Marine diatom

[75RR]

Planapo 63x/1.4, DIC, alga is 22µm width, stacked in Photoshop, Marine sample, Alboran Sea.

Possibly Achnanthes sp.

[JMK]

Quintessential DIC !

Very Nice image - thanks for sharing

John

[KurtM]

Yes, what an exceedingly pleasing image! Always so nice to see living diatoms "doing their thing".

[75RR]

Thanks JMK and KurtM

[geo_man]

beautiful pic! can you briefly describe how a beginner who lives near the sea can get started making nice diatom images? or a link to a good/simple resource? thank you!

[Wes]

What a great image, just beautiful!

When you stack diatoms in Photoshop, do you get problems with the fine repetitive structures in different Z-planes getting incorrectly intertwined in the final image?

[75RR]

Thanks geo_man

One of the nice things about living near the sea is that you not only get the chance to capture exotic marine diatoms but a myriad other marine creatures as well.
In fact you have the best of both worlds, as fresh water protists are also readily available – as close as the nearest river, pond or fountain.
As in all waters, algae are a very good source of diatoms. I tend to collect them either from rocks at low tide (a penknife is useful),
from the edge of the surf just before they are washed ashore or from the local marina where I remove them from the ropes that moor the boats.
I have not tried to collect plankton with a net as yet, but plan to do so soon.

I have found that when attempting to photograph the denizens of the samples I have collected less is definitely more.
Unless the sample consists of very thin strands of filamentous algae, in which case I try to place as few stands as possible on the slide,
I try to avoid placing large items or indeed many small ones. What I usually do is grab a small clump of alga with pincers and tap it two or three times on the slide.
Now it may not seem that one has deposited anything, but given the microscopic size of our quarry I find that there is very nearly always something to see.
If I need to add a little water then I use the pincers for that as well.

When photographing it is always preferable that the subject be isolated if possible or that at least there is some separation between it and other items on the slide.
The less there is on the slide the lower the cover slip is able to be and the closer the subject will be to the cover slip.

In my opinion Brightfield should just be used to setup the microscope, once setup then one should employ an additional illumination technique.
Oblique, Darkfield, COL and Phase are all improvements on Brightfield, and some of them are quite economical.

[75RR]

Thanks Wes!

When you stack diatoms in Photoshop, do you get problems with the fine repetitive structures in different Z-planes getting incorrectly intertwined in the final image?

I find that some fine detail is lost to other layers. The final stack being a compromise of all its parts. Photoshop has a rather basic (i.e. a one button) stacking function. I use it because I have it, every time I think of getting a dedicated stacking software I find something else to spend the money on ;)

[geo_man]

Thanks a lot 75RR; I'm gonna try!!

[Crater Eddie]

Top shelf image as always!
CE

[75RR]

Many thanks Crater Eddie

[Hobbyst46]

I almost missed this one and its beauty!

Wonder, what could the yellow rectangle within the alga be ? perhaps a birefringent crystal of oxalate or calcium salt ? is it inside or attached on top ?

[75RR]

Thanks Hobbyst46

Wonder, what could the yellow rectangle within the alga be ? perhaps a birefringent crystal of oxalate or calcium salt ? is it inside or attached on top ?

Did wonder that myself. Can't say what it is but I can look through the stacked images and see where it is.

Update: Sharpest in image # 4 out of 30. That would place it on top.