Observation cells for macro photography

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davholla

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David
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Apologies for the long question
I recently read the book "extreme close up photography and focus stacking"
http://www.crowood.com/details.asp?isbn=9781847977199

One idea he had was to make glass observation cells and the results are quite good.
Obviously not essential for ground based inverts but for aquatic like this essential.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/123213588@N03/14496944016/in/faves-14586608@N08/
(not my photo hence why I linked it)
However
a) I don't like the idea of making these
b) I often travel abroad to visit family. This photo IMHO could have been a lot better if it had been in clear plastic/glass box and the sensor had not been damaged :(.
IMG_9616_1dragonflynymph by davholla2002, on Flickr
However where I took it was 4 flights,2 buses and a 30 min jeep flight from my home and a glass box might not have survived the journey


So are there any plastic boxes that could be used? What do people think about these ones? Has anyone tried something like this?

https://www.bagsxl.com/giftboxes-crystal-clear-fplb216.html
The ideal solution would be a plastic box that comes with some sort of food free, but I doubt that would be good enough quality.
 
I think your proposed giftboxes have too many problems, the worst being that they're too large by several orders of magnitude - unless you're photographing macrofauna rather than microfauna. Too big to contain and confine microfauna.

What I think you're looking for is about the size of a thick microsope slide, and plenty robust enough for transport in the right container. Two double-sized microscope slides, about 4" of thin airline tube and a couple of small bulldog clips and you could assemble your own containment chamber - on a larger scale I do this with two sheets of A4 picture frame glass and 1/2" tubing for macrofauna such as newts.
 
Alastair said:
I think your proposed giftboxes have too many problems, the worst being that they're too large by several orders of magnitude - unless you're photographing macrofauna rather than microfauna. Too big to contain and confine microfauna.

What I think you're looking for is about the size of a thick microsope slide, and plenty robust enough for transport in the right container. Two double-sized microscope slides, about 4" of thin airline tube and a couple of small bulldog clips and you could assemble your own containment chamber - on a larger scale I do this with two sheets of A4 picture frame glass and 1/2" tubing for macrofauna such as newts.
Click to expand...

Well I was thinking of different sized creatures from waterfleas to small frogs and therefore I wanted different sizes.
Your idea is brilliant. Can I ask where you got the tubing from?
Is this the sort of picture frame glass you use?
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Clear-2mm...cture-Photo-Frame-Perspex-Glass-/161042058525
(I know it is not glass but I would rather this as plastic is lighter etc).


Does anyone know if Smiths or Wilkinson or Paperchase sell bulldog clips?
 
You can get the tubing from B&Q or Pets@Home, etc. The glass was just a couple of cheap picture frames from a charity shop or Freegle.

For a waterflea I'd look for a proper microscope observation cell (and I'd personally be using a microcope).


Smooth newt using the picture glass confinement set-up..



I'm not sure I'd use this for frogs, not after the tadpole stage.
 
I like the newt photo. However I have a question. If I understand it rightly, it is two pieces of glass with 0.5 inch tubing between them. Surely that is not big enough for a newt, as it would be .5 inch wide or am I missing something? I suppose if you wanted you could use a bigger tubing.

Thanks for all the help. Have you taken more of these photos.
 
davholla said:
I like the newt photo. However I have a question. If I understand it rightly, it is two pieces of glass with 0.5 inch tubing between them. Surely that is not big enough for a newt, as it would be .5 inch wide or am I missing something? I suppose if you wanted you could use a bigger tubing.
Click to expand...

I don't have the tubing in front of me, and won't be able to measure it for a few days - just going by best guess memory. It might have been 18-20mm tubing (it was aquarium filter return tube). Remember the purpose, it's a temporary (tens of seconds, not minutes) confinement chamber to control the suject with respect to the plane of focus. You don't want too much extra room.
 
Think the results you have despite the breakage. Interesting links - thanks for those.

I've seen examples where two pieces of glass are held apart by a small gap - that allows this stuff. I can't find the picture link unfortunately.

I have taken small fleas on a glass slide before, with a water drop in them. That's fine for small things.

Eg
20100425-_MG_0470.jpg
 
charlychuckchuck said:
Thanks for this most interesting thread and for sharing you images:clap::clap::clap:
Click to expand...
I am glad you like them and the idea. Hopefully I can do some more soon. I have bought a really powerful torch to get better illumination and I am thinking about getting some coloured cards to improve the back light.
 
Unfortunately these were secured with bulldog clips and last week I smashed one whilst assembling it. Worst thing of all I was at a bioblitz and there was loads to photograph.
I am going to try again but glue the tube in place. I am also going to try a clean soap dispenser.

I would also look to take vertical shots, (from above) .I could buy a glass container and put a card underneath. However I wonder if I could use some sort of plastic container to do this. E.g. if there was a dark coloured desert pot. I could cut a wine bottle and use that but I am worried about cutting myself or my son getting cut (it is hard to control him).
 
Bulldog clips might be a little too powerful. I use the small plastic spring clamps sold in B&Q and the like.

For vertical shots, I'd maybe look for a while semi-opaque pot to let light on the sides and maybe a piece of plasticard cut to shape dropped in the bottom and secured with a couple of drops of super glue for the background. It's still going to be about containment, so nothing too deep.

.. or just raid the small s**t shelf in TK Maxx or B&Q or The Range. I've a few square glass containers that would probably do the trick that came as tea light holders.
 
Alastair said:
Bulldog clips might be a little too powerful. I use the small plastic spring clamps sold in B&Q and the like.

For vertical shots, I'd maybe look for a while semi-opaque pot to let light on the sides and maybe a piece of plasticard cut to shape dropped in the bottom and secured with a couple of drops of super glue for the background. It's still going to be about containment, so nothing too deep.

.. or just raid the small s**t shelf in TK Maxx or B&Q or The Range. I've a few square glass containers that would probably do the trick that came as tea light holders.
Click to expand...
Good idea about looking at B&Q. However I wonder if plain glass/plastic might have scratches, whilst if it were a light blue it would look like this and could be better.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/123213588@N03/14333326100/in/dateposted/
 
You can drop a plasticard floor into any container..
 
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