[ 386 ] 



Ipbotoorapbing fIDinute ©bjccts b^ 

 fIDeane of tbe flDicroBCope. 



By T. E. Freshwater, F.R.M.S., F.R.P.S. 



(Read before the North Middlesex Photographic Society.)* 



I FEAR I have nothing new to bring before you this evening, 

 but having been pressed into the ranks by your secretary I 

 will endeavour to do my best. The subject is one that has 

 been dealt with by many men much more able than I am, and, if 

 I am not mistaken, you have several good workers in this Society. 

 I do not intend this evening to touch upon high-power work, but 

 treat the subject quite from a popular point of view. The slides 

 which I will show you are a few of the many that I have done to 

 illustrate various subjects, and taken under different conditions to 

 show a few of the methods of illumination. 



It is not necessary to spend much money in rigging up an 

 apparatus for ordinary photo-micrographic work, for most objects 

 can be photographed with very inexpensive tools. The simplest 

 method is to use an ordinary microscope. Of course, the better 

 the stand is and the more stage adjustment the better, but it is not 

 necessary. The instrument should be turned down with the body 

 horizontal to the base of your apparatus ; then at the eye-piece 

 end fit up your camera. A half-plate with a long body will give 

 you plenty of extension for low-power work. For light you may 

 use that which is most convenient, daylight, lime, or lamp light. 

 A good large single-wick paraffin lamp will answer for all ordinary 

 purposes. The bull's-eye condenser on a stand should be placed 

 in such a position as to fill the object to be photographed with 

 light evenly all over. This part of the operation must be done 

 very carefully. Too much trouble cannot be taken with this 

 part of the work, as so much depends upon even and 

 proper illumination of the object in the resulting negative. It 

 is well that the whole apparatus should be fitted up on a 

 long, heavy, flat board, and very carefully centred, and made as 

 true and steady as possible. With such simple arrangements as 



* From T/ie Amateur Photographer. We beg to thank the editor for the 

 loan of electros illustrating this article. 



