Dead Man's Flats Diatoms

[rnabholz]

These are from a sample sent to me by Kurt from the Houston area, a tidal flat he called Dead Man's.

AO Apostar Series 4, 90x Apo, Oblique Mask, Single Frames, Canon 70D. I cleaned up the background to better feature the subject, tried a sort of stylized smudging process, welcome your thoughts on the technique.

Dead Mans Flats 9528.JPG (169.52 KiB) Viewed 5027 times

[KurtM]

Very nice. The white background you produce is utterly unique in photomicography as far as I am aware, and coupled with the astonishing sharpness of those apos, gives you a quite singular style I find very pleasing to the eye. Of course, oblique light doesn't hurt in the least. As for background clean up and smudging, I call it a keeper. As far as I'm concerned, presenting the subject honestly is what's important, and I can think of no reason why the background must clutter it, especially altered as it is from the cleaning process.

I particularly hope you'll post much more from this particular batch of slides, as I'm particularly interested in this particular sample. If you can imagine that. Here's where it was taken, at "Dead Man's Curve" (hey, it's a small town):
https://www.google.com/maps/@29.5209789 ... a=!3m1!1e3

[rnabholz]

Thanks Kurt.

I really like Oblique, but it does present some challenges. The varied brightness across the field is something that most folks don't expect in a microscope image. There is a trade off of a bit of sharpness and some halo-ing (is that a word?) that you give up to get the insight into the structure of the subject that Oblique brings to the table. I find it a good trade most of the time.

As to the warm tint of the images, probably a camera/illuminator color balance issue, but I like it too, and so I probably won't "fix" it.

Regarding the sample, I am still looking to find one of those super cool Sigma forms with the extended thin arms with the ball on the ends that you found in your slides. I have two more slides to scan yet, there is still hope (and lots of sample left if I have to continue the search by making more slides).

Interesting road, a fellow wouldn't want to Diatom hunt and drive there, looks a bit hairy.

Thanks for the comments and of course, the sample.

[zzffnn]

Nice images, Rod!

Kurt's collection spot is not far from the collection spot of your Armand Bayou sample, belonging to the same connected water body and more towards the ocean.

[KurtM]

I am still looking to find one of those super cool Sigma forms...

Ah yes, Gyrosigma fasciola, a very pretty thing. Give me a shout if you don't scare any up, maybe have to send you another bit of sample.

[billbillt]

Great photos.... I know exactly where these were collected.. Kurt is right, It is a dangerous 90 deg. turn in the road... used to fish in that area back in the day...

BillT

[vasselle]

Bonjour
Superbes images
Cordialement seb

[rnabholz]

Nice images, Rod!

Kurt's collection spot is not far from the collection spot of your Armand Bayou sample, belonging to the same connected water body and more towards the ocean.

Thanks ZZ. This sample is quite different from the bayou sample, not as diverse, smaller in size, and leans more towards freshwater species.

[rnabholz]

I am still looking to find one of those super cool Sigma forms...

Ah yes, Gyrosigma fasciola, a very pretty thing. Give me a shout if you don't scare any up, maybe have to send you another bit of sample.

Scanned the rest of the slides tonight - no luck, but I have more sample left, so I will throw a few more slides together.

[rnabholz]

Great photos.... I know exactly where these were collected.. Kurt is right, It is a dangerous 90 deg. turn in the road... used to fish in that area back in the day...

BillT

Thanks Bill. Kurt had said in his original post that he was driving by and noticed the diatom material laying out there - hard to believe he could take his eyes off the road on that corner. Maybe not "Distracted Driving" but surely Diatom Driving.

[rnabholz]

Bonjour
Superbes images
Cordialement seb

Merci Seb