LESTER, HDR, & TELLING TALES

Greetings everyone!

I hope you all enjoyed a restful weekend. Fall’ish weather fell on Middle Earth this weekend and it was quite spectacular. I took advantage of the relatively light weekend schedule to catch up on my rest for what is looking like a very heavy week of livestreams and other activities. Most of what we have on the schedule has been driven by viewer requests, for which I am always most grateful. We will be covering a lot of new ground this week, something I always look forward to. I am also kicking off a new programming initiative - one that is both seriously overdue and promises to be a major improvement for the channel. But before I explain what will be happening, let’s talk about the week ahead.

On Tuesday, in our first livestream of the week, Macro Talk will focus on HDR (High Dynamic Range) in macro photography. I can almost guarantee that you will find this conversation interesting and surprising. I am shocked to see that this is a topic I have never discussed in this forum previously. We start at 8pm and will wrap up at 9pm. We will be looking at at the various types of HDR imaging and I will be armed with some good examples to help make my points. I will also work in a demo of how to process these images. Your link to the livestream is right here - https://youtube.com/live/OPBCsMbEjvY?feature=share

On Thursday, in Macro Talk Too, I will be talking about the art of storytelling through photography, though my comments and examples will address macro photography almost exclusively. This a topic that I am very passionate about and one which, when mastered, holds the key to a new level of macro magic. Through examples I will take you through the process of injecting narrative and meaning into your field and studio work. We get started at 2pm and wrap up at 3pm. Want to win some competitions? Don’t miss this one! https://youtube.com/live/ablNRggHm3k?feature=share

On Friday we will be kicking off our new live event, Crystal Art, with the first episode that we will later release as a YouTube video. This is a group of macro photographers who, like me, became captivated by the creative possibilities found in birefringence photography. This new group is all about creating crystals of all kinds and turning them into head-turning art. It is designed (by Harold Hall and your’s truly) to be an interactive discussion group, though each month we will set aside a little time for a brief didactic section where we will look at one specific topic. This week I will be presenting a discussion around the pros and cons of using”wave plates” or retarders with cross polarization - I expect many of you to be surprised by what I have to say. However, that is not the reason (or not the whole reason!) for you to spend an hour or two with Harold and I on a Friday afternoon.

──────────
Allan Walls is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6916802815?pwd=TS9tZi9ZL1NXeVUvOUF4eTg5YjdlZz09&omn=83741904293
Meeting ID: 691 680 2815
Passcode: 678122
Join instructions
https://us02web.zoom.us/meetings/83741904293/invitations?signature=mzLewHjxR9J2iWrYlWZ6ET6B3_7r-cytzWVdiqGVTZw

The key attraction this week is going to be a guided tour of the amazing new Crystal Art Data base. Designed and created by Zeno and Mike Olsen, with guidance and support from my co-host Harold Hall, is the most comprehensive and fascinating resource for crystal photography that I have ever seen. During this session Harold, Mike or Zeno will show you where to find and how to use the database in your photography. I urge you to go over to the data base,  you can use this link to get there, and spend a little time exploring the awesome work that Zeno, Mike, and Harold have done to create this set of documents. This data base will benefit the entire community, no matter how much or how little experience you might have. I am not going to say anything further about this fantastic resource until Friday so take a look, be amazed, and make a note of any questions you have for our Crystal Creation Curators on Friday at 2pm, Central Time.

As if that wasn’t enough excitement for one week, the very next day My Patreon Supporters will be meeting, face to face, with our favorite New York macro photographer and author, our esteemed macro educator and friend, Lester Lefkowitz! That’s right - this Saturday at 10am until noon, we will be hosting Lester for a very special Pzoom episode. Lester will be talking about his method for file management in Lightroom Classic. This should be very useful as well as hugely entertaining. If you are a Patreon member and have no plans, please join us on Saturday. If you are not a Patreon member, please join Patreon  (https://www.patreon.com/allanwallsphotography) and join us on Saturday. And if you have plans, please cancel them and join us on Saturday. I think that just about covers it! Oh, and the invitation is in the blog post I have not yet written, also over on Patreon. See you there.

“So, is that everything?”, I hear you thinking. “Of course not”, I was getting ready to reply - but then I looked at the calendar and realized that this is NOT the second Pzoom meeting of the month. It is actually the first, our last get-together being on the 30th of August. Which means no Tangent on Saturday, which is something of a relief as I was not prepared for it. So that means we really are at the end of the schedule for this week.

But there are a couple of other things I need to make you aware of. Firstly the AfterStack video is now up on YouTube. In Episode 30 we talked about black and white macro photography. It was a lively and interesting discussion with a lot of helpful new information. You can watch the video by following this link to my channel - https://youtu.be/W8yEtllRikI

The last bit of business I have concerns AfterStack 31, which happens in two weeks time on September 27, 2025. In this episode we are going have our popular post-production show and tell feature. I will be putting 3 RAW, untouched  images in a file called “Allan’s Edits” over on Google Drive. You may access the full sized files over there. The link is here https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1xmrOCyrJXaxKi1mrQLKzgZoUY7PJ7OXG?usp=sharing

I have posted them now so that you will have plenty of time to edit the images before AfterStack 31, at which time we will compare our edits and discuss what we did and why. There are no rules - you can do whatever you want with these images, maybe even make them look presentable. They are not good pictures, for a reason. If there were really good then we wouldn’t need to edit them. But they aren’t, so we do. Not only will you be editing them but so will Bud and I. I’m not sure why I volunteered for this, but I have two long weeks to regret doing so. Oh boy.

Just in case you think I am getting off light this week, I am not. My Camera Club meets this Wednesday and I need to come up with something interesting to show. Then I have to actually complete the photography and post production so that I can have something that I am not embarrassed to show to a roomful of innovative and famous macro masters. Am I a glutton for punishment, or what? I have about half a dozen lessons this week and am teaching a workshop on studio lighting on Friday. In my spare time this week I also need to start doing the preparations for a dinner that I am hosting on Saturday. While I consider myself to be an above average cook, I have to admit to being a well below average magician. Somehow cramming ten hours of shopping and cooking into the 10 minutes that I have free this week is definitely going to take at least some magic.

Changing direction, I want to tell you about something I am working on…

I’ve been thinking about how to get a little more out of the work I put into these livestreams. They usually run about an hour, with close to fifty minutes of solid, structured content — three or four main ideas that stand on their own. Up until now, the whole thing has gone up as a replay, which is fine, but not always the easiest way to revisit a specific point.

So here’s the plan. From now on, after each stream I’ll be editing those key sections into short, standalone videos. That way, if you’re looking for one particular tip or technique, you won’t have to scrub through an hour to find it. And for people who are new to the channel, these shorter videos will be easier to discover — and who knows, maybe they’ll bring more folks into our community.

For you, the change is all upside. The livestreams will stay exactly the same, and you’ll simply get a steady flow of extra, tightly-focused videos alongside them. Beyond that, I don’t plan any other adjustments until I see how this works out.

And just so it’s clear: my mission hasn’t changed. I’m here to share good, honest content — something useful, something entertaining — with the goal of helping you become the very best close-up or macro photographer you can be.

Thanks for sticking with me, and I’ll see you soon.

— Allan

Action

Greetings everyone, and welcome to September!

The August competition, with the theme of “Microhabitats” is over and the Judging will be getting under way later today. This was a challenging competition, which normally means we are going to  choose something a little more straightforward for the next month. But not this time. This month the competition is, if anything, a little more challenging.

Right before the action

The theme of “Action” is deceptively simple and I think this concept is going to be sufficiently tricky to justify my taking this post to explain what the judges will be looking for. As always, we will be looking for technically successful images, with interesting compositions, a message or story, an expression of the photographer’s aesthetic, and good adherence to the theme. It is this last criterion that may trip some contestants up.

The idea behind “Action” is that the photographer will capture the subject in a way emphasizes the impression that the subject was captured “in the act” of doing something. This is subtly different than capturing a subject in motion, though that could certainly be part of the story. As we say in the science world, depicting motion may bencessary, but not sufficient to capture the essence of an action.

I know that this may be a rather subjective difference, so I thought I would show you a few examples of “action” images and compare them with with examples that would be less thematic in this contest. To be clear, you can depict action very convincingly with a non-living subject (a dead wasp, or a water droplet for example) in much the same way that you can capture a living, moving subject that fails to capture the idea of “Action” completely.

No action here

Before I forget, the subject you photograph must be shot at half life-size or greater - a requirement that further complicates the task. So, let’s take a look at a couple of examples. Probably the most direct way imply an action is by having a subject captured in flight. In this example we see a hover fly in flight - clearly an action shot of the insect, and a perfectly acceptable entry to this contest.

A hoverfly, flying

But is there any way that this image could be modified to augment the story to capture not just the motion of flight but also to give the subject a degree of agency - something that would give the viewer a little more information, something that could flesh out the story behind this photograph. Simply adding the apparent target of the hover fly’s attentions, a mere glimpse of the milkweed, can add enough context to hint at why the hover fly is in motion. Either of these entries would qualify, but the second would more fully fit the “Action” theme.

Another example of a clear action is this honey bee coming in to land in search of nectar. This bee is in the act of feeding and the image is an action shot.

Apis action

A long-dead bee in some furious action

This is an example of how a preserved specimen may be photographed to capture the essence of an action, even though the little bee quite incapable of any action. The image is reasonably good, a successful studio stack, within the required magnification window, and the subject appears to be flying purposefully towards something just out of the frame, and this could be enough to convince the judge that this is a depiction of an action.

orchid bee on a mission

But this orchid bee from South America, also a preserved specimen, not only suggests purposeful flight, but also offers a subtle clue to the bigger story. Look closely and you will see the bee’s enormously long proboscis is deployed and follows the contour of the abdomen to be seen between the bee’s hind appendages and disappearing under the right wing. This bee is shown doing the only thing that it will do during it’s short and frantic adult life - racing from orchid to orchid in search of nectar while accidentally filling the hollowed out chambers of each femur with the orchid’s aromatic oils. This bee is being shown in the act of mating! Before you complain that the judge wouldn’t know any of that, let me remind you that you have the freedom to name your submission. A title like “Mating Orchid Bee” would be more than enough to send us off in search of more information.

Skpiier at lunch

A less complicated entry might depict a subject in the act of feeding, like this skipper,

an ant on defense

or defending a nest, like this trap-jaw ant.

Drone fly - no action

Here is an example of a subject that is very much alive and involved in a number of actions, but that does not offer a hint of what they may be and could easily be a preserved specimen posed on a leaf. While this is also a perfectly acceptable image of a drone fly, it would not be likely to get a high score for thematic compliance.

More action

One simple way to evaluate your image before submitting it is to complete this sentence… “This image shows the subject in the act of ___________”. It would also be a good idea to check that the action you are depicting is something that your subject could reasonably be expected to do.

That’s action

I hope you have fun with this one!

***************

I should tell you about what is coming up this week.

Tuesday’s livestream was already researched and written before I realized that we were at the end of August and that there would be a competition to judge. So I am going to move the planned stream, “Planning for Spontaneity” to a future spot and I am going to use the Macro Talk slot for the August competition, “Microhabitats”. I love this competition because it is always inspiring, surprising, and very humbling. It is a great honor and distinct pleasure for me to go through your entries and give you my honest reaction to each during a livestream. So that is what we will do on Tuesday evening at 8PM. https://youtube.com/live/Z6_YEXlnywU?feature=share

On Thursday we are going to kick off a three part deep dive into the mysterious world of coin photography. I have planned to do three presentations, starting with a close look at the fundamentals of coin imaging, with emphasis on how this discipline differs from what we might typically do. We will talk about the types of coins and their photographic characteristics, the equipment preferred by coin photographers, and the key concepts for lighting coins. By the end of Thursday’s discussion you will understand why coin photography is  unique and what equipment you would need to get started.

The second episode, in a couple of weeks will break down the typical technical workflow and delve into the specific challenges of coin photography. This will be the “how”, that follows on from the “why” covered in the first chapter.

The final chapter will be an examination of the advanced and specialized techniques used by coin photographers and will cover special imaging techniques, creative approaches, the presentation and use of coin images, and a look at some of the future developments anticipated in this field.

I anticipate this being a fun series with some new information, novel concepts, and a little good-natured ribbing of the neurosurgeons of macro photography.

Saturday, at 10AM until 11:30AM, Bud and I will host AfterStack 30 - a post-production roundtable for macro photographers. This week we will be taking viewer images and brainstorming alternative post-production techniques to get the very best final result. If you are ready to up your editing game, join us on Saturday. It is completely free, always fun, and the fastest way to improve the quality of your macro images. Your invitation to the meeting is right here - Allan Walls is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Allan Walls’ AfterStack with Bud Perrott - Episode 30

Time: Sep 6, 2025 10:00 AM Central Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6916802815?pwd=TS9tZi9ZL1NXeVUvOUF4eTg5YjdlZz09&omn=86593221260

Meeting ID: 691 680 2815

Passcode: 678122

Join instructions

https://us02web.zoom.us/meetings/86593221260/invitations?signature=qckZig_YX835cHJcG4HzZrvUFxOHLKWmmnSC8pMsh3I

A reminder that Crystal Art with Harold Hall is right around the corner - September 12 at 2PM - and now is the time to start thinking about the pictures you would like to bring for discussion It would help Harold and I enormously if you were to  submit any images early so that we can look at them and get the meeting going organized accordingly. You can bring images you want help with, images you love and what us to see, images that demonstrate a new compound or technique, or anything else. The purpose of the group is to compare notes, talk about successes and failures, get new ideas, and most importantly of all, to show new crystal photographers the ropes and help them progress swiftly. Our sessions are completely free and the group is as friendly, helpful, and supportive as you will find anywhere. Give us a try - you won’t regret it!

Here is the invitation to the first formal Crystal Art meeting - Allan Walls is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Crystal Art with Harold Hall

Time: Sep 12, 2025 02:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6916802815?pwd=TS9tZi9ZL1NXeVUvOUF4eTg5YjdlZz09&omn=837419042

Meeting ID: 691 680 2815

Passcode: 678122

Join instructions

https://us02web.zoom.us/meetings/83741904293/invitations?signature=mzLewHjxR9J2iWrYlWZ6ET6B3_7r-cytzWVdiqGVTZw

The Google Drive folder that I have set up for you to drop your photos can be found right here - https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1ngiRDNHPdoGkx2fcOqedd3EDn_TZjVF3?usp=drive_link

That is all I have for you this week! See you on Tuesday!

How did that get in here!?

How Photography Dies - Ten More Years

Greetings all!

This will be a short post today. I have a lot of preparation to take care of before the week gets properly under way, and a bunch of errands that I was supposed to take care over the weekend. My assistant is still out sick (it will be seven years at the end of August) so I am flying solo today.

I did spend quite a bit of time at the weekend contemplating the future of our country, our planet, my channel, and our shared enthusiasm for macro photography. All this pondering got me thinking about the future of photography, in general, and macro photography, in particular. I talked to some trusted colleagues and made a lot of notes, and by the time I was done, I had pretty much convinced myself that my prognostications were spot on. The short version of the story that I came up with is that photography, as we know it, will be gone by 2035, and replaced by something only distantly related to what we do now.

mystery crystal

But I also thought there was a lot to be excited about during and after this 10 year transition. On Tuesday, in MacroTalk, I am going to lay out what I believe we can expect to see during the coming decade, and I will explain why I believe that we will see the disappearance of photography, as we know it, by the end of that ten years. Here is your link to this stream… https://youtube.com/live/2gOAsER2dak?feature=share

On Thursday I would like to bring the discussion back to the present and talk a little bit about the ways in which our shared passion for macro photography can be used to make our communities a little better. Using examples from across the country and around the world, I will show you how our hobby can used as a force for good in the world. This is a topic that I get excited talking about and I hope you will too. You link to this stream is right here… https://youtube.com/live/YF_R93BBtHs?feature=share

On Saturday we have a Pzoom scheduled for my Patreon supporters - the invitation is over on our Patreon page. This is going to be something completely different. I am going to try something that just popped into my head, but something that I think could be a lot of fun. We are going to have a Q&A session. But a Q&A with a major twist - I will be the one asking the questions! I think I know most of my supporters well enough to be able to get them talking about the things they are interested in. It isn’t a competition or a test - just a fun way for us to get to know one another better, and maybe to learn some new stuff. Participation is voluntary and I won’t be putting anyone on the spot. We will also have time for updates, questions, and discussions, as usual.

From Lester’s last visit

Don’t forget that we will be welcoming Lester Lefkowitz for a special Patreon only event on September 13, 2025. He is coming on to talk about his method for organizing images in Lightroom - I am really looking forward to having him back on the channel - I will let you know more about the visit after he and I finalize our plans later today. Here is your invitation to that special Pzoom - Allan Walls is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Allan Walls’ Pzoom, with Special Guest Lester Lefkowitz

Time: Sep 13, 2025 10:00 AM Central Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6916802815?pwd=TS9tZi9ZL1NXeVUvOUF4eTg5YjdlZz09&omn=86115663605

Meeting ID: 691 680 2815

Passcode: 678122

Join instructions

https://us02web.zoom.us/meetings/86115663605/invitations?signature=ESYCAY03JcBmHrEu3N4rADC7hHIqILtINKEoSG2_kkg

AfterStack 29 was this past weekend, and a lot of fun. We talked about the new tools available in Photoshop, and how we are using them. As always, I left the hangout with a handful of new ideas to try. The video will be posted to YouTube today and you can watch it by following this link… https://youtu.be/w6IjqucarhU

The original art - new cover to follow soon

Don’t forget about our Crystal Art group that meets at 2pm on the second Friday of every month. This is NOT the new cover art for the videos. That is still in the works but should out soon.

One of my very favorite crystal images

I have also set up a Google Drive folder for you to drop any images that you would like to discuss in the group - here is the link. https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1ngiRDNHPdoGkx2fcOqedd3EDn_TZjVF3?usp=sharing      Feel free to use this link to drop any images that you would like to share with the group at the next meeting (September 12, 2025) - it would help a lot if you could add the date of the session in your title, so that I can keep the folder organized.

And while I’m at it, here is the link to the next program on Friday September 12th, 2025!

Allan Walls is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Crystal Art with Harold Hall

Time: Sep 12, 2025 02:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6916802815?pwd=TS9tZi9ZL1NXeVUvOUF4eTg5YjdlZz09&omn=83741904293

Meeting ID: 691 680 2815

Passcode: 678122

Join instructions

https://us02web.zoom.us/meetings/83741904293/invitations?signature=mzLewHjxR9J2iWrYlWZ6ET6B3_7r-cytzWVdiqGVTZw

hello there…

That is enough for one post, don’t you think!? I hope to see you at today’s stream! Allan

Diffraction or Aberrations - Pick your Poison

Greetings all!

I hope everyone had a more relaxing weekend than I did! I did not stop going until 8PM on Sunday evening when I wrapped up my last lesson - a “golden hour” lighting workshop that I did at a local cemetery. The weekend started with a two and a half hour Pzoom which was definitely among the best sessions that I have had the privilege of hosting. The meeting was jam-packed with interesting and engaging discussions, covering a broad range of topics. An excellent Tangent, hosted by Larry, was also well received and packed with useful information. The rest of Saturday was filled with all the stuff one has to do to keep the business open - none of it particularly fun, but all of it very necessary.

A buckeye at rest

On Sunday I worked on projects that have been somewhat neglected during my European travels, and finished a couple of clients jobs that were due. In the afternoon, after having my regular weekly Zoom meeting with my children, something I never miss, I got to meet one of the friends I have made through this channel. Julie was on her way north on an astrophotography mission to the Great Lakes, but she was kind enough to stop for a quick tour of the bunker and a nice long chat that was unfortunately cut short so that I could make it out to the cemetery in time for the workshop. Getting back to the studio at sundown, I promptly fell asleep at my desk, sedated by too much Chinese takeout and a less-than-scintillating YouTube video about AI and the end of the world.

an owl, i do believe

So you can imagine my surprise when I woke up, early on Monday morning, ready to get to work and with a great idea for the week’s livestreams! During the Sunday workshop I had talked a lot about lenses and how to use them. From the questions I was getting it became clear that there are a couple of lens-related topics that seem to be particularly challenging for many photographers. Both of these subjects are extremely important to understand but both have enough physics to make them tricky to grasp. I am, of course, talking about the two sides of the same image-quality coin - diffraction and aberrations. Both of these topics - the first a physical phenomenon and the second a design feature of lenses - can play a huge role in final image quality but both require a good understanding of the underlying science if we are to be able to control them effectively.

One pice of cover art for two streams - how economical!

On Tuesday, in Macro Talk, at 8PM, I will lay out the important facts of diffraction and give just enough of the physics to help you understand the advice we give for preventing diffraction softening. I will present some graphics that I hope will give you a very useful way to think about this physical phenomenon so that you can understand why we give the advice that we do. Some of this material may be new to you, while some may be familiar, but I hope to leave you with a new way of thinking about diffraction that will translate into better images almost immediately. Here is your link to the Tuesday Livestream… https://youtube.com/live/uQNFyq6a7xI?feature=share

Thursday’s Macro Talk Too, at the usual time of 2PM, will look at the other crucial aspect of the lens, aberrations. One fundamental difference between diffraction softening and the quality issues caused by aberrations is that the former is result of physics and the latter is the result of lens design. Or put another way, an aperture closed down to f/22 will cause softening in even the best lenses, but if you want pictures that have no chromatic or geometric aberrations at all, just buy a 150mm Printing Nikkor and use it at 1:1. But for most of us, that is not an option, so I am going to talk about all the different types of aberration, how lens design can overcome them, and which ones are most important to address in macro photography. Here is a link to that Livestream… https://youtube.com/live/CGwhTV-7lV4?feature=share

A wee baby gator

After these two streams I expect that you will be in a much better position to choose the best possible lens for your use case and to know exactly how to use it to get the highest quality images.

Coming up on Saturday we have another AfterStack - I have not yet decided on a topic for discussion but am leaning towards a look at all the new features since the last time we looked. Whatever we decide, the show kicks off at 10AM and goes until we run out of stuff to talk about. Here is your invitation to the party …

Allan Walls is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: AfterStack 29

Time: Aug 23, 2025 10:00 AM Central Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6916802815?pwd=TS9tZi9ZL1NXeVUvOUF4eTg5YjdlZz09&omn=8466892658

Meeting ID: 691 680 2815

Passcode: 678122

Join instructions

https://us02web.zoom.us/meetings/84668926580/invitations?signature=1RHheSwoh4HtZ0V6VkMMBNeG-TiTIUaAr9DxSS7DHhw

One of those crystals that I don’t have a record for - so will probably never find again!

I am going to leave it here for now - I have a lot of work to do to be ready for this week, and I really want to get out and take some pictures, preferably before I forget how it’s done!

Have a great week and hope to see you around!

The Power of Light: Photography & the Healthy Mind

the eilean donan castle near kyle in the highlands of scotland

This week we’re stepping slightly off the usual path — not away from macro photography, exactly, but into one of the reasons it matters so much to so many of us.

the highlands

If you’ve been part of this community for a while, you’ve probably noticed that the conversations here aren’t just about lights, lenses, and Lepidoptera. Somewhere in the middle of all the technical chatter, there’s a heartbeat — a shared understanding that this hobby does more than produce pretty pictures.

Monument to fallen commandos at spean bridge, scotland

For some, it’s been a lifeline during difficult times. For others, it’s a steady, creative anchor in a noisy, unpredictable world. And for all of us, it’s a way to connect — not just with the tiny subjects in front of our lenses, but with the people who share our passion. Our world is in turmoil, with explosive technological advances, building international tensions, and a deteriorating domestic order. People from Bismarck to Brisbane are worried about their future, and the futures of their children and grandchildren. Many have been struggling to cope for decades. One result of this almost universal angst has been a meteoric rise in the incidence of depression and anxiety; the CDC has reported a 60% rise in prevalence of anxiety disorders in adults and adolescents in the last ten years, an estimated 42.5 million adults in the US alone.

On Tuesday, we’ll be talking about the role photography — and the communities that form around it — can play in helping people manage anxiety, depression, and other emotional challenges. I’ll share a bit of my own story, along with some thoughts on why technical, focused activities can be such a balm for the mind, and how the connections we make here can be part of the solution. We have talked about health before, but never with this focus. I will try to keep it positive and upbeat, but will not be avoiding the tough questions. I will try to leave time for questions. Your link to this livestream is here - https://youtube.com/live/odQh0iSv1yk?feature=share

the magnificent forth rail bridge

Then, on Thursday, we’ll turn the conversation toward prevention. What can we do, as healthy, engaged individuals, to keep our community vibrant, positive, and supportive? How can directing our energy outward — encouraging, mentoring, and celebrating others — help keep us strong, too? It’ll be a lighter, forward-looking discussion, and I’ll be looking for your ideas to take into the months ahead. I am proud of the community that you have built around this little channel and I want to do what I can to keep it a safe and healthy resource for anyone who finds us. Here is a link to this livestream - https://youtube.com/live/ntkXC273Fx4?feature=share

These aren’t just “feel good” topics — they’re at the heart of why so many of us keep picking up the camera. The gear and the techniques are important, but they’re part of a much bigger picture.

the high road, or the low road - can’t remember

So, whether you join for the technical tips, the conversation, or just to be among like-minded souls for an hour, I think you’ll find something worth your time this week. I hope you’ll tune in — and bring your thoughts, your questions, and maybe even a photograph or two to share.

That is not everything, of course! We have Pzoom on Saturday morning at 10AM - a two hour face-to-face discussion forum that I host for my wonderful Patreon supporters. If you are among them, you invitation to this week’s Pzoom is over on Patreon, in today’s post.

It seems like it has been a while since our Tangent group met, but that will change on Saturday afternoon when we get together for some 3D modeling chat from 12:30 until 2:00pm. This is open to everyone and it is one of my favorite events on the channel! I never fail to learn a ton of new stuff every time we meet. Please join us - here is your invitation -

Allan Walls is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Tangent

Time: Aug 16, 2025 12:30 PM Central Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6916802815?pwd=TS9tZi9ZL1NXeVUvOUF4eTg5YjdlZz09&omn=87030017757

Meeting ID: 691 680 2815

Passcode: 678122

Join instructions

https://us02web.zoom.us/meetings/87030017757/invitations?signature=UV03znmr9vhgNcUREYFR-mtkVjyxQuwAkswqyB-Lsuc

a hairy coo enjoys a nostril lick

I hope you can make it to some of this week’s activities. Next week we will be jumping right back into technical macro photography with a couple of streams I have already started working on.

Flash is Dead - Long Live Flash

Greetings!

Heather in the highlands of Scotland - courtesy of Pixbay

This will be my last blog post for a couple of weeks - I am headed back to the Motherland for a few days of R&R and to celebrate the birthday of my older brother (who will be officially ancient following this birthday). I have decided not to to to attempt transatlantic live-streaming as I will only be away for a few days and could use a short break. I will be back on the 3rd of August and plan to have everything running as usual by that first week of August.

A castle in the highlands - courtesy of Pixbay

There will only be one livestream before I leave, and I want to make the most of it, so I will be talking about the role of flash in modern studio macro photography.

A lot has changed since the last time I talked about flash and I think it is worth taking an hour to examine the relevance of flash in the era of mirrorless cameras and high-quality LED lighting. I will start out by talking about what has not changed all that much - how flash is used in field macro. I will recap my thoughts on the various flash techniques and my recommendations for field equipment. After that I will focus on studio-based extreme macro and will summarize the relevant changes in how we do this kind of photography in 2025. I will talk about how the advent of the era of mirrorless cameras has called into question the supremacy of flash as a gold standard in studio work. We will look at advances in LED technology and how the availability of cheap but high-quality lighting has impacted the use of flash. Then we will talk about my workflow and I will lay out my “best practices” for using flash. I will talk about the common problems encountered when using flash in the extreme macro setting and discuss how they can be avoided. To join the livestream at 8pm on Tuesday, use this link… https://youtube.com/live/uWWTUj-bWNQ?feature=share

Flash is not dead, but it’s role in extreme macro photography has become less dominant in recent years, and may continue to do as lighting options increase, prices drop, and the last of the DSLRs fade from the picture.

A single Flashpoint MF12

I am confident in recommending the Flashpoint MF12 (Godox MF12 is also recommended with the caveat that is must be purchased from a vendor with a proven track record of honoring the warranty of a Godox product as Godox has a track record of not doing so). Here is a link to the Flashpoint MF12 - https://amzn.to/46Zz5NM. This flash , when used as I describe in the livestream, has performed more consistently over large stacks than any other speed light that I have tested, including the TT150 and all of Godox’s larger speedlights. The trick to avoiding dropped frames due to  slow recycle time is to use  increased numbers of flash units at decreased power levels. It also helps to charge between stacks, use a relatively long cycle time (5 seconds), and turn off the modeling lights. I have consistently stacked 6-800 images without a single dropped frame, a virtual impossibility with any of my other flashes. If a speed light ever hits the market with the capability of continuous use while connected to external power, I may consider moving to larger speedlights and fewer of them, but until then I will continue to use and recommend the amazing little MF12.

A word on the TT150 - and the v150 if it is still being made - this is a terrible flash for studio macro, and probably not particularly good for anything else. It has the worst battery life of any speedlight I have ever used, consistently failing to  shoot a full stack, even a modest one, without dropping frames. I don’t know if it is a fault in the power management circuitry, or if the tube overheats, or there is a problem with the triggering, but I avoid the use of these units entirely. There are a lot of flash devices on the market, and I have not tested more than a dozen of them, so there may be some very solid and dependable offerings that I am not familiar with. But of those that I do know, the MF12 remains the most reliable, least expensive, and easiest to learn speed light for studio macro.

The Nikon R1C1 basic kit

However, the MF12 is not my favorite option for use in the field. That honor goes to the amazing Nikon R1C1. A very expensive setup that may be unattainable for many, this system has the best TTL exposure software in the business. I was shocked at how well the R1C1 performed under all lighting conditions and by the consistent accuracy of the automatic power setting. But there are a few things that are irritating - like the use of an expensive and hard to locate battery, the non-intuitive controls, and the over engineered diffusers. But I would gladly deal with all of these issues if ever I become an R1C1 owner (unlikely given the sticker price of $850 - or close to it, for two SB-R200’s, and over $1,000 with two extra flash units). Here is a link, should you be interested - https://amzn.to/4eWziDq

I have been working in the field with a single standard speed light and the AK Diffuser. It is a very different approach to lighting than I am used to. A single bright “global” light does not offer the same degree of versatility as a multi-flash system and results in images that are a little flatter and less nuanced than those captured with the R1Ci, or the Godox MF12s, for that matter. But I am not through with my testing and think that the single light may have use cases where it shines (pun intended).

Godox mf-12 setup for field work

I am going to leave it that for today - I have still got plenty to do before I will be ready to head across the big pond in a day or two. Hope you can make it tomorrow, but if not I will see you in a couple of weeks!

A highland coo licks his nostril - courtesy of Gabriela Palai

A New Diffuser, Photographing Coins, & Catching Snakes

Hi everyone!

Even though I won’t be talking about this in either of this week’s streams, I want to show you something that I invented this weekend - a new and improved diffusion framework that fixes all of the problems of the last iteration. I will show you the device and the Fusion360 model right after these program notes.

Last week was an important week for the channel as Thursday's Macro Talk Too was the 300th livestream I have done since I started doing two streams a week. There were a few occasional streams before that, including a couple of months with only a single weekly stream, so the number is closer to 320 - either way, it is a lot.

Last week I asked you to give me some feedback on the current livestream programming and I am probably going to be tweaking the  weekly schedule ever so slightly to accommodate  your requests. A huge thanks to Alasdair for providing me with a summary of the feedback from both meetings! I will let you know as soon as I decide on a course forward.

Any changes will begin upon my return to the studio following a short upcoming break, in the first week of August.  I will be leaving on Wednesday, July 23 and returning a little over a week later on August 2nd. I will still be here for this week’s Pzoom meeting, on the 19th of July, but I will not be back in time for the Pzoom following that on August 2nd.

In summary - I will be out from July 23 through August 2, 2025, during which time I will not be hosting my usual weekly programming.

Saturday’s AfterStack, episode 27 - a fascinating discussion of the new Depth Map Blur feature in Photoshop, was a big success. - here is the YouTube link to the video - https://youtu.be/waw52kfVOJgt

There is yet another new spinoff live event, starting in August. It is called “Chemical Art”. The program will be a guided discussion on Birefringent Crystal Photography, at 2PM central time on the second Friday of the month. Our first meeting will be at 2PM on Friday August 8th, 2025 - here is the link to the inaugural meeting -

Topic: Allan Walls’ Chemical Art #1

Time: Aug 8, 2025 02:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6916802815?pwd=TS9tZi9ZL1NXeVUvOUF4eTg5YjdlZz09&omn=89704985512

Meeting ID: 691 680 2815

Passcode: 678122

My Co-host for this series of live events is none other than our own Harold Hall and I am very much looking forward to a lively and visually exciting discussion of all things crystal related. Hope you will be able to join us. Stay tuned for more details!

As for the coming week, I have a couple of interesting talks planned:

Tuesday July 15, 2025 - Macro Talk - “My approach to the photography of reptiles and amphibians in the wild” - a topic that will hopefully be useful to anyone struggling with this month’s competition. Here is your link - https://youtube.com/live/MfIXwPp1-Pw?feature=share

Thursday, July 17, 2025 (2PM) - Macro Talk Too - “Numismatography 101” the first in a series of discussions about coin photography.  Note that “Numismatography” is not really a word, though it should be (I just made it up a few a minutes ago). Here is your link to that stream - https://youtube.com/live/jJXlp2s-IlY?feature=share

This month’s photography competition, “Reptiles and Amphibians” is going to be guest judged by the talented and delightful British frog photographer (she is British, not the frogs), Angi Wallace - always a popular guest and a very accomplished photography judge. I can’t wait to have her back for such an interesting theme!

Those of you who have watched some of Kelly Bosch’s incredible AI-based video content and are patiently waiting for me to release the interview, please remain patient! I have missed Kelly twice over the last few weeks. Her dog had been in surgery during our first meeting and we rescheduled for the following Thursday. This time it was Kelly who was in the hospital. We are looking at times for another crack at the interview, but I just don’t know if I will have time to fit it in before leaving on my trip. I will keep you posted.

Lester is back! I have asked Lester Lefkowitz to join our Pzoom meeting on September 13 to talk with us about his Lightroom Organization Workflow. He tells me it is a superb system that all but guarantees  you will never lose another image again. I don’t believe that for one second - I will continue to lose images in some of the most creative ways possible. Anyway, I will record this section of our meeting for wider distribution at a later date.

I think that is all the announcements that I have for now, so let’s get to the new diffusion frame.

Diffuser housing in section

This new iteration of a frame that is flexible, versatile, scaleable, sturdy, inexpensive, positionable, and with much less interference when lighting from below, came to me while trying to improve on the last version, which I found a little cumbersome and restrictive.

This version consists of a slim, vertically oriented body with a female 1/4” 20tpi socket in the base - making it universally mountable. It is made up of three sections which lock into one another around 2-pairs of flexible arms terminating in a pair of alligator clips. For stability the arms are 90º out of phase and lock rigidly into the body when it is tightened from below.

The base of the assembled frame with Small Rig miniclamp attached

The frame minus the arms

Opening and closing the arm-holder body is accomplished by means of a hidden 3mm bolt that can only be accessed by placing an Allen key through the brass insert in the base. This hides the structural components while holding them captive and preventing misalignment of the parts when changing arms. The lower arm set are almost 9” long and allow for a larger external diffuser sheet to be held further out from the specimen while allowing the user to modify its exact position with ease. The upper arms are only 4” long, keeping the inner diffusion layer much closer to the subject and guaranteeing excellent separation of the diffusers (velum or mylar).

The top section with a bass shaft standing in for the specimen holder

The specimen holder replaces the brass shaft in the drawing and can be a mini ball head, and alligator clamp or any other pin holder that works for you. I am waiting on a smaller set of bendy arms to replace the heavy duty ones shown in the fusion model, though the drawings do give you the basic idea, I think.

As soon as I have a couple of working prototypes to demonstrate I will do so. After that I will probably manufacture a limited number of the devices for sale, and may also release the G-code for anyone wanting to make their own.

exploded view of the device

If you are interested in getting one of these cool gadgets, let me know via a message in the Walls-app - I will let you know the price as soon as I figure out the cost of the parts - which will be about the same time that I demo the thing.

The colors are just for show - the device is black

That is it for this week! See you in a stream!

Allan

300 Livestreams!

Greetings!

Creative chromatic aberration

And thank you for getting us to livestream #300, this week! Can you believe it? Three solid years of twice weekly livestreams. No wonder I have amassed three file boxes jammed with notes! That is more single spaced writing than I accumulated in 4 years of medical school (almost twice as much!).

a wee grasshopper

I am not a big fan of change, but not caring for change is no excuse for avoiding needed course adjustments. Some feedback that I have been given over the last few days, makes it clear that you may be ready for some change. Let me summarize the issues that are behind the call for change, and after that I will present a few possible solutions, and explain how I plan to use our two livestreams this week to build a consensus about a solution.

Wave plate pyrotechnics

The issue will make sense to those of you who have been around over three years since I started doing livestreams twice a week. For the first few months, the livestreams were little more than social gatherings, during which I would answer questions, respond to your comments, and occasionally inject some more prepared content. This was a lot of fun, but seemed to get us away from the information-dense video content that this channel was built on. For that reason, I started working to bring you two solid blocks of quality content every week. I feel like I have been successful in delivering high quality  material most of the time. I like this format, because to talk on a given subject, without a pause, for 50 minutes, I have to know what I am talking about - so my preparations for each livestream can take several days - so this way of delivering content is certainly no less demanding than doing so with regular video content, it just stacks the work in front of the content instead of behind it (editing videos is the trade off).

Scotland

However, it has come to my attention that this way of doing things is not as good as I had thought. The issue is that some viewers have been frustrated by my inability to get to questions during many of these programs. I can certainly see how this might be irritating to someone who is following along and needs clarification on something I said before they are ready for me to move on with my presentation. So a suggestion was made that instead of presenting content live, a better solution might be for me to record the content ahead of time and play it back during the livestream. This way I could pause the playback to answer questions as they come up and engage with the audience while the content of presented. The idea was that I would present the same block of recorded content on both Tuesday and Thursday while being available to answer questions both days. While reasonable on its surface, this did not take into account that many of you attend both livestreams and would have no interest in hearing the same presentation both days. But it did get me thinking. The issue is real, and I do need find a way to do better in the future, and this is what I have decided to do…

Last one, I promise (these were all the same slide)

Later in this post I am going to lay out a few suggestions for changes in programming, some of which are minor and some of which are quite significant. I am going to ask you to look these options over and come to one of my livestreams this week to register your vote for the direction in which my programming will move. These are not set in stone, so if you have another suggestion, bring it on Tuesday or Thursday and I will give it full consideration. If you read this but cannot come to either stream this week, please send me a message through the Walls app (www.walls-app.com), to let me know what you would like to see changed going forward. One thing that I will not be willing to consider is any change that makes it inconvenient for my European friends to participate. I will consider single livestream options, if the time chosen makes sense for both my US and European audiences.

I do not think we will need to take up a whole livestream to deal with this, so I am going to use the remaining time to deal with some questions that have come up over the last week. On Tuesday’s Macro Talk I will  present an overview of focal length and sensor size in macro photography. The link to that stream is here -

https://youtube.com/live/fkXpXHkdlL0?feature=share

On Thursday, we will spend the first half of the stream considering the changes presented below and discussed on Tuesday. Following that I will be answering several other interesting questions that I have been asked in recent conversations. Your link to that stream is here - https://youtube.com/live/OdEuWqwCJ4s?feature=share

On Saturday we have AfterStack 27, and I believe Bud will be back to lead the discussion - I am not sure what he has for us this weekend, but I am sure it will be excellent!

*****

Before I forget, I will be out of the studio for a few days at the end of this month and I wanted to give you a heads-up that there will be no Tuesday Macro Talk on July 29 and no Macro Talk Too on Thursday July 24th or Thursday July 31st. I will also have to miss the Pzoom meeting scheduled for August 2, 2025.

*****

Below are a few suggestions for programming adjustments that I would like you to consider. I will be soliciting your opinions in both livestreams this week, but you can also register your choice by messaging me on the Walls-app, anytime this week:

OPTION 1: Don’t change anything - keep both streams every week and continue to deliver 2 different blocks of content each week.

OPTION 2: Record one block of content for playback during both Tuesday and Thursday livestreams (same content) with real time questions and discussion for the whole hour

OPTION 3: Cut back to one livestream every week (extended to 90 minutes) with content broken into segments to allow for questions and discussion in real time. Timing for a single event would need to be early afternoon in the US, early evening in Europe. This would free up enough time to produce  more regular video content.

OPTION 4: Don’t change the schedule (two streams a week, Tuesday evening and Thursday afternoon), but break the live content into several short segments with breaks for live questions and discussion

OPTION 5: I have a better idea ……. (Be specific!)

*****

Do you have any other ideas for how I could improve your experience on the channel? Let me know - I am excited about the next chapter of AW Photography. I’m also in this for the long haul, so it is important that I get it right. Please share your ideas with me and let’s see what happens next!

Competition Time!

Greetings everyone - I hope your week is off to a good start. I have been a busy chap and thought I would use the blog post this week to give you an update on stuff that is currently in the pipeline. This is the July 4th week, with the holiday (in the US) on Friday. While this may lead to  a number of sunburns and about the same number of hangovers, it will have exactly no effect on this week’a programming - in fact, I have several extra activities to be taking care of at the end of this week. One of these is my rescheduled interview with Kelly Boesch. We had to cancel the planned meeting on Thursday but have it on the book for July 3rd. I am going to give you a couple of additional links to my favorite Kelly Boesch releases from the last few weeks. Be sure to send over any questions you would like me to ask her during the interview. I was planning to take a minute to explain what an artist like Kelly does and why it is so difficult to attain the skills she has in such abundance, but on further reflection I decided that this is exactly why I invited her to share her story with us in the first place - to educate us on how she makes this amazing art. So that is what I am going to do - let her tell you herself.

But in the meantime here is a piece she did on aging… https://youtu.be/28z0mAxIDQw?si=yeIhBlmyrTPduOyO.    It is absolutely beautiful and, having tried my hand at some of this stuff over the years, absolutely impossible. It is a real mystery to me how Kelly is able to give her imaginary characters such powerfully emotive expressions while still feeling authentically human. Well, I plan to find that out on Thursday!

Another of her videos to watch is “Kids with AI Monsters” https://youtu.be/K8CY3OXaQ-w?si=CQxXndPUdfpVw4fp - brilliantly imagined and beautifully realized                                                                                                                                                                                                                              

I thought it was about time I worked on some content for our newer friends and decided that thisTuesday in Macro Talk I would do a section on the nuts and bolts of successful focus stacking. It will be basic but extensive, with a lot of useful information for seasoned stackers as well. I will do the whole thing as a start to finish demo. That is Tuesday, July 1, at 8pm. Here is your link … https://youtube.com/live/ur5Hxkq7iVY?feature=share

Thursday will be an unusual competition results program, during which I will go through all the images submitted to the June wild card macro competition. What makes it a big deal is that Cindi, my AI assistant, will also be judging this contest but I will not look at her results before we both see them during the program on Thursday. The aim is to find out how well she learned from studying the video recordings of all our prior contests. Now, my results are the only ones that will count for the official scoring, but we will take a close look at how Cindi arrived her scores and rankings. I will also give a brief report on how the process was completed and any problems that I might have run into. Here is your link for the program …https://youtube.com/live/FHtVil6KNRg?feature=share

And while we are at it, here is the competition theme for the month of July, 2025 - “Reptiles & Amphibians” - back to our usual handicapping rule - only one entry allowed from previous winners, two from everyone else. Your subject may be shot in the wild, or in captivity. The subject’s overall size is not an issue as long as your photograph is at 1:2 (one half life-size) or more - so on a full frame sensor you could get the entire animal in the frame if it is about 2.5 inches long. But most reptiles and amphibians are longer/larger than that as adults, so for a larger subject you will need to choose the body part you want to make the subject of your image (a snake’s head, the back of a tree frog, the tail of a spotted salamander).

A word of caution - if you are not very familiar with the snake species in your area, do not try to handle snakes. The vast majority of venomous species in the US are pit vipers, named for the large sensory cell-packed , pit-like depression in front of the eye and used for thermal imaging. These include several species of rattlesnakes (eastern diamondback, timber or canebrake, and various pygmy species), cottonmouths, and copperheads, For completeness I should also mention that the coral snake, a very venomous reptile, can rarely be found in the Deep South, and should not be handled by a non-professional). All snakes will, potentially, bite when handled but most are very tolerant of humans that don’t frighten them with sudden moves.

Your best bet is do not pick up any snake that you cannot readily and accurately identify as a venomous species And if you are not absolutely certain the snake you have found is safe to be bitten by, leave it along. If you aren’t comfortable around these lovely creatures, take a longer lens, 200-300mm and take your pictures from a respectable distance. If you want to see just how much fun “herping” can be, check out this YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/@NKFherping - it may help you find a cool subject, or just inspire you to give it a shot, either way, he is a lot of fun to watch and the channel is full of reliable information about reptiles and amphibians across North America. Highly recommended viewing!

Pzoom is on Saturday at 10am and it will be a full morning, with introductions, updates, and lots of other stuff to talk about.

Your link and invitation is over on Patreon, in my latest post (should be out within 24 hours). I also have an exciting announcement for my Patreon supporters. Hope you can make it on Saturday.

I try not to talk about this unless it is absolutely necessary, but the channel is having a lean spell, with a few folks leaving Patreon and my affiliate payments dropping sharply. I don’t know if this is because they have reduced the fees or because fewer purchases are being made, but either way, income is down, expenses are up, and there is nothing in reserve. I have been planning to sell some merchandise through my website, but it appears that the costs of doing this (like getting a company to stock and mail the shirts and other items) would actually be higher than any profit I might have made. I really want to do this, even if it costs me, but right now I don’t have what it would cost to get the shirts made. Without going into all the gory details, I could sure use your help. The best way you can help is by joining Patreon and supporting my work through that platform. If that doesn’t work, you can always make a donation through the web site (https://www.allanwallsphotography.com/donations), or via PayPal - Every little bit helps and would be hugely appreciated! Thank you!

the size of a quarter, a newly minted slider

Lester Lefkowitz will be joining us on September 13th, in our Pzoom meeting to talk about his Lightroom organization strategy - something I don’t need to miss.

That’s it for this week! Hope to see out there!

PS… I don’t think that anyone got the riddle from last week’s post - the pictures were of a canine testes and the appendage of a bumble bee - or the “Dog’s Bol*ocks” and “Bees Knees”, both slang terms for a person, place, or thing that is clearly of above average quality. Another slang term with the same meaning might be “the cat’s pyjamas”. an example of where any of these three might be used would be… “Did you see that English macro guy’s livestream on Tuesday!? It was the bees knees!”.

Now you know…

Meet Kelly Boesch - an Extraordinary Talent

Hello Macro-mates (is that even a thing?)

A weevil

I hope you had a restful weekend, and that those of you still fortunate enough to have a dad around got to spend some time with his on Sunday. I had a really nice visit with my kids (if I’m still around when they are in their 60s, will they still be kids? Yes, of course they will!)

Anyway, today is Monday and there is much to be done, like triple checking my YouTube live-streaming credentials. I was terribly embarrassed last week, after going the better part of a year without a hiccup on the livestream, to have two disasters in one week. At least the disasters were of a common cause, making them more like one extended disaster, which sounds a tiny bit less incompetent. I will do everything in my power to make sure there is not another week like that in the foreseeable future. But there a couple of really fun and interesting things on the horizon that are definitely within the foreseeable future.

Lester Lefkowitz will be visiting with us in a couple of weeks - we still have some details to work out, but it is looking like he will be our special guest for the first Pzoom in July. He is coming back to tell us about his Lightroom system for not losing pictures. He will present his talk and follow up with a Q&A to address any questions that come up. After the Pzoom is over I will edit the content into a YouTube video that will be available to everyone within a few days of the meeting. I will keep you posted when I know is dates for sure.

This past weekend I had the immense please of making contact with one of the most talented  artists working in the strange world of AI powered video content creation. Some of you may recall a clip from a piece of generative video content that I showed during a livestream a couple of weeks ago? It was fresh, mesmerizing, with beautiful color and a surreal dream-like flow that was altogether a new experience for me. It was is a selection of paintings by Magritte, or Dali had come to life for a short, but remarkable and very satisfying, moment in time. Well I was completely taken by this new type of video content in general and the work of the artist, Kelly Boesch, in particular. Here are links to a couple of Kelly’s videos. I encourage you to visit her YouTube page  and explore some of the totally original content that she is making. I was so impressed by the quality of Kelly’s work that I reached out to her this weekend and asked if she might be willing to record a conversation with me, so that I could share it with you. She replied immediately and most graciously agreed to an interview. One of the things that grabbed my attention was Kelly’s fascination with insects and the frequent appearance of weird and wonderful insect-like characters in many of her videos. I hope that this interview will be available in  a week or two - and I will let you know the minute that it is.

Some of my favorite surrealist video art by Kelly Boesch::

1) An AI Dance Music Video - https://youtu.be/soRDe1XbWmM?si=w0-pmnnKWJvwE-Ti

2) A Story About Aging - https://youtu.be/28z0mAxIDQw?si=dtuA5iUwpuj7x7yG

3) Kids with Magical Creatures - https://youtu.be/8wkKg_bdc2k?si=gFZHzPsVDvTQrRkl

Try to keep in mind that these video stories were created in the mid of Keely Boesch but interpreted and transformed into video content by AI tools like #Midjourney, #Luma, and #keyframe!

Let’s get back to this week. I have something very special for you tomorrow in Macro Talk, Tuesday at 8PM. This stream was prompted by a question I was asked last week. A friend asked me to discuss the equipment and workflows being used  for high speed, handheld focus stacking in the field, by wonderful macro photographers like Claus Giloi, and Graham Carey. And that is precisely what I am going to attempt in Tuesday’s stream. I will be showing some of the great work by Claus and Graham and then breaking down every piece of equipment and every step in their respective workflows. Bring your questions and get up to speed on the new focus stacking superpower! Your link…https://youtube.com/live/54x6STaXN0Y?feature=share

Thursday’s Macro Talk Too, at 2pm, is going to be a more traditional Q&A where I will attempt to answer the questions that have been piling up for a few weeks - a lot to talk about but feel free to bring any macro questions that you have been  struggling with. Here is your link…. https://youtube.com/live/dfzxWF0KjIc?feature=share

Saturday is going to be a big day also - with Pzoom kicking off at 10am - two hours of face to face macro talk, with introductions, updates, and some more field macro discussion. Your Pzoom invitation is going to be posted over on Patreon, probably tomorrow.

Right after the Pzoom wraps up we go straight over to Tangent for another fun and challenging exploration of the 3D modeling world in our Fusion 360 discussion group for macro photographers and makers. If you have a 3D printer, or might one day buy one, you really need to come and meet the group - this is a fantastic resource for anyone trying to get a fast start in CAD/CAM. Larry Strunk knows his stuff and put a lot of work into this monthly gathering. Drop by and see what it is all about - 12:30 until 2(ish), this Saturday - here is your invitation - Allan Walls is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Tangent

Time: Jun 21, 2025 12:30 PM Central Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6916802815?pwd=TS9tZi9ZL1NXeVUvOUF4eTg5YjdlZz09&omn=82319653517

Meeting ID: 691 680 2815

Passcode: 678122

OK - that is it for this week - I have a ton of work to get done before tomorrow. Hope to see you sometime this week!

Allan

The Best Macro Camera Body

Not All Macro Cameras Are Created Equal: A New Way to Score the Gear That Matters

If you've been around macro photography circles for any length of time, you've probably heard the eternal question: "What’s the best camera for macro?" It’s a question that inspires a lot of heated debate, some questionable recommendations, and far too many conversations about megapixels.

The awesome X2D 100C

But here’s the problem: most of those answers are either hopelessly vague ("just get a full-frame") or obsessively specific in a way that doesn’t help beginners. Even worse, they almost never distinguish between studio macro and field macro, which are as different as pipettes and pitchforks.

Another stunner - the sony a9

So I decided to do something about it.

One of the things I love about macro photography is the bright line separating field macro from studio macro. They really are very different pursuits that require very different skills. So is it remotely surprising that there are different equipment requirements? Of course not! In the past I have reviewed equipment for the field and studio gear separately, but that was a problem because there is quite a bit of overlap. So this is what I decided to do…
Evaluate all the popular cameras using a standard set of strictly objective criteria, with no review results or other subjective input. Then I would weight the criteria based on the relevance of that criteria to either field or studio macro.

Studio and Field: Two Different Worlds

In the studio, you control everything: light, temperature, background, and above all — motion. A typical setup might involve a camera mounted to a precision rail, connected to a computer, shooting dozens (or hundreds) of images for a stacked composite.

Out in the field, it’s you against the elements. You’re often working handheld, chasing skittish insects in variable light, sweating through weather-sealed gloves while trying to find a frog that doesn’t mind posing.

And yet, camera reviews keep treating these as the same use case.

The very capable X-T5 from fujifil

So I Built a Weighted Scoring Matrix

This week, I started assembling a completely transparent, objective scoring system for macro camera bodies. It evaluates cameras based on manufacturer specs only (no personal impressions or brand hype), and it treats studio and field macro as separate use cases.

The OM-!

The system uses a 0–10 score for each feature, then applies a weight, as noted above, depending on how important that feature is in a given context.

And here is the scoring matrix I came up with:

The weighted camera soring matrix

You can see how some features matter intensely in one environment and almost not at all in the other. And others are important in both. In this table I have listed the actual weights that I assigned for each:

This is an early iteration of the matrix

Canon’s amazin R5 mkII

The Cameras

You have already seen some of the cameras, but here is a list of all the models I included, along with base price and and links to both B&H and Amazon:

Every model gets two scores: one for studio macro, one for field macro.

The individual scores were computed based on the presence and quality of each of the features mentioned earlier. The scores were then modified based on the weighted values of those features, in the specific use case being evaluated. The scores were then tallied and placed in oder of the final tally

The K-1 mk II from Pentax

What’s Next

In today’s livestream I am going to share with you all the results from this fascinating experiment, some of which will surprise you, some of which won’t. But you won’t know unless you show up - here is your link - https://youtube.com/live/mOODxDG_IQ8?feature=share

In Thursday’s livestream (https://youtube.com/live/qyGxP1tvMYc?feature=share) , I’ll be revealing:

1. The full ranking of cameras based on this scoring system

2. Lens recommendations (including some non-camera lenses you may not expect!)

3. My ultimate rig buildouts for the top 3 studio and field systems

Each system will be complete — camera, lens, rail, lighting, accessories. I’ll share images of the rigs and shopping links for those who want to follow along.

Why This Matters

This isn’t about proving which brand is best. It’s about choosing the right tool for your kind of macro work. Field photographers need weather sealing and stabilization. Studio shooters need resolution and control. No one needs marketing nonsense.

I hope this model helps you think more clearly about your own gear choices — and maybe challenges a few assumptions along the way.

Other Stuff you need to know about

Saturday is AfterStack 25 and I do hope you will be able to make it. We are going to have a little fun this weekend.

I am asking everyone who wants to come to  be prepared to tell us all about your favorite tool or niftiest trick in Photoshop. Surprise us! What do you do that nobody else has been smart enough to figure out? This is your chance to flash your chops and amaze the room with your deft handing of the pen tool (you get the idea). And bring a photo to  demonstrate your nifty moves on. The most interesting and unusual tip/tool/technique will win something. Probably not a car or a Hasselblad, but something cool anyway. Your invitation to the party is here -

Allan Walls is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: AfterStack 25

Time: Jun 14, 2025 10:00 AM Central Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6916802815?pwd=TS9tZi9ZL1NXeVUvOUF4eTg5YjdlZz09&omn=84313183886

Meeting ID: 691 680 2815

Passcode: 678122

OK gang - that’s it for this week! Congratulations to the winners of last month’s stereo contest! The video is out whenever you want to watch it!

See you Thursday.

-- Allan

Screw-ups & Gadgets

Another weekend has been vacuumed up by the past and we are officially in what Middle Earthers quaintly refer to as “summer”. As I look out the little slit windows of the bunker, it doesn’t look like summer to me, but it might be warmer than it looks. I would have to go outside to be sure, and who has time for that!?

We had a fun AfterStack this weekend and I will have the recording up on YouTube later today. We talked about making graphics from photographs and it was a lot of fun. The rest of Saturday was spent in the workshop, making and testing various ides for a vertical mounting system for converted microscope focus blocks. I came up with one that works and spent a few hours adding this feature to the focus blocks that I will be shipping out this week.

The new vertical mount for my BH2 conversion

This is competition week, and Rik Littlefield and I have come up with a plan for judging the entries. We both have the images and will be spending a couple of days looking through them before we meet for the grand judging on Wednesday. That will leave me a couple of days to get any editing done and post the results to YouTube. I won’t be discussing the actual results in either livestream as I don’t want to steal any of Rik’s thunder. I’ll let you know when it drops.

stereo seeds

This month the competition is a macro wildcard - any macro subject and everyone is welcome to submit up to two entries, which will be independently judged by me and my AI sidekick, Cindi. I can’t wait to see how this turns out!

Jumping ahead to Saturday’s Pzoom - I am hoping to get my guest Lightroom expert, Lester Lefkowitz, to drop in for a chat about his system for organizing his Lightroom Catalog. If we can get this all worked out by then you can expect a recording of this discussion to be posted to YouTube shortly after that. If we can’t get that arranged for this week, I have a backup plan. Part of that plan is to give a report on several new features I am adding to the channel - some exciting stuff that I think everyone is going to enjoy. It’s all top secret until I have had a chance to run it by my Patreon gang - I don’t do anything until I’ve run it by them. By the way, if you have ever considered doing something super cool, like supporting a YouTube content creator and, in exchange, becoming part of the macro-cognoscenti (we are working on a secret handshake), then now is as good a time as any to truck on over to www.patreon.com/allanwallsphotography and become a legitimate hero.

Turning back to the present, I have a couple of unique and, I hope, fun livestreams to tell you about for this week. On Tuesday, in Macro Talk (8PM central time) I am going to talk about some of the idiotic mistakes I still make in macro photography. I have a lot to choose from!

We all make mistakes — but sometimes those “oops” moments lead to unexpectedly decent images.

In today’s livestream, I’ll share some of my biggest and most consistent macro misfires: focus stacks gone wrong, studio stupidity, field follies, and other misadventures. Along the way, I’ll show you a few of my really “bad” pictures that I still love — and try to explain why they still work (at least for me).

A terrible picture that I love anyway

Honest talk, practical tips, and a gallery of goof-ups. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned macro nerd, you’ll laugh, cringe, and (hopefully) learn.

Your link is right here … https://youtube.com/live/cmMZw2Pq-Zw?feature=share

In MacroTalk Too, on Thursday at 2PM, we turn our attention to those dirt cheap, must-have gadgets and gizmos that are always close at hand!

You don’t need to spend a fortune to make unforgettable macro photographs. In this livestream, I’ll show you a selection of the best cheap gear and accessories I’ve ever used — all under $20 — along with the actual images they helped me create.

From homemade backgrounds and lighting hacks to clamps, brushes, and tiny tools, each item tells a story — and every one of them earned its place in my kit.

If you’re a beginner building your macro toolbox, or a seasoned pro who loves a good budget hack, join me for this fun and practical tour of the little things that make a big difference.

Here is your link to MTT … https://youtube.com/live/ZpvVY5QefVU?feature=share

And PS - bring a few of your own gadget hacks to share with the world

I am going to keep it short and sweet today - I have a mountain of Monday work still waiting on me. Please try to make it on Tuesday or Thursday - I hope to have an announcement or two to share with you!

Oh, and PPS - I have looked at the stereo submissions for last month’s contest, and they are AMAZING! Way to go, guys!!!

This Week in Macro: Purpose, Precision, and Post-Production

Before we begin this week’s update, I’d like to take a quiet moment to acknowledge the significance of today.

Memorial Day, for many, marks the turning of the season — the start of summer plans and outdoor gatherings. But its deeper purpose is a solemn one: to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice and lost their lives in the course of military service. I don’t say this in celebration of war or valor, but in recognition of absence — of brothers, sisters, sons and daughters, mothers and fathers, wives and husbands, of friends, teammates, and coworkers, of neighbors, of lovers, and of complete strangers.

Regardless of one’s views on conflict or country, the human cost of war is something we ignore at our peril. Today is a day to hold that truth gently, to remember those who left too soon, and to honor them with quiet thoughtfulness and gratitude.

Let me tell you what is coming up this week…

Tuesday @ 8PM CT — Macro Talk: Purpose, Planning, and Presence

This Tuesday, I’ll be diving into a topic that sits quietly beneath almost every good photograph: the balance between purpose, planning, and presence.

Whether you set out with a clear intention or find yourself stumbling into beauty unannounced, most meaningful images arise from some fusion of intent and openness. We’ll unpack the role of:

– Purpose — knowing why you’re shooting

– Planning — structuring how you’ll shoot

– Presence — staying receptive to what the moment actually gives you

Along the way, I’ll offer practical exercises and practical challenges you can incorporate into your next shoot, no matter your subject or gear. This is one for both the thinkers and the wanderers.

Here is your link to the Livestream… https://youtube.com/live/zLZCjbbLTio?feature=share

Thursday @ 2PM CT — Macro Talk Too: The Illusion of Precision

On Thursday, we’ll turn our attention to something a little more technical — and something I don’t think I have talked about in this setting before.

As some of you know that I’ve spent the past couple of years converting old Olympus and Nikon microscopes into ultra-precise, motorized focus stacking platforms. These rigs can theoretically step in increments as small as 0.0625 microns for the Olympus and down to a crazy 0.0312 microns for the Nikon. But here’s the hard truth: there’s no affordable way to confirm that’s actually happening.

I spent most of the last weekend testing each of the four focus rigs I am currently working with. I am not going to send one of these devices out to its new owner without making sure that my claims regarding the precision and accuracy of the conversion are demonstrated. But how? So this livestream is about the limitations of measuring precision in a setting other than a metrology office or laboratory, with the goal of answering these questions …

– Why micro-stepping values don’t always mean real movement

– Why dial indicators, even good ones, fall short in the sub-micron range

– Why visual tests are often more reliable than mechanical ones

– And how to earn trust through transparency, even when the numbers can’t be unequivocally proven

If you’re building or modifying your own focus system, or are just curious about how deep this rabbit hole goes, you won’t want to miss it.

And, as always, your link to the livestream is here - https://youtube.com/live/0E3okQi8lIU?feature=share

Saturday @ 10AM CT — AfterStack 24

We’ll wrap the week with AfterStack 24, this week’s episode our twice-monthly post-processing conversation on Zoom. This is a casual but highly engaged session where Bud Perrott and I lead a discussion in which we explore all things post-production in macro photography. Bring your latest stack, your thorniest artifact, or just a question that’s been bugging you and let’s see what this awesome group of macro minds can do to help. Here is your invitation - the meeting is free and everyone is welcome!

Allan Walls is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: AfterStack 24 with Bud Perrott

Time: May 31, 2025 10:00 AM Central Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6916802815?pwd=TS9tZi9ZL1NXeVUvOUF4eTg5YjdlZz09&omn=86040185988

Meeting ID: 691 680 2815

Passcode: 678122

As always, everyone at any skill level is welcome. It’s not about perfection — it’s about curiosity and craft.

I hope to see at one or more of these events, but if not, have a fantastic first week of summer anyway!

Allan

The Ethics of Macro

Before we get into the topic of today’s post, let me give you a quick rundown of what you can expect this week…

We kick things off tomorrow with Macro Talk at 8PM when I will be talking about the practical considerations of insect collection for macro photography. This will include the target insects, finding habitat, tools for collection, storage and transportation, and the application of AI to improve our success rate. The link for the stream is here - https://youtube.com/live/ZVxpZGJQw8U?feature=share

On Thursday, in Macro Talk Too, we change gears completely and take a hard look at the ethical issues involved the catching and killing of insects for photography. This will include a discussion of how my own thought on the matter have evolved in the year since we last had this discussion. The link to this Livestream is right here - https://youtube.com/live/gUawWEGQxMI?feature=share

A big day is coming on Saturday the 24th of May when I kick things off with Pzoom, starting at 10am and running until 2PM. In this edition of the twice-monthly Patreon-only get-together we will open the meeting for any updates, questions, and introductions and in the second half of the gathering I will talk about the purpose and application of planning in macro photography. If you are a member of my Patreon group, your invitation to this meeting will be posted over on Patreon, tomorrow. If you are not yet a member of Patreon, please consider coming aboard! It is a great group of people with a wealth of experience and knowledge to share and your participation helps the channel to stay afloat in these challenging times. Please visit https://www.patreon.com/allanwallsphotography to learn more.

Right after Pzoom we have another edition of Tangent, an exciting 3D modeling and printing discussion led by Larry Strunk. The meeting is free and the invitation that you will need to get in is right here - Allan Walls is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Tangent with Larry Strunk

Time: May 24, 2025 12:30 PM Central Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6916802815?pwd=TS9tZi9ZL1NXeVUvOUF4eTg5YjdlZz09&omn=86781500269

Meeting ID: 691 680 2815

Passcode: 678122

Which is everything coming up this week!

Getting back to this post, I wanted to give you some background concerning the ethical issues around macro photography. My hope is that this will help you get the most out of this week’s livestreams by introducing you to some of the key issues that relate to our conduct as macro photographers.

The ethical issues surrounding macro photography, particularly involving live subjects, have always existed — but in recent years, they’ve come into sharper focus as public awareness of environmental and animal welfare concerns has grown. As macro photographers, we often walk a fine line between observation and intervention. The intention is usually to educate, to celebrate the hidden beauty of the natural world. But that doesn’t exempt us from scrutiny — nor should it.

There are three primary areas where ethical questions tend to arise in our field:

1. Collection and Handling of Live Subjects

One of the most emotionally charged questions in macro photography is whether it’s acceptable to collect, restrain, or euthanize insects and other small creatures for the sake of a photograph.

This concern grows from both the conservation movement and the broader moral stance against causing harm to sentient life. While insects are not protected in the same way as vertebrates in most countries, our evolving understanding of invertebrate perception, cognition, and response to harm makes this a growing area of debate.

Even if the subject is common and abundant, does killing it for artistic or educational purposes cross a line?

2. Staging and Manipulation of Behavior

Many macro photographers employ cooling, restraint, or staged habitats to slow their subjects for better control — particularly in focus stacking or motion-sensitive scenes.

Techniques that are common in studio macro photography (refrigeration, confining the insect in a transparent cube or vial, placing subjects on inauthentic surfaces) have begun to draw criticism as AI-generated images challenge what’s possible without using real animals at all.

Is temporary suffering, disorientation, or manipulation of natural behavior justified by the final image?

3. The Image as a Statement — and the Photographer’s Responsibility

Every photo implies a point of view. Even when we think we are simply documenting, we are choosing what to show and what to hide — which can have real-world consequences.

As images circulate online without context, especially through social media and contests, there is a tendency to forget that photographs can reinforce false ideas about nature — such as pristine, untouched beauty or the docility of wild insects.

Are we unintentionally misleading our audience? Or worse, encouraging irresponsible behaviors in other photographers?

These are not abstract questions. They touch the very heart of what we do as macro photographers. And while many of us entered this field with an ethos of wonder and reverence, we may find ourselves using methods or adopting habits that deserve a second look.

We’ll be digging deeply into this topic on Thursday’s livestream, and I’ll be sharing how my own thinking has changed over the past year — especially in light of some difficult conversations with friends and colleagues who see things differently.

I won’t offer any definitive answers here — not yet. For now, I invite you to come to Thursday’s Macro Talk Too, prepared not just to listen, but to reflect. Bring your questions. Bring your discomfort. This is an issue that deserves our honesty and our attention.

---

P.S. … What did you do this past weekend? Here is what I did!

Tonight I will be wrapping and packing, addressing labels, and printing invoices. The testing is all done and the first batch of XP3BIOs will be shipping out whenever I can get to the Post Office. An update on the Focus Blocks will be given during tomorrow Livestream!

See you then!

The XP3BIO - Instructions for Assembly and Use

Thank you and congratulations on becoming the owner of my Cross Polarizing Photography Platform for Birefringence Imaging and Observation (XP3BIO). Your model is the new and improved version and your device is number 1 of 10 in this very limited model. You cannot, to the best of my knowledge, purchase one of these viewers anywhere else on the planet!

The viewer fully assembled and ready to use

This version of the platform represents a significant improvement over the first model in several ways. The viewer is smaller and lighter, but with a larger viewing area. It is designed to be used both in the horizontal position. With a new 1/4” 20 TPI mounting point, it can be secured to an articulating arm and positioned in almost any orientation. It is intended for viewing and/or photographing birefringent crystals grown on microscope slides and such slides can be locked into position on the specimen cassette to ensure they do not move or fall from the cassette during use. It contains a powerful light source and two layers of high quality linear polarizing material, along with a built-in diffusion layer and an empty filter cassette for addition of an optional retarder (wave plate), useful for viewing weakly birefringent material. I have included a brand new power supply, matched to the current requirements of the viewer. As an added bonus, I have prepared a sample slide (Acetanilide and ascorbic acid in methyl ethyl ketone) and installed it in the viewing position on the yellow specimen cassette. In the next section I will explain the purpose of each level and provide detailed instructions on how to use the device.

The colors are all wrong but fusion is not letting me change them

The viewer is made up of 4 separate levels, held in place by a cap ring secured with a pair of thumbscrews. The cap ring and levels 2-4 can be removed from the base (level 1) by removing the thumbscrews. Each level can only be mounted in one rotational orientation - do not try to force a level into the assembly without aligning the side pins with the receiving grooves on the  upright extensions from the base.

The cassettes, in levels 2, 3 and 4 are freely rotatable through 360º by inserting the point of  pen or pencil through the groove on the side of each level to engage with the  circular depressions around the cassette perimeter. Each level and the cassette corresponding to that level are color coded and numbered. They should always be mounted onto the base (level 1) in the same order (2-3-4-Cap Ring).

Level 1 - the base layer - really black, not green

Level 1 - the base layer - color black - this layer contains the light source, wiring, 12V power socket and switch. When plugged in to the 12 volt power supply, the device is activated by showing the red switch. The Base Level also contains a cassette that holds a layer of diffusion filter material below and a layer of linear polarizing filter material above. The black cassette in the base is not accessible during use and it is not necessary to rotate this cassette during use. Avoid handling the level 1 cassette to prevent smudging, which could impact the quality of images photographed using this platform. This cassette may be removed to access the light source and wiring within the base layer. Not that the base layer has two vertical posts, with a brass insert at the top of each post. One post has a single square groove on its inward oriented face, while the other has a pair of round grooves on its inward facing surface. These grooves correspond to the vertical ridges visible on the perimeter of levels 2, 3, and 4. These insure proper orientation of the upper levels and prevent rotation off the level housings during rotation of the cassettes. The base level has a cubic prominence into which a brass thread insert has been installed. This allows for mounting of the assembled device on an articulating arm, which may be used to aid in positioning of the device during use. The insert accepts a standard 1/4”, 20TPI screw.

Actually pale blue, this is the 2nd layer, for a wave plate (optional)

Level 2 - the Retarder Level - Color Blue - this level is included for mounting an optional retarding filter or wave plate. The device is shipped without a retarding filter installed in the Level 2 cassette. A circular  retarding filter with a diameter of 100 - 102 mm, may be installed in the cassette and held in place by 2-3 drops of hot glue, or other adhesive. Make sure the glue has dried completely before installing the cassette in the level 2 housing - failure to do so may prevent rotation of the retarder plate during use. During normal use, this level and its cassette may be left empty. The addition of a wave retarder is not required for viewing the majority of common birefringent crystals.

Actually yellow - both the housing and the cassette

Level 3 - the  Specimen Level - Color Yellow - This level is designed to securely hold a glass microscope slide in one of two common sizes - 25mm x 75mm or 50mm x 75mm. The detents for each size slide are oriented perpendicular to each other, so that only a single slide may be mounted at a time.

Note the tiny retaining tabbe for each slide

At each end of the detents are either one or two tiny retaining tabs. To mount a specimen slide, the slide should be inserted beneath the paired tabs and lowered into the detent while gently squeezing the cassette on an axis perpendicular to the long axis of the slide. This will provide just enough clearance for the opposite end of the slide to fall into the detent, after which the lateral pressure is relaxed causing the single tab to engage with the slide, holding it firmly in position and preventing any movement of the slide during positioning or viewing. The slide is removed by gently squeezing the yellow cassette while raising one end of the slide (the end with a single tab) and pulling it forward, out of the slide holder. ***Care is required to avoid slide breakage. This cassette can also be rotated to adjust subject framing and composition.

Meant to be light gray - the second polarizer

Level 4 -  The Analyzer Level - Color Grey - This level is used to house the second polarizer in the system. It is this filter that is rotated to achieve the desired level of cross polarization (the first polarizer is fixed). This cassette is also rotated using the tip of a pen or pencil, inserted into one of the round depressions on the circumference of the  cassette. When the second polarizer is perfectly positioned, perpendicular to the polarizing axis of the first polarizer, all light will be extinguished except for that being refracted by the birefringent material. Note that this is the last layer at the top of the device and that it is prone to damage or the accumulation of dust and other debris. When not in use the device should be stored in a closed box to prevent damage to the polarizing film.

The top ring holds everything together

Level 5 - The Cap Ring - Color Black - this is not a functional level and serves only to secure all the lower  levels within the device, allowing it to be positioned in any orientation without movement of the component parts. The thumb screws must be used to secure the device when in use. I have recently replaced the original screws with much shorter fasteners that allow rapid entry to the stack and access to the slide cassette. There should be no reason to dismantle the levels except to change the subject slide. The slide cassette is easily accessible and can be removed simply by removing the Cap Ring and the Level 4 housing. It is not necessary to remove the Level 3 housing to  change the slide. Removal of the cassette will suffice.

A complex crystal photographed on the XP3BIO

Suggestions for use of the XP3BIO

• Until you have some experience with the equipment, avoid using slides that still have unevaporated solvent present. Some of the solvents used could damage filters or the device itself.

• Use only the provided 12 V power supply to avoid damage to the LED panel.

• Do not over-tighten components attached to the brass insert on the front of the unit.

• Never touch the filters - dirt and debris may lower image quality.

• In some circumstances you may wish to further diffuse the light from the powerful COB light source. To do this cut a circle of 200mm diameter and place it on the shelf holding the Level 1 (base) filter cassette. Remember to remove when no longer needed.

• Do not place anything other than a wave plate/retarding filter into the Level 2 (blue) cassette. A diffuser will lessen the effectiveness of the polarizing layer.

• You may wish to add small rubber bumpers to the base and/or edge facings to prevent slipping.

• Never leave the device turned on  when it is left unattended. I have tested each unit and the COB LED does not produce enough heat to effect the housing or filters. But it is prudent to err on the side of caution.

• The device works better when the cap ring is in place and thumbscrews are secured - without this locking layer it is possible to encounter difficulties when trying to rotate cassettes. Rotating the housing with the cassette may make it more difficult to maintain a particular level of cross polarization.

• To view a specimen, remove both thumbscrews and lif off the cap ring. Carefully pull up on the second polarizer level (Level 4) and remove the housing and the cassette with polarizing filter. Then carefully remove only the slide holder cassette, leaving the housing in place. Gently squeeze the sides of the cassette to release the slide from the retaining tabs. Position one end of the new slide under the double tabs, then squeeze the slide holder on each side of the slide to raise the tab slightly and allow the slide to drop under the single sealing tab. Return the cassette to the yellow Level 3 housing. Replace the Level 4 housing taking care not to touch the polarizing filter and making sure that the ridges on the perimeter of the housing engage with the slots in the upright Level 1 alignment posts. Replace cap ring and tighten the thunbscrews before placing the viewer under your microscope or on your photography platform. Use an articulating arm secured to the viewer at the square mounting post if you wish to use the viewer at an unusual angle. Turn on the viewer’s light with the small toggle switch. Carefully rotate the yellow subject level cassette to the desired orientation for your composition. Then rotate the Level 4 cassette to maximize the polarizing effect. If no wave plate is being used it should be possible to completely extinguish all light except that which is being redirected by the birefringent material on the specimen slide

total extinction of ambient light when polarizing layers are 90º out of phase

In closing, thank you for purchasing this device! I am thrilled that you have sufficient faith in my “maker” skills to part with some of your hard-earned monies to acquire an XP3BIO. If you are happy with the device, please tell your friends, but if you are not, please tell me. I have made many improvements to the original design, but I am perfectly willing to believe that there are many more still to be made. If you think of one, please let me know!

I hope you enjoy using this invention as much as I have and I hope to see many of your crystal images in the future.

Allan

DIY + AI = 0.0 x ZZZs

Greetings from the Bunker!

3 BH2 microscopes

It has been another busy Monday, getting ready for another busy week. But it has already been a very productive one. I am delighted to say that I am very close to finishing up the printing and ready to begin the final assembly of TEN cross polarization platforms. This feels like a very important step as it seems to have taken an age to get through all this printing. Everything has gone quite smoothly and I managed to find the time to write a detailed instruction manual for the crystal viewer. I would expect to have this batch mailed out by the end of the week, after which both my printer and I will be taking a short break before getting started on the next batch. I thought you might be interested in looking over the instruction sheet so I am posting that separately. This sheet would be very helpful to anyone who is planning to print their own viewer.

10 cross polarizers, in the making

To say I underestimated the time and cost of making these things would be a massive understatement - my printer has gone through three spools of filament in a solid week of round the clock printing. The sudden addition of huge import fees (tariff penalties charged directly back to the customer) caused a tripling of my costs for all the parts I order from China - I can’t afford to buy the same parts from a US supplier because they cost over five times as much here. Anyway, it got real expensive, real quick. But I am a man of my word and the folks that ordered this first batch of viewers will have their orders fulfilled  for the price promised.

the end product

You would think that, as the only supplier of self contained cross polarizing birefringence viewing and photography platforms on the planet (that I am aware of), I should be able to make and sell the things to make a little profit. It is testament to my limited business acumen (very limited) that the completion of my first round of sales will leave me squarely in the red - it normally takes me months to get into debt with a business venture! The viewers have turned out very nice, with all the upgrades. If you are on the list to get one, you will not be disappointed.

Former BH2 microscopes - ready to paint

The news for those awaiting completion of their Olympus microscope conversions is even better! There were two major problems hindering the completion of the four machines sitting on my desk. The first was that 3/4 of the focus blocks had badly damaged fine focus drive systems, with bent focus shafts and stripped gears. I had thought this problem was fixed when I ordered some replacement steel tubing (from China) and started printing the tiny gears that needed to be replaced. But the tubes turned out to be  4.0mm in diameter, not the 3.97mm (5/32”) that I needed - I would not have thought that an extra 0.03mm (30 microns) would have been enough to prevent a steel shaft from passing through a 40 year old bushing - but it is.

from China - $7 for 6

I found some tubing of the correct size but its walls were either too thin or two thick to properly tap them for the 3mm screw that secures them into the focus knobs. I broke all my 3mm taps trying. I could not drill out the thicker walled tubes either. None of my small bits could handle the hardened steel of the tubes. Just as I was getting desperate, the last order of Chinese tubes arrived and they were the perfect size. They fit in the bushings and had walls just the right thickness to handle the 3mm taps that arrived from China in the same shipment. So at the last moment I was able to put together 3 fully functional and perfectly straight shaft assemblies.

the culprit

But that was not the biggest issue - the real problem was that I had somehow messed up my measurements when making a drilling template for transferring the hole positions from the motor bracket to the wall of the focus block - the holes were all about 2mm away from where they needed to be for the motor bracket to clear the course focus knobs of the focus block. This was a big deal because the only solution that I could see was to reprint all four motor housings - a huge task that took 23 hours and a spool of filament. And I wasn’t even sure I could redesign the mount with sufficient accuracy to get the mounts aligned perfectly with the holes. Then this morning I had an idea. I don’t know what this is called, if it even has a name, but this printed piece was what I had come up with.

The part on the left saved my bacon!

It fits perfectly over the base of the unmodified cage and holds it in exactly the right position to clear the focus knobs while allowing me to reposition the mounting holes to a new part of the microscope body. And they work perfectly! Of all the cool gadgets I have made with this printer, this mount adapter is by far the most satisfying.

The adapter plate in position

So, with the microscopes dismantled, deep cleaned and fully reconditioned, I can finish the final assembly and get them all tested and ready for shipping in the next few days - I hope. I have learned more from these two projects than I could ever have thought possible. This kind of problem solving is why I love this part of my work so much. You should give it a try! Time to change gears and tell you about this week’s programming…

The coming week is going to be very interesting. I have been thinking a lot about how the exploding field of artificial intelligence is starting to change everything, and I mean everything. Of course, I am most interested in getting myself up to speed on how it might impact me as a photographer. I have found some new applications for this technology that have shocked even me. So I decided it was time to do an AI update for macro photographers - and before you remind me that I did this only a few months ago, I think an update is long overdue. So on Tuesday’s Macro Talk, at 8PM, I am going to let you know about a few developments that could have a hugely positive impact on us as both amateur and professional photographers. I will be introducing you to five new applications for large Language Model-based AIs and showing you how close they are to upsetting “business as usual” in the world of macro. I don’t want to spoil the fun by telling you about these things ahead of time, but make it on Tuesday, if you can. Here is a link to the stream. https://youtube.com/live/i9fl4bbIMxI?feature=share

Following on from that we are going to look a little closer into how a relatively new kind of application that uses existing technologies to create AI Assistants, could make us better photographers. It is going to be a contentious discussion, I suspect, but there is a lot to talk about and getting the questions asked is a good start. Here is your link to Macro Talk Too, Thursday at 2PM. https://youtube.com/live/o6Vur5r1zZM?feature=share

Holding to our theme for the week, I will be bringing another controversial topic to the AfterStack conversation on Saturday morning at 10AM. I will propose an entirely new approach to photographic post-production and, by extension, photographic training, This is going to be charged discussion but one that we are going to have to have sooner or later - what comes next. We already rely quite heavily on AI to help us edit our images. So what else is right around the corner, or in some cases, right here, right now? Sure to ruffle a few feathers, this discussion needs to be had and on Saturday we do just that! Here is your invitation…

Allan Walls is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: AfterStack with Bud Perrott and Allan Walls - Episode 23

Time: May 17, 2025 10:00 AM Central Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6916802815?pwd=TS9tZi9ZL1NXeVUvOUF4eTg5YjdlZz09&omn=85292399173

Meeting ID: 691 680 2815

Passcode: 678122

So with a lot of controversy on the horizon, let’s get into it tonight and see what has changed with machine intelligence since we last talked.

I hope you enjoyed last week’s Stereo conversation and learned enough to try your hand, wowing our celebrity judge with your stereo images! I can’t wait to see what you all come up with!

Please try to make it tonight and let’s get this week of AI off to a good start!

And don’t forget to check out the instruction piece for the new crystal viewer - it is the next post after this.

One of my favorite crystals - top secret recipe

All the best,

Allan

Celebrating Stereo

You will need stereo viewing glasses for this one

There is much that makes the practice of macro photography unique. The very existence of this channel is testament to that fact. Specialized equipment, fascinating subjects, and technical challenges notwithstanding there is nothing that speaks to the magic of macro more eloquently than the sub-genre of stereo imaging.

Glasses here too - a synthetic stereo pair - portulaca seeds

Of course, stereo photography is not the exclusive domain of the macro enthusiast - many other clever applications for stereo imaging can be found in most photographic disciplines - but it has reached a level of sophistication in the photography of small subjects that you might be hard-pressed to find elsewhere. Why is this?

Much of what we photograph is, to photographers as well as to the consumers of their art, unusual and often only poorly understood. I encounter new structural and functional features in the insect species that I photograph on an almost daily basis, and it is often difficult, or even impossible, to  decipher the three-dimensional anatomical relationships of these parts on the basis of two dimensional images alone. This is undoubtably the most immediate and powerful benefit of stereo imaging, offering a plausible explanation for the value and utility of the observed macro/stereo relationship. But it is not the only one.

even some crystals look amazing in stereo

As many macro subjects are too small to fully appreciate with the unaided eye alone, the complex majesty of these creatures tends to be relatively inaccessible to the majority of potential admirers. The beauty in the wing of a Madagascan day-flying moth, for example, can only be suggested by an examination of the entire structure. It requires a moderately high magnification, focus-stacked image to really grasp the stunning beauty of the individual scales or the mesmerizing patterns of tiled scales spreading out across the wings. But even this imagery, produced with care and patience by a talented and experienced macro photographer, could do little to shed much light on the true shape of a wasp’s hamuli, the nature of the cleft splitting a soldier fly larva’s head segment, or the attachment mechanism of a fruit fly’s foot. To fully grasp the breathtaking beauty of an insect, it must be examined where form and function intersect, a place that is often inaccessible without the tools of stereo photography and the skill to use them.

Yikes!

Stereo photography at the macro level is a tool that is therefore as relevant and necessary for the macro photographer who’s images are used to delight and inspire, as they are to the macro photographer who is motivated to put his images to work in the service of curiosity and scientific inquiry. however you may be attracted to the fascinating work of macro photography, you owe it to yourself to develop a level of competence  in the capture and processing of stereo images. You will be glad you did!

my pet dragonfly

It is partly because of my confidence in the value of stereo photography that I arrange for our macro photography contest to test your skill and knowledge in this discipline every year or two. It is because of his tireless commitment to improving your understanding of stereo photography that I invite Mr. Rik Littlefield to judge the resulting images and share his wisdom by discussing the entries following the contest. And, I am delighted to say, he has once again agreed to do so for our May 2025 competition!

Get it?

As the channel has done in the past, I will use this first week of the competition month to turn attention to the theory and practice of stereo photography at the macro level, in the hopes that this will encourage you to enter the contest and share your stereo images with your fellow macro enthusiasts. To this end I am planning to use both of this week’s live events to promote the contest while also providing you will interesting and practical information on this topic, starting with Tuesday’s Macro Talk.

Your link to the stream - https://youtube.com/live/zkUDa8NbjjA?feature=share

Macro Talk, starting at 8PM on Tuesday evening, will be dedicated to a discussion of the origins and history of stereo imaging, as seen through the lens of macro photography. I will introduce you to the people and events that shaped the emergence of stereo imaging as we see it today, while also providing some useful background on the neuroscience governing the human perception of depth information. This promises to be an informative and entertaining hour and I hope you can make plans to join me on Tuesday evening as we lay the groundwork for the second live event of the week.

Your link - https://youtube.com/live/-tXTOdjvWwk?feature=share

On Thursday at 2PM, Macro Talk Too will focus entirely on the process of capturing and processing stereo images of macro and closeup subjects. Unlike similar content produced in the past, this session will offer some very practical pointers on how to create competitive stereo images using one of a number of different techniques. With the information presented in this stream I would expect to leave each of you with everything you should need to submit a competition entry (or two) good enough to secure stereo bragging rights for the year to come!

But if that is not enough of an advantage to satisfy your need to prevail in the May competition, please make plans to join me for a special edition of Pzoom on Saturday May 10th at 10AM and running until noon, during which I will be conducting a stereo workshop, exclusively for my Patreon supporters. This workshop will provide attendees with the opportunity to ask as many questions as they wish, get feedback on the photographic platform and equipment they intend to use, and share ideas with the other Patreon attendees. If this sounds like something you would like to attend but cannot because you are not a member of my Patreon group, there is an easy remedy - simply drop by Patreon  (https://www.patreon.com/allanwallsphotography) and sign up as a supporter before Saturday. I will be forever in your debt!

AfterStack #22 happened this last Saturday and the resulting recording will be posted in the next day!

It was a lot of fun and there was much to take home!

I have been working non-stop to complete all the orders that have come in for microscope conversion focus steppers - the hold-up is getting the stepper motors from China - I have been waiting for weeks. I am also waiting on a shipment of steel tubes from China to finish the repairs on three of the focus blocks that arrived damaged.

I finally got the massive print job for the crystal cross polarizing viewers started - I have 124 individual pieces to be printed for the first batch, have completed 12 pieces and have no filament remaining - more is on the way. If you are waiting on a crystal viewer, thank you for your patience and understanding - I am the only person working in this factory and I already have a full time job. The good news is that I have all the parts I need and the assembly should not take too long after the printing is done.

I hope you can make it to Tuesday’s stream and I look forward to seeing you  there!

All the best!

Allan

The Macro Book Club

Happy Monday everyone!

Hydroxyquinone, Vitamin C and acetanalide in Alcohol

It really feels like Monday today. It has been a very busy weekend, but I have quite a lot to show for it. Most of my time, since Thursday’s stream have been taken up by microscope cleaning and book reading. The microscopes needed to be taken apart and cleaned because they are bing morphed into precision focus rails and dirt or old grease will not help with the precision. These builds are already past due and have been held up waiting on parts to arrive. I think I have everything now, but it might be the last time that I do. My Chinese parts supplier has raised the price of parts by 250% or more, on almost everything. Unfortunately, US based outlets have followed suit and components that I was getting for less than $2 each a week ago are now $16-18 a piece. I am unsure how this is going to  sort itself out in the long term, but for right now I will have to make some tough decisions about whether or not I can afford to do too much more of this work.

The guts of three Olympus BH2 Scopes - clean for the first time in 30 years

The book reading was to prepare for this week’s first Livestream, Macro Talk, at 8PM on Tuesday - this week I am going to review a few of my favorite macro books in our first episode of the Macro Book Club - most of these are relatively new, but not all.

During the livestream I will give you an overview of the book’s contents, discuss its strengths and weaknesses, tell you why I like it (or chose it), and either recommend it, or not. It is my hope that this will become more like a real book club in the not too distant future - where you will be able to upload your own review of a book to  my app, and have it presented at an upcoming Book Club episode - stay tuned for more! Here is your link to the show - https://youtube.com/live/Z-m15fuF_JU?feature=share

The books I will be reviewing this week are as follows:

1. Dragonflies of North America by Ed Lam - https://amzn.to/4jMXZn6

2. Tiger Beetles of the Southeastern United States, by Giff Beaton, R. Stephen Krotzer, and Brian D. Holt - https://amzn.to/4lPw8o8

3. Beyond Extreme Closeup Photography - by Julian Cremona - https://amzn.to/4iAXQly

4. Free-Living Freshwater Protozoa, by D. J. Patterson and Stuart Hedley - https://amzn.to/4jY5vvI

There may another one or two, depending on how long the first four take - we shall see.

Next up, on Thursday, May 1, at 2PM, we will be going over the submissions to the April Competition, and announcing the winners. The topic this month was Food/Drink, a category that has always generated some really lovely images. This one will be no exception! I hope to have tricked someone into being a guest judge by then, but as usual I may have left it a little too late. It will be fun, regardless! Here is your link -  https://youtube.com/live/I39IuV8gZqU?feature=share

On Saturday we have AfterStack 23 - and I am embarrassed to say I don’t actually know what Bud is bringing this week - and we just talked on the phone earlier today - I had forgotten how bad my memory is ((pun intended). You will an invitation to get into the event but it is free and it is fun -

Allan Walls is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: AfterStack22

Time: May 3, 2025 10:00 AM Central Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6916802815?pwd=TS9tZi9ZL1NXeVUvOUF4eTg5YjdlZz09&omn=85116207322

Meeting ID: 691 680 2815

Passcode: 678122

This morning’s gadget - hats off to TXCromer for the inspiration

This morning I was inspired to design and print a couple of double layer diffusion platforms for small insects. The inspiration came from TXCromer, who had come up with a similar design some months ago.

The Cromer/Walls diffuser

A friend had asked me to print one of Mr. Comer’s diffusers, and after examining the drawings I  thought of a few changes that would make the device a little more applicable to my style of studio macro.

The concept was largely the same, but a few changes were going to be required to move some of the supports down and out of the way of the incoming photons, especially when the light was coming from below. Mr. Cromer’s Intractable article is really excellent and well worth a look - it can be found here - https://www.instructables.com/Starship-Light-Tunnel-Diffuser/

Cool supports holding up the diffuser frame

Here is an early prototype (early this morning, that is) - though I have made three other versions over the course of the day - I am pretty happy with the final piece and will post the G-Code over on my app, in case you want to make one - just be aware they take forever to print and must include a lot of supports.

slowly getting there

A little housekeeping - I was hoping to have got a head start on the video projects I am planning, but my manufacturing side-hustle has kept me a little on the busy side this last couple of week. I will get to them eventually! By the way, I will be closing the sign-up period for cross-polarizer platforms and microscope focus blocks - so if you want to get on the waiting list for either, now is the time to do so. Sign up by sending me a message over on the Walls App!

In closing, this is how I remain partially sane when locked in the bunker - anyone fancy a game?

Weevil time!

Macro Jeopardy is HERE!

An exciting week of photography and foolishness starts today.

one reason i don’t live in the mekong delta

Some real treats to look forward to in the coming 6 day! Starting with Macro Talk on Tuesday at 8PM where the discussion is going to be all about enlarger lenses.

These seem to be among the least well understood lenses in our regular arsenal so I think spending a little time talking about the many misunderstandings surrounding these little treasures might be time well spent. The things I want to clear up include:

• What is an enlarger lens

• Why do we use them in Macro,

• Reverse, Extend, or both?

• The limits

• Aperture, focal length & diffraction

• Stacking enlarger lenses - Whaaat!?

• Setups that work & setups that don’t

• When to reach for an objective

This isn’t everything, but these are the high points. I may be able to include a little demo using some of the enlarger lenses I have been evaluating lately. Come to this livestream and I promise you will leave with a solid working understanding of how to get the very most out of these treasured lenses. Here is a link to the livestream, at 8PM Tuesday!

https://youtube.com/live/RJJsWfgXW4E?feature=share

Four stripped focus blocks ready for stripping, PaiNting and reassembly

I spent the entire weekend cleaning microscope parts, dismantling focus blocks, 3D printing parts, and inventing new tools for the workshop. It was a lot of fun but I woke up exhausted and ready for a break on Monday (today) If I have time I want to show you around the workshop, so that you can see what all goes on in the studio when I am in full-conveyor belt mode. Though it might need to wait for the Pzoom, as I have a special treat for you on Thursday! Macro Talk Too this week features the very first installment of the new MACRO JEOPARDY - the world’s most exciting internet macro photography game show (strictly my own, heavily biased opinion)!

As a teaser, here is a screen shot of the game board for this real time contest of wits! I have spent several hours putting together what I think are an excellent selection of macro-related questions.

If it is a success I will see if there is a way for us to do this with real contestants, using zoom - I am thinking about finding a sponsor or two and putting up some nice prizes. I might even draw the names of contestants from the competition entries. This week is just a trial balloon to see if folks are interested in having a little cerebral fun at the end of a long week. If you want to join in the fun, your link too the stream is right here -

https://youtube.com/live/A55-hCkZhrw?feature=share

Of course, it is not the end of my week as there are a couple of interesting events lined up for Saturday - starting air 10AM with a 2-hour Pzoom - a face to face Zoom meeting with  my Patreon Supporters. As always we will have a lot to talk about, including a special segment on how to dismantle, inspect, clean and rebuild a modern microscope. The rest of our time will focus on viewer updates, Q&A, introductions, and a lot of macro-equipment chit chat. Always great fun and an awesome opportunity for us to learn a bit more from one another.

Right after the Pzoom we have this month’s Tangent Show with Larry and me - talking about Fusion 360, modeling, and 3D printing. I am hoping to get some help with a really complicated job that is making me think I may have bitten off more than I can chew. I am making a camera, a real digital camera, and it is proving a lot more difficult that I thought it would be. So, depending on what Larry has lined up for us, I may be trying to get a little nudge in the right direction on this project. This is all happening at 12:30pm this Saturday, April 26th, with the recording released on YouTube early next week.

My sweatshop - only without the sweating

I did come up with a very handy gadget for making sure my motor drive assemblies will fit on a microscope focus block after all the holes are drilled - a ver irritating problem when they do not.

It looks deceptively simple, but these things are designed to clip onto a stripped focus block and stay there until all four holes have been marked. This works extremely well and saves a tremendous amount of time.

Here is a drawing of the gadget, as yet unnamed, and a picture of it doing its thing on a BH2 Olympus focus block being readied for a coat of paint.

A couple of you have asked to see my new bandsaw - well here it is!

It is not nearly as easy to use as it looks. In fact, by the time I have cleaned up all the cut lines, I don’t think it will have saved me much time, if any. The saw was not too expensive and it will definitely be put to good use in the future.

A Happy looking weevil

I have not been taking nearly enough pictures of late, but hope to turn that around soon, as the weather continues to improve - stay tuned!

another partially braided acetanilide and ascorbic acid crystal complex

Hope you can make it to the Jeopardy on Thursday! It is going to be a hoot!

Later, Allan