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Micrographs in Black & White

Posted: Sun Feb 02, 2020 7:18 pm
by hkv
Hi folks,

I have been experimenting with black and white micrographs for a change. I think it gives a different feeling and interesting contrast. Been trying BF, DF, DIC, POL and FLUO to see the difference.

The First image is a colonial cyanobacteria (Gloeotrichia) in brightfield.
The second image is a green alga (Botryococcus Braunii) in fluoresent light with a weak addition of regular DIC (on low light setting)
The third image is a diatom (Tabellaria Fenestra) in DIC
The fourth image is small snail (mollusk) in fluorescent light
The fifth image is a nematode in polarized light.
The sixth image is a green alga (Micrasterias) in dark field.

Image

Gloeotrichia
by Håkan Kvarnström, on Flickr

Image

Botryococus_bw2
by Håkan Kvarnström, on Flickr

Image

Tabellaria_bw_1
by Håkan Kvarnström, on Flickr

Image

Hypnotic Nature
by Håkan Kvarnström, on Flickr

Image

Nematode_bw_1
by Håkan Kvarnström, on Flickr

Image

Micrasterias
by Håkan Kvarnström, on Flickr

Re: Micrographs in Black & White

Posted: Sun Feb 02, 2020 7:45 pm
by deBult
One word: wow.

Re: Micrographs in Black & White

Posted: Sun Feb 02, 2020 8:21 pm
by 75RR
Form over colour - very effective! Always liked B/W images

Re: Micrographs in Black & White

Posted: Sun Feb 02, 2020 8:28 pm
by david_b
Very nice!

Re: Micrographs in Black & White

Posted: Sun Feb 02, 2020 11:30 pm
by MichaelG.
Lovely graphic images

All superlatives echoed !!

MichaelG.

Re: Micrographs in Black & White

Posted: Mon Feb 03, 2020 12:47 am
by KurtM
Yes, very nice indeed - I believe that's the first time I've ever seen florescence images given over to gray scale.

It's also very nice to see you back at it, I've been missing your postings!

Re: Micrographs in Black & White

Posted: Mon Feb 03, 2020 11:41 am
by Chris Dee
Stunning, well done.

Re: Micrographs in Black & White

Posted: Mon Feb 03, 2020 5:42 pm
by mintakax
Beautiful pictures !

Re: Micrographs in Black & White

Posted: Mon Feb 03, 2020 8:04 pm
by MicroBob
Hi Håkan,
good idea to use B/W for an image style idea. I like "Gloeotrichia" and "Hypnotic Nature" best. For me it is the geometric shapes in these images that make them work.

Bob

Re: Micrographs in Black & White

Posted: Mon Feb 03, 2020 10:07 pm
by hkv
Thanks all! Great to get feedback and I agree about the geometric shapes. MicroBob, I also like those two, but also Gloeotricha with the oil-drops around the edge.

Re: Micrographs in Black & White

Posted: Tue Feb 04, 2020 1:17 am
by WhyMe
Awesome photos! I always liked taking black and white photos. To me, the subject really stands out in black and white.

Re: Micrographs in Black & White

Posted: Tue Feb 04, 2020 2:33 pm
by Larry060
Wow. Wonderful images.

Re: Micrographs in Black & White

Posted: Tue Feb 04, 2020 3:13 pm
by einman
Very Nice indeed!

Re: Micrographs in Black & White

Posted: Tue Feb 04, 2020 5:17 pm
by ImperatorRex
Top!

Re: Micrographs in Black & White

Posted: Tue Feb 04, 2020 5:25 pm
by MicroBob
Isn't it the Botryococus that has oil drops at it's edges?

Re: Micrographs in Black & White

Posted: Tue Feb 04, 2020 10:03 pm
by hkv
MicroBob wrote:
Tue Feb 04, 2020 5:25 pm
Isn't it the Botryococus that has oil drops at it's edges?
Yes, yes, I wrote the wrong name. Sorry!

Re: Micrographs in Black & White

Posted: Thu Feb 06, 2020 12:05 am
by hb2sbdb
amazing! very arfull images. I could make poster out from any of them and hang in my living room (well, maybe except the nematode one :)

Re: Micrographs in Black & White

Posted: Thu Feb 06, 2020 12:22 pm
by tgss
Excellent!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tom W

Re: Micrographs in Black & White

Posted: Thu Feb 06, 2020 1:16 pm
by MicroBob
Quite interesting: Botryococcus has a lot of potential as a source for renewable energy as it produces a lot of hydrocarbons:https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Botryococcus_braunii
You have made this visible in a beautiful way, Håkan!

Bob

Re: Micrographs in Black & White

Posted: Thu Feb 06, 2020 7:20 pm
by hkv
hb2sbdb wrote:
Thu Feb 06, 2020 12:05 am
amazing! very arfull images. I could make poster out from any of them and hang in my living room (well, maybe except the nematode one :)
Ha ha, yes teh nematode may scare a few people.

Re: Micrographs in Black & White

Posted: Thu Feb 06, 2020 7:23 pm
by hkv
MicroBob wrote:
Thu Feb 06, 2020 1:16 pm
Quite interesting: Botryococcus has a lot of potential as a source for renewable energy as it produces a lot of hydrocarbons:https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Botryococcus_braunii
You have made this visible in a beautiful way, Håkan!

Bob
Yes, the algae have been used for biofuel production. I wrote this explanation in another context about the alga.
The search for alternative energy sources has gained a lot of attention as an alternative to fossil fuel. Microalgae are known to produce an order of magnitude more oil than other biofuel feedstocks. This photograph shows a green alga called Botryococcus Braunii, which has a unique capability to produce oil up to 25-75% of its dry weight. Research shows that of all feedstock for meeting demands of transportation fuels (e.g., biodiesel), microalga cultivation requires the least landmass. Botryococcus Braunii are known for their ability to produce very long-chain alkanes similar to petroleum, and as such, they are considered to be a sustainable replacement for petroleum fuels. Botryococcus Braunii exhibits good growth at various temperatures, and since they can grow in saline/brackish waters, they pose less competition with food crops for landmass and freshwater.

Re: Micrographs in Black & White

Posted: Thu Feb 06, 2020 8:33 pm
by charlie g
Thoughtful and profound microscopy observations with your B/W image captures spark my my reaction, thank you hkv. It has always given me pause at how with 'blasts of transmitted illumination'...a sample wet mount slide prep is oh so unnaturally visualized. I toyed with 'night vision' device to see if the mobile meiofauna and protists behave notably different than when 'enduring the blast of illumination' with routine transmitted light microscopy. I never added image-captures to my DIY night-vision microscopy.

There is nothing similar to the illumination many of our marine, freshwater, or sludge specimens thrive in...as to that 'microscope stage blast of transmitted illumination' we encounter, observe, and image capture our neighbor meiofauna and protists with. Your wonderful B/W images clearly depict optical excellance of focus and resolution...and also have me ponderingf the actual 'illumination/ insolation domains of' our microscopy encounters .

Thanks for shareing,hkv, charlie guevara

Re: Micrographs in Black & White

Posted: Sun Feb 09, 2020 1:49 pm
by hkv
charlie g wrote:
Thu Feb 06, 2020 8:33 pm
Thoughtful and profound microscopy observations with your B/W image captures spark my my reaction, thank you hkv. It has always given me pause at how with 'blasts of transmitted illumination'...a sample wet mount slide prep is oh so unnaturally visualized. I toyed with 'night vision' device to see if the mobile meiofauna and protists behave notably different than when 'enduring the blast of illumination' with routine transmitted light microscopy. I never added image-captures to my DIY night-vision microscopy.

There is nothing similar to the illumination many of our marine, freshwater, or sludge specimens thrive in...as to that 'microscope stage blast of transmitted illumination' we encounter, observe, and image capture our neighbor meiofauna and protists with. Your wonderful B/W images clearly depict optical excellance of focus and resolution...and also have me ponderingf the actual 'illumination/ insolation domains of' our microscopy encounters .

Thanks for shareing,hkv, charlie guevara
Thank you Charlie, interesting idea that protists would behave differently in darkness. I think you have a point. I notice that when I use fluorescent light, most microbes increase their speed and probably get stressed.