Conservation, Forestry & Ecological Services
Microphotography

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Mel  A. Harder
Forester at Large Since 1973
Licensed in Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts & Connecticut
Drawer N, East Hartland CT  06027-0831
phone/fax: (860)653-2444
send an email now: mel.harder@snet.net
http://forester_at_large.tripod.com

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All the following microphotographs were taken with a KODAK DC3400 digital camera.  Images processed using Micrografx Picture Publisher.

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Its fairly easy to take good microphotographs.  I use a homemade microscope stand and camera mount as shown in sketch.  The base is any piece of wood large enough for the base of the microscope to rest on.  Another piece of wood, the slat, is affixed upright with a small corner brace from the hardware store.  I made the camera mount by bending a strip of metal and drilling one hole in it.  A winged bolt from the hardware store, one that matches the threads of you camera, attaches the camera to the camera mount.  A C-clamp is used to secure the camera mount to the upright slat.  The camera can be raised and lowered and made secure with this system.
 
To take a photo, get your specimen under the microsope in focus.  Loosen the C-clamp slightly, and lower the camera lense right on top of the eyepiece of the microscope.  The closer the better.  If you are using a 35mm, you can look through the viewfinder to fine focus if you want.  If you are using a digital camera, you can do the same while viewing the LCD screen.  Use a cable release to trigger the camera; this eliminates camera movement and vibration.  You can do the same by using the timer release if your camera has one.
 
Good pictures can be taken this way with a poloroid camera.  Follow the same procedure.  I juryrigged a cable release with my regular cable release, some stiff wire and tape.  It worked fine.

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