates when I searched)? A book with ideas like that should be worth having, I'm thinking. Thanks again! 8-)
Cheers,
Kurt Maurer
League City, Texas
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https://www.flickr.com/photos/67904872@ ... 912223623/

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Re: Continuing Adventures With Stacking: Pollen!

#13 Post by rabitt » Tue Aug 02, 2016 12:02 pm

You can purchase from AmScope $10.50 http://www.amscope.com/the-world-of-the ... ments.html

or Amazon https://www.amazon.com/AmScope-BK-WM-Wo ... cope+books

Authors are Chris Oxlade and Corinne Stockley

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KurtM
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Re: Continuing Adventures With Stacking: Pollen!

#14 Post by KurtM » Tue Aug 02, 2016 1:51 pm

Thanks rabitt. Such beginner's books, though aimed at the younger set, are often a source a wonderfully interesting investigation ideas!
Cheers,
Kurt Maurer
League City, Texas
email: ngc704(at)gmail(dot)com
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c-krebs
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Re: Continuing Adventures With Stacking: Pollen!

#15 Post by c-krebs » Wed Aug 03, 2016 6:23 am

Really well done! This is a subject that is frustrating to do this nicely.

Actually brings back memories from many (many!) years ago. When I was in 3rd or 4th grade I had a Swift monocular scope. As a science project I went around and collected all types of pollen and mounted slides with Canada balsam. I took pictures by holding a Polaroid Model 80 up to the eyepiece. They sure didn't look this good, but at the time I was impressed. Only took about 4 1/2 decades to get back into microscopy.

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Re: Continuing Adventures With Stacking: Pollen!

#16 Post by KurtM » Wed Aug 03, 2016 3:04 pm

Wow, thanks Charles - that's pretty high praise coming from you. I'm just loving Zerene, and having a ball with retouching where I get so aggressive I almost startle myself. I often fear the liberties I take may be too great, but I'm endeavoring to trust my artistic eye to arrive at images that are both aesthetically pleasing and informative.

I can never thank you enough for all your wonderful assistance and inspiration!
Cheers,
Kurt Maurer
League City, Texas
email: ngc704(at)gmail(dot)com
https://www.flickr.com/photos/67904872@ ... 912223623/

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