Shifting Perspectives on Epi-illumination

Greetings all!

The title of today’s post is about as accurate as I could get but the post itself is going to be very brief. It does contain a couple of important announcements that you need to hear - so I will get right to the point.

I have been informed that the competition photo-naming convention that I announced a couple of weeks ago has some formatting issues, so I am going to change the instructions accordingly. This will take effect immediately, but I will not disqualify mis-named images until the March competition. The format for naming your entry (and the filename for the image - they need to be the same) is as follows…

_exact.image.title_your first name.your last name.image file type

Every entry must have the same filename and image title and both must be in exactly the same format. There should be NO spaces, so words are to be separated using a period. The convention I announced earlier used “quotation marks” - these are problematic for some computers, as are spaces, so I replacing the quotation marks with underscores (_) and the spaces with periods (.). Using this convention a typical entry would look like this …

_green.weevil.foot_allan.walls.jpg
I hope that is completely clear but if you have any questions, please ask. I really do not want to have to disqualify any images.

We had an excellent Tangent livestream this last weekend, with lots of useful information for anyone using 3D modeling or printing. The session was recorded and the recording is now posted on YouTube - this link will take you right to the recording …

This coming weekend we have Episode 17 of AfterStack and this week we will take a look at the Photoshop focus stacking utility. This can be a very handy tool but it pays to know its limitations and how to use it. We will also be discussing any images you have been having trouble with, and because of that, the next announcement is also important …

I have set up a Google Drive Folder named “AfterStack” that can only be accessed by following this link -

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1XA7tv9O2SW0TGRjiIIRBzMRMAu-ZAkKe?usp=sharing

Please save this link and use it for sending images that you would like to have discussed in AfterStack.

Don’t forget AfterStack 17 starts air 10AM this Saturday - Here is your link to the meeting -

Allan Walls is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: AfterStack 17

Time: Feb 22, 2025 10:00 AM Central Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6916802815?pwd=TS9tZi9ZL1NXeVUvOUF4eTg5YjdlZz09&omn=83179811857

Meeting ID: 691 680 2815

Passcode: 678122

Last Saturday’s Pzoom recording is available to Patreon Supporters and can be found on my Patreon page (https://www.patreon.com/allanwallsphotography) and while I am thinking about it, I have also set up a Pzoom Google Drive Folder and the link to that folder is also over on Patreon.

Getting to this week’s planned Macro Talk and Macro Talk Too discussions, we are going to delve into a couple of technical topics that will be valuable to anyone interested in expanding their macro skill set or trying something new. In our first livestream we are going to take a look at epi-illumination using a very inexpensive coaxial lighting setup. I will walk through the equipment and demonstrate how the rig should be assembled. I will walk thought the steps for setting up a photograph and make some suggestions for suitable subjects and discuss some of the technical limitations of this technique. There will be plenty of time to answer questions. https://youtube.com/live/NNZTNaj0sVQ?feature=share

On Thursday we will change gears and discuss a technique that is uncommonly applied today, but one that is well worth understanding. Using the tilt, shift, and swing capabilities of some lenses, adapters and bellows to manipulate the focal plane to alter perspective in close-up and macro photography. We will accomplish this while taking a look at one of the most complicated bellows devices ever sold - the Kenlock bellows. I am sure that by the end of this hour you will clearly understand the  title of this livestream! https://youtube.com/live/0J4nqSb1CCc?feature=share

With so much technical discussion in the coming days, I need to get to work on my preparations. I look forward to seeing you at one or more of these events and encourage you top bring any questions you may have.

Resolution

Resolution…

I am not talking about the empty promises made in haste at the New Year’s Eve party only to be unceremoniously discarded like the last half carton of egg nog, the purchase of which had seemed like such a good idea the week before Christmas. The resolution that I want to talk about this week is the ability for an optical system to distinguish two points that are in close proximity as separate entities on our camera’s sensor. Assuming, of course, that the number and size of photo- sites on the sensor, or the light sensitive cells in our retinas, are capable of resolving detail to the same or a higher degree, the limiting factor becomes the numeric aperture of our objective  lens. The relationship between resolution and the numeric aperture of a system can be loosely defined by the formula:

Resolution =(approximately) the wavelength of light/ 2 x NA

This is just a helpful approximation, but good enough to make it clear that the higher the NA of our objective, the smaller the separation of points and the more resolving power in the system. We typically use objectives that prioritize full spectrum color correction and long working distances, as these characteristics of a lens give us much less color fringing while providing a lot of room  for illuminating our subject. A good example of this is the 5X Mitutoyo M Plan apochromatic objective. This lens has a numerical aperture of only 0.14 but the low resolving power (2um) is an acceptable trade-off for the huge working distance of 34mm.

Consider now the resolution of an objective like the Olympus UPLX APO, which has a numerical aperture of 0.8 (at 20X) - it is also  an apochromat, but can resolve to 0.42um - five times the resolution of the Mitutoyo (and more than twice the resolution of the Mitutoyo 20X SL WD which only has an NA of 0.28). It seems, therefore, that we are limited to using only lower NA objectives because the  corresponding tiny working distances make it all but impossible to get enough light onto our subject for photography to be possible.

At first blush, this appears to present us with a Hobson’s Choice - or no real choice at all. We can take it or leave it. We choose a high NA objective or a well lit subject, but not both. However, there is another option and that is going to be the subject of Thursday’s livestream. I am going to show you a practical and affordable alternative method for using high NA objectives  while also illuminating the subject for photography. This will not be a novel concept to everyone, but even for those of you who already know the answer to this perplexing puzzle, it may surprise you to discover just how accessible super-high-resolution photomicrography  can be, with a small investment and most of the same equipment you already have. Tune in to Macro Talk Too this Thursday at 2PM to get everything you need to dive into high-resolution photography! https://youtube.com/live/DHEicfFzmgE?feature=share

Let’s now work backwards to Tuesday’s Macro Talk, our first livestream this week, at 8PM on YouTube. We are going to have a Competition Results Special, in which I will discuss the entries to last month’s contest and announce the winners. I have decided to do this because my plans for judging this competition and recording the process for release in a video fell through at the last minute. My guest judge was called away on urgent business and was unable to complete the judging and recording. So I am going to go it alone this month and if I am doing that, I might as well do it live, as these livestreams are always a lot of fun to do. There were only about 35 entries this month (mechanisms was the theme) so I should have just enough time to go through every entry. Your link to the results livestream is right here - https://youtube.com/live/RQnBEEOL3CA?feature=share

This Saturday, at 10AM, we have another AfterStack - this is Episode 16 - and Bud Perrott will be back to lead this discussion. If you have an image you would like to have discussed be sure to send it to Bud or I this week. I believe Bud has a topic lined up and as soon as I find out what it is I will announce it in a livestream. This post-processing round table discussion is free of charge and open to anyone interested in attending. But you will need an invitation to get in - here it is -

Topic: AfterStack 16 Time: Feb 8, 2025 10:00 AM Central Time (US and Canada)

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6916802815?pwd=TS9tZi9ZL1NXeVUvOUF4eTg5YjdlZz09&omn=84267941870

Meeting ID: 691 680 2815

Passcode: 678122

At the end of last week I had the distinct pleasure of meeting Zamir Pena, the inventor of the AK Diffuser and owner of the business by the same name. He is a delightful young man and our conversation covered quite a bit of ground. I decided to include a summary of my review of the AK diffuser with the interview, which will be released very soon. For anyone thinking about adding the AK Diffuser to their field macro kit, something I strongly suggest you do, Zamir has very kindly arranged to offer a discount for my viewers. This information will also be included in the video, but you can also take advantage of it now by going to:

www.AKdiffuser.com and entering the code “Allan Walls” before the end of February to get a 5% discount.

By the way, I was offered an affiliate relationship with the AKDiffuser company. I decided that this may be perceived to introduce a potential bias that could be influencing my review, so I politely declined the offer. I will not make a penny from any sales resulting from this or any future reviews or recommendations.

Finally, a word about our growing Macro Competition…

IMPORTANT REMINDER

The naming of your image is important. Failure to adhere to the requested naming convention complicates the judging process, can significantly add to the judge’s workload, and may result in errors. The required naming convention in this competition is as follows:

"TITLE” FIRST NAME.LAST NAME.FILETYPE

This is an example of the correct naming of entries for this competition -       

“Compound Eye” Allan.Walls.jpg       

The TITLE must match the name of the image used when entering the image and should be in quotation marks. Your first and last names should be separated by a full stop (period). We have not enforced this convention, but with new guest judges every month, we have to eliminate confusion about image titles and photographer’s name. So, starting with this month’s competition, failure to comply with the naming convention will disqualify the offending image. This rule will not affect entries submitted BEFORE 10AM on Sunday February 2, 2025

That is all I have for you this week and I look forward to seeing you at one of the week’s events!

Allan

One Cup of Coffee...

… can totally ruin your week, if it lands in just the wrong place. More about this later.

I hope each and every one of you had a delightful weekend. It was lovely in central Illinois, but hopefully it was not the last lovely weekend of the year. Picnic on the 7th of September! I was very busy, as usual, but did take an hour  or two to go and explore the local botanical gardens, the Luthy Gardens, named most likely for a famous Peorian named “Gardens”. It was not the most expansive garden that I have spent time it, but it is beautifully kept and the layout has been planned with great care. I spoke briefly with the groundskeeper, while she was ejecting me from the premises, as it happened - but that was because it was quitting time and   yours truly was holding up the patient employee’s departure.

It was a short visit and flew by fast, and as I being escorted off city property, I was reminded of the cardinal lesson that I teach all my field macro students - you cannot do your best work without slowing down - slowing way down. Running to get to the park, arriving shortly before closing, and trying to see everything in the time I had there, these all conspired with the dozen things I had on my mind to make slowing down virtually impossible. And unfortunately, my pictures suffered as a result. Why is that, and what does a “distracted” photograph look like? Well I would show you, but that is the whole point. When I become rushed and distracted I don’t see the shots, so I can’t capture them. Simple as that.

This is not something I am conscious of most of the time, it is something I become aware of as I look through my shots from the day. Interestingly, there are usually more of them than there would have been from a successful trip. They also lack imagination. They are perfectly acceptable from a technical standpoint (or some of them are!), but they tend to be clinical, ordinary, and unimaginative. It is not unusual for me to see the shot I should have taken, when it is too late to do anything about it.

If you are new to closeup photography in the field you may be wondering what the take-home message is from this observation - should I have stayed home and found something constructive to do? Gone somewhere else to take my pictures? No - I did exactly what I needed to do - I went to the place I wanted to visit and did the best I could with the tools I had on hand. Yes - it would almost certainly have been a more fruitful trip if I could have slowly myself down, or planned to go earlier in the day, but that is not the point I want to make. Macro photography is not about the pictures. Good pictures are a welcome bonus but they are not the prize . Getting out of the house for little while on a stunning Sunday afternoon, that is the prize. This is important, because only when I am truly engaged with the macro photography process do my overdue projects, unpaid bills, and 15,000 unread emails begin to fade into the background hum of the city outside the fences of the gardens.  And as these matters are temporarily set aside, space opens up in the parts of my mind that have the capacity to see and appreciate beauty. When the everyday world around me recedes far enough to seem no longer relevant, when I am moving slowly and actively soaking up all that the day has to offer, when the last thing on my mind is getting a good photograph, that is when I can see the shots. They come to me, I don’t go to them. I just have to be ready to see them and get out of my own way while I take the picture.

I have heard people refer to this as a “state of flow”, which sounds reasonable enough. I think of to as a kind of meditation, but don’t know if this is accurate - I certainly lack the discipline to  sit in silence to contemplate my breath for more than 30 seconds. But I can be out aimlessly strolling through nature, with no concept of time, for an entire day. It there is something magical in this weird hobby of ours, it is here, in the process that it is to be found. And I hope that you do.

And what does that have to do with this week’s livestreams? Well, absolutely nothing, as it happens - it was just on my mind and I wanted to tell you about it.

So, what am I going to be talking about this week? As of midnight last night I was planning on talking to you about the most recent redesign of my macro platform, a platform that I am going to be building with you over the coming weeks. I had already done quite a lot of preparation and was looking forward to a lively conversation with lots of questions and helpful feedback, but, as things do, over the course of just a few hours all that changed. Isn’t it strange the way things change with absolutely no regard for our carefully made plans? Two things happened in quick succession and one of them needs to talked about. The first thing was that I got a call from my friend and fellow macro photographer, Lester “just call me Lester” Lefkowitz. Lester was calling to tell me his books were back in stock after a fresh print run and he was ready to meet with me for his interview. A quick look at the schedule and  it was all arranged. I will be be interviewing my second iconic macro photographer of the month on Tuesday, as in, this Tuesday, or today for some readers.

Book: The Manual of Close-up and Macro Photography, Volume I: The basics: Magnification to 1X

By Lester Lefkowitz

Buy on Amazon

In this first interview I am going to find out a little bit about this remarkable and charming young man’s long and storied career as a professional photographer. I already know some of it, but there is much more. I think he has photographed stuff for every major brand on planet Earth, at one time or another - and just wait until you see the pictures! We will then work out through the first volume of his book and talk about what we find. We have a second interview planed for the fall - for volume 2. So, that was welcome distraction number one, the one that shouldn’t cause any change in my programming this week. Oh, and by the way, I will not be releasing the final interview until a little later - this at the perfectly reasonable request of Mr Lefkowitz. But, if you have been patiently waiting for his fantastic books to be available once more, your wait is over. If you are a resident of the US you may secure your copy of either or both volumes directly from the  author, just by dropping by this website (https://www.macrophotographer.net) and giving him some of your money. In exchange, Lester will see to it that the requested volumes are launched in your general direction. If on the other hand, you find yourself domiciled in some far flung collective lwith a name like Saint-Hippolytte-du-Forte,  Castiglioni della Pescala, Blaenau Ffestiniog, or Bad Neustadt an der Saale then you have a different set of instructions You must get your copy of the latest reprint by going to the eBay store following this link - https://www.ebay.com/itm/375430264703, but do not be alarmed if the site has not yet updated the book’s status, just try back a little later.

The Manual of Close-Up and Macro Photography, Volume Two: High Magnification and Advanced Techniques

By Lester Lefkowitz

Buy on Amazon

No sooner will I be finished talking to Lester and it will be time to fire up “Sweet Young Thang” in preparation for Livestream numero uno, Macro Talk. Now the plan was that I would use the entire program to talk about the new macro platform that is being planned, and I will spend a good chunk of our time talking about this very, but this is where the second unplanned event of Monday intervenes. In a moment of inattention, sitting at my desk, suddenly and without provocation, some combination of upper extremity neurons fired in a manner and sequence that neither the neurons, nor their owner, could claim any experience of. The result was therefore a poorly coordinated and completely unexpected flailing of the left arm at the shoulder. Troubling enough in isolation, this event coincided with a perfectly mundane occurrence taking place a little more than two feet away. There could be found the blameless left hand, authoritatively grasping a large thermally insulated vessel filled wit a mixture of freshly brewed coffee, and a sugary, cream-like concoction designed to make the coffee both delicious and extremely sticky, a fact that will soon assume great importance in this narrative.

EISCO Premium Filter Paper, 15cm, Pack of 100 - Chemistry Filter Paper, Lab Filter Paper

EISCO

Buy on Amazon

If you don’t have at least two boxes of this stuff ready to go, do not drink coffee in the same room as you laptop. And a can of compressed air.

The hand, unprepared for the sudden departure from routine, swung laterally, totally at the mercy of the shoulder muscles. The coffee and the vessel holding it did not, and instead responded obediently to the insistent downward tug of gravity. The only thing that mercifully prevented the cup and beverage from slamming into the painted concrete floor and spilling everywhere was my perfectly positioned MacBook Pro, M1 Max computer, the most expensive piece of computing equipment I have ever owned, that  in a blizzard of irony had been completely paid for and ended its period of warrantee coverage on the same day, one week prior. And now it was soaked over every inch of it’s case ad screen with some 16 ounces of hot, sweet breakfast beverage.

LED Art

In the minutes and hours that followed, my years* of training on the rapid response “Aisle Cleanup Unit” of the local Walmart Super Center at which I was briefly employed kicked in to pull off one of the most remarkable saves in the history of computing**. I am going to take a few minutes to explain and demonstrate the methods I deployed that resulted in a fully functional and spotlessly clean Mac laptop. If you have a laptop and drink beverages anywhere near it, you need to pay attention during this part of the stream. It could pull your fat out of the fire, like it did mine. With that done I will allow a few minutes for the applause to  drop to a steady thunderous roar before forging ahead with the evening’s program.

• It was three days. Ed. ** Demonstrably untrue. Ed.

Which is, of course,  introducing you to the  new macro platform concept that I have been working on for some time. This will also give me an opportunity to introduce a new a new and important partner to the Allan Walls Photography channel. The build I am going to be showing and describing to you is an advanced, multifunction platform capable of use in either the vertical or horizontal orientations, at low to high magnification, and using any combination of standard extreme macro optics.  Probably the most noticeable difference in the rig will be the quality of the primary structural material I will be using. I have decided to go with the highest quality materials  and hardware that I could afford something solid and durable, that can survive a sustained and punishing workload and even survive a long distance move intact. You may not have heard of this company before, but they are hugely popular with  the DIY community, recognized pros in the CNC world and is one of the most progressive groups in the field. They encourage innovation and a big part of their business is encouraging their customers to showcase the cool things that they create with the materials they source from Open Builds. You will be hearing a lot about them in the coming months. Their selection of aluminum extrusion is second to none. It is a US based company with headquarters in Florida.

Only after selecting this firm for my materials, hardware and motion components I submitted an application to their affiliate program The channel ’s application was approved and we are known an affiliate  marketing relationship with Open BuildsLike with my other affiliate partnerships, this means that if you use one of my Open Builds links to get to the store and complete a purchase of qualifying products, Open Builds will pay me a small commission for the referral. As I hope you know I am never going to recommend a product with which I do not have first hand experience. When I do recommend a product it is because it is working for me and I think it could work for you too. Sometimes I make a qualified recommendation if, for example, it might be perfect for one group of photographers, but a poor choice for another. In a case like that I will make myself perfectly clear. I could have chosen any company I wanted from a lot of aluminum vendors doing business today, and I chose this company for their selection, their service, and their philosophy. I like them and I think you will too.

Say you wanted to get a ten-pack of their excellent aluminum extrusion - it is fantastic, by the way.

All you would need to do is use my link to get to the store and they will take care of everything else. This is what the link would look like if you want to give it a try. https://openbuildspartstore.com/v-slot-linear-rail-10-pack/?ref=fdnefjhr

And before I forget - here is your link to the first livestream…

https://youtube.com/live/jlk8CSX74So?feature=share

All good projects start with a solid plan and this is no different. I have a plan and on Tuesday I will be showing you what I am planning for my new studio. In the process I will walk you through every key decision and explain why I have decided to do what I am doing. From materials to the placement of the platform, the construction methods, every decision will be covered.

Then on Thursday we will talk about all the ways our plans can go wrong and I will give you some useful tips on how to avoid disasters.

And you can find the livestream by following g this link - https://youtube.com/live/Xo8XvMHf0Oc?feature=share

We have another big day on Saturday with what promises to be a very interesting discussion in the AfterStack post-processing round-table. This week we are going to talk a little about the TK Panel, a Photoshop editing add-on developed by Tony Kuyper and very popular among more advanced Photoshop users.

There is a chance that we will have a visitor dropping by, though I have no had confirmation of that. We have invited renowned editor Dave Kelly to drop by ad tell us a little about the program that he teaches in his weekly YouTube tutorial videos. Whether Dave makes it or not, we will have plenty of first hand TK expertise on the panel ready to answer your questions and demonstrate the panel in use. Your invitation is below.

Skipper suspended

There is ,of course, no Pzoom this week, but I will be back with another, one week from Saturday.

And a quick reminder 0 the competition for this month is soon ending - get you pictures in as soon as you can! The theme is “My Tiny Universe” - making a scene or landscape out of tiny, macro-sized materials. Compositing is not allowed in this contest for August!.

That’s it - it is late and I am exhausted. Got to be sharp for sparring with Lester early tomorrow!

Have a great week

The happy galloping weevil

Here is your link to the AfterStack  workshop - it is free and you are invited!

Allan Walls is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: AfterStack with Allan & Bud

Time: Aug 24, 2024 10:00 AM Central Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6916802815?pwd=TS9tZi9ZL1NXeVUvOUF4eTg5YjdlZz09&omn=86180928846

Meeting ID: 691 680 2815

Passcode: 678122