1 June 2019 I http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk I subscribe 0330 333 1113
Canon EOS 5D Mark III, Nikon 4x Plan Apo objectiveand10xprojection
eyepiece, 1/20sec, ISO 100. Accessories: OlympusBH2microscope.
Post processing: Lightroom, minor adjustments,cropping
L-glutamine and Beta Alanine 25
Justin Zoll
Highly commended Micro
Occupation Bartender/photographer
http://www.justinzoll.com Instagram justinzoll
‘This is an image of crystallized amino acids
L-glutamine and Beta Alanine photographed at
around 40x magnification using a microscope and a
DSLR. I do all of my experimentation and work in my
bedroom. In this case, roughly equal amounts of both
amino acids were dissolved in high-proof vodka before
being distributed onto a glass slide and allowed to
evaporate. The colours in the resulting crystals are due
to the interaction of polarised light and
the birefringent properties of the
crystals. One of my polarising filters
is the lens from an old pair of
sunglasses! This type of work
takes a lot of patience and
experimentation. The overall
image is a panorama of many
individual frames allowing for a
wider field of view.’
Justin’s top tips
1 Find yourself a solid trinocular
microscope and ensure you have
the proper attachment for your
DSLR or other digital camera.
2 Make use of polarising filters.
3 Experiment with lots of
different (safe) chemicals to
see what crystal forms each
produces (if any).
Winter Oakmoss
Jane Simmonds
Highly commended Plants
Occupation Web administrator
http://www.janesimmonds.co.uk Flickr http://www.
flickr.com/photos/39655925@N
Instagram janesimmonds
Twitter JaneESimmonds
‘I enjoy using my phone to make
abstract images of the things
I collect on my daily walks in the Forestof Dean. Back in January, on a dreary
winter’s day, I was drawn to the delicate,
branched shapes and silvery colour of the
oakmoss lichen I saw on the twigs and
branches. I picked up a few pieces that
had been blown to the ground and took
them home. I normally use a light pad to
photograph the things I collect, but this
approach didn’t work with the lichen so
I placed it on a piece of slate tile (which
produced a nice textured background)
instead. I made a series of images usingA trinocular microscope
is required alongside
a digital camera© JUSTIN ZOll