Photographing Science
by: Martin Sagendorf
It’s Easy:
To take neat photos of little things.
We Think:
That our digital cameras, web, and cell phone cameras can only take ‘life-size’ photos… but…
We’re Lucky:
These cameras can also photograph images provided by other optical devices…
Such As:
Microscopes and spectrographs.
Because:
These devices provide collimated images (i.e. focused at infinity) and an ordinary digital camera device can photograph these images.
The Images:
Are much smaller than ‘full frame’ – a photo-handling program is an absolute necessity – to enlarge and enhance the images. For the camera images shown, the camera used is a Panasonic DMC-TZ4.
For Example:
A slide-mounted hibiscus stem cross-section – through a 5X loupe.
This is the full image as it is captured by the camera:
The same image after partial cropping and enlarging:
And the same image after full crop and enlarging:
Three More Photos Of The Same Slide:
Through a 30X hand-held microscope:
Through a 30X single-eyepiece microscope:
Through one eyepiece of a Bausch & Lomb binocular microscope @ 19.5X:
And Another Slide:
A slide-mounted fish scale photographed through a 30X single-eyepiece microscope:
The same photograph enlarged even more:
Using A Web Cam:
Photo of a slide-mounted Aves Feather taken with an H.P. Webcam 3100 into a 30X microscope:
Through Spectroscopes Using A Camera:
Sunlight through a hand-held adjustable slit spectroscope:
An 18 Watt yellow Compact Florescent Lamp through a hand-held adjustable slit spectroscope:
Sunlight through a hand-held spectroscope with scale:
An 18 Watt bright white Compact Florescent Lamp through a hand-held spectroscope with scale:
It Takes Some Patience…
To align the camera to the device being used and to find the optimum exposure (light) level. Fortunately, using a digital camera allows one to immediately see the image and make adjustments if required. And using a small piece of black cardstock (with a ½” hole) will act as both a light block and protection for the camera and device lenses – sometimes it’s advantageous to tape the cardstock in place.
The Images On The Photos…
Will be quite small – a photo-handling computer program must be used to enlarge and enhance the images. Photoshop, or any of the many other image-handling routines will do this. The images in this blog were handled with Corel Paint ® Version 8 – it provides enlargement as well as changes of contrast and other photo characteristics.
Actually Doing It:
Cardstock piece:
Using a digital camera to photograph a slide-mounted object through a 5X loupe. An LED flashlight illuminates the white paper under the slide. Note that the slide is supported on two pieces of wood – this avoids a shadow of the object mounted on the slide:
A 30X hand-held microscope and digital camera:
Photographing through a 5X loupe with an iPhone:
A webcam shooting into a microscope’s eyepiece:
An iPhone taking a microscope photo:
A digital camera taking a ‘spectro’- photo:
And through an adjustable-slit spectroscope (note use of the cardstock piece):
Great for…
Individual or group investigative activities incorporating actual images either as single entities or as collages.
CAUTION !
Never point any optical device towards the sun!
Remember to:
Experiment for the best results – especially light levels.
Marty Sagendorf is a retired physicist and teacher; he is a firm believer in the value of hands-on experiences when learning physics. He authored the book Physics Demonstration Apparatus. This amazing book is available from Educational Innovations – it includes ideas and construction details for the creation and use of a wide spectrum of awe-inspiring physics demonstrations and laboratory equipment. Included are 49 detailed sections describing hands-on apparatus illustrating mechanical, electrical, acoustical, thermal, optical, gravitational, and magnetic topics. This book also includes sections on tips and hints, materials sources, and reproducible labels.
