Digital imaging and image processing means that we now have capabilities far beyond what was possible with silver technologies including; High dynamic range imaging (HDRI), stitching and focus stacking and combinations of these techniques. This presentation will show examples of what is possible and how photography can aid your research and its visual impact. “The sensitive photographic film is the true retina of the scientists . . . . for it possesses all the properties which science could want; it faithfully preserves images which deposit themselves upon it, and reproduces and multiplies them indefinitely on request; in the radiative spectrum (electromagnetic spectrum) it covers a range more than double that which the eye can perceive and soon perhaps will cover it all; finally it takes advantage of the admirable property which allows the accumulation of events, and whereas our retina erases all impressions more than a tenth of a second old, the photographic retina preserves them and accumulates them over a practically limitless time.” P.C.Janssen 1888 Version 1.0 Silver technology Version 2.0 The New Photography from 1895 i.e. X-rays Version 3.0 The development of digital image processing

1. Photography the scientist’s
retina: version 3.0
David Bryson

2. Pseudomogoplistes vicentae (Scaly Cricket)
Photomacrography
Traditional techniques are still valuable but
what more can modern techniques add?

3. Focus Stacking
Increased depth of field so
can see more detail even
with close-ups
HDRI
Increased tonal range
used to be called
latitude
Stitching
Increased area either
large scale or over
small scale
Time Lapse
Recording over a
period of time then
speeding up

4. Focus Stacking
Increased depth of field so
can see more detail even
with close-ups
HDRI
Increased tonal range
used to be called
latitude
Stitching
Increased area either
large scale or over
small scale
Time Lapse
Recording over a
period of time then
speeding up
Post-processing

5. HDRI
High Dynamic Range Imaging

6. Original
Under
Over
Combined HDR

7. O+1
+2+3+4
-1
-2 -3 -4

9. STITCHING
Panoramas, flat stitching large
and small

10. Traditional panoramas

13. 35mm lens
Problem photographing buildings or larger areas
24mm lens18mm lens4.5mm lens

16. Flat Stitch
Photomicrography

17. Head Louse

18. Flat stitch photomacrography

20. FOCUS STACKING
Up to x1 with lens focussing or by
moving camera for higher magnifications

24. Depth map

25. Opium poppy seed

26. Microminerals: Chalcopyllite

27. Trilobyte eyes

28. Regal jumping spider (Phidippus
regis)

29. Vespa

30. TIME LAPSE

38. GIGAPIXEL IMAGING
As the name suggests images contain at least a “Giga” of pixels.
Gigapan and Gigamacro even Gigamacro timelapse

39. Gigapixel panoramas

40. Fly speck created from 46 photographs at 1:1 (500Mb)

43. COMBINATIONS OF ONE OR
MORE TECHNIQUES

44. Combinations in order
HDR
Stack Stitch

45. Combinations in order
HDR
Stack
Stitch

46. HDR and Focus Stack

47. Stitched

48. Stacked and stitched

49. Stacked and stitched flat panoramic

50. Occipital protuberance

51. d.bryson@derby.ac.uk
Pulex irritans
Royal Photographic Society
International Images for Science 2017

52. d.bryson@derby.ac.uk
Impacted 3rd Molar
Royal Photographic Society
International Images for Science 2016

53. d.bryson@derby.ac.uk
Rock Penguin
Royal Photographic Society
International Images for Science 2015