Myxomycete Hunting

Welcome to the fall of 2025!

Slime mold fruiting bodies

That sounded a little more ominous than my welcoming you to the transition from a scorching Summer to a crisp Autumn was intended to. Over the last few days, while worrying about the disturbing news coming from, it seems, everywhere, my anxiety was interrupted by two delightful surprises that reminded me that I have a job to do. The unexpected events were an introduction to a new photographer and the onset of several days of moderately heavy rainfall. The photographer is a chap named Kutub Uddin - from Bangladesh - and his work was brought to my attention by our own macro Master, Graham Carey. Kutub was previously unknown to me, but that is my fault, not his. If I had paid attention to the prestigious Natural History Museum (UK) Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition, I would have seen his work much sooner.

Home grown myxos

Kutub and I have not yet spoken but I have contacted him and expect to meet with him sometime in the next few days. I have reached out to him to see if he would be interested in coming onto the channel for a conversation about his rather lovely fungus and slime mold work. His images may well remind you of the award winning fungus photography of Australia’s Steve Axford, or the groundbreaking slime mold artistry of California’s Alison Pollack - but you be the judge. His work can be found on the Natural History Museum’s website (https://www.nhm.ac.uk/wpy/gallery/2025-slime-family-portrait?tags=ed.current) or on his own website (https://www.kutubuddin.photography/home).

It is the springtails that photobombed my picture that make it interesting

Apropos of nothing, but interesting nonetheless, Kutub lives just around the corner from my childhood home in the South of England. In fact, the woodlands that he frequents in search of the remarkable species that he showcases on his website are but a ten minute drive from my hometown, in the heart of the rolling chalk hills known as the South Downs. It really is a small world!

more myxos from my terrarium

What does rain have to do with any of this, you ask? Well, this corner of Middle Earth has been as dry as a bone all summer long, with very little precipitation since the merciful end of Winter (though there is another one planned for later this year - shudder!). I have been led to believe that this is precisely the circumstance under which dormant plasmodial slime molds will perk up and slither off in search of nutrition. It is also forecast that we will see a significant drop in temperature within a couple days of the rain ending and that this may be just the ticket for getting the piles of crawling dog’s vomit to rethink their plans and instead turn into fruiting bodies. Whether or not any of this is actually true is still open to debate, but the promise of a window of prime slime mold conditions is just too exciting to ignore.

We seem to have just two species around here…

Then it occurred to me that here was a rare opportunity to push the envelope and try something that no person in their right mind would even consider - A live-streamed slime mold hunt in the woods of Central Illinois. And this is exactly what I am going to try to do this Thursday during Macro Talk Too, at 2PM Central Time. We are going to take a walk in the woods and find some fruiting bodies to photograph. While we are turning over logs and digging through damp leaf litter, I will talk about how best to photograph these minute structures, in the field and in the studio. I will show you how I harvest and transport these delicate structures back to my studio. I will also demonstrate my own lighting preferences for use  in high magnification field macro photography. What could possibly go wrong? Here is the link… https://youtube.com/live/q--joWJedk4?feature=share

So what about Macro Talk on Tuesday at 8PM? I thought that this would be a perfect opportunity to  share with you my experiences using the Platypod camera platform, as well as the Laowa 90mm f/2.8 super macro lens, and a selection of exciting new macro field lights from Small Rig. This will be a multi-product pre-review that will set the stage for actually using this equipment during our field trip on Thursday. Time permitting I will also be doing a  book review and introducing you to my 3D printed, high-magnification, LED-illuminated, quantum-inspired, anti-gravity capable slime mold locator and identification aid. If not, you will get to see it in action on Thursday. Here is your link to the Tuesday livestream - https://youtube.com/live/bPSY-vAayH4?feature=share

Saturday is Pzoom day for my Patreon Supporters and we are going to continue the theme of slime mold imaging by taking a close look at my setup for studio for photographing the specimens we brought back from the field on Thursday. Of core, we will stick to our usual programming during the first hour, so if you have images to share, or an introduction to make, or an update to report on, plan on doing so in the first hour. That is at 10AM on Saturday, 10.25.25 and your invitation is posted over on Patreon.

If you are not a member of my Patreon Supporters group, but would like to be a pert of keeping this channel alive and kicking, please visit my Patreon page at https://www.patreon.com/allanwallsphotography and see how much richer your life can become by giving me some money!

After Pzoom, at 12:30 on Saturday (still 10.25.25) we have another episode of Tangent! This is a forum for anyone interested in 3D design and modeling for macro photographers. We talk about all kinds of “maker-related” stuff, but the focus is usually going to be on improving our Fusion 360 CAD/CAM skills. It is hosted by Larry  and myself and it is free for anyone who wishes to attend. This week we will handle any followup from last month’s discussion around parametric design workflow before diving into this week’s topic - more information coming soon. This your invitation to the party - Allan Walls is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Allan Walls’ Tangent, with Larry Strunk

Time: Oct 25, 2025 12:30 PM Central Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6916802815?pwd=TS9tZi9ZL1NXeVUvOUF4eTg5YjdlZz09&omn=81806013439

Meeting ID: 691 680 2815

Passcode: 678122

Join instructions

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Fruiting bodies disgorging their spores

That is all I have for today. Hope to see you sometime this week!

Allan

Microscopes in Macro Photography

Greetings everyone!

Just a brief post today. I have decided to spend this week clearing up an accumulated backlog of questions related to the microscope as a tool in macro photography. It is a fascinating topic and there is much to discuss. We will start with Tuesday’s Livestream, Macro Talk at 8pm, with an overview of the various types of microscope, after which our discussion will focus on the compound microscope. I will explain the parts of the microscope and give an overview of what each subsystem does. I will share what I have learned about finding and purchasing the right tool of your particular needs, based on the features you need and those that you probably don’t. I will wrap up Tuesday’s stream with a practical guide to setting up your new microscope for photography. Here is your link to the stream. https://youtube.com/live/_c1O0jC0Ylk?feature=share

On Thursday we will pick up where we left off with a more detailed look at how to use a compound microscope as a tool for macro photography. I will talk about the various types of light microscopy and explain how each may be useful to a macro photographer. I will also cover the most common microscope mistakes and explain how to correct them using a simple troubleshooting checklist. The stream can be found here… https://youtube.com/live/8JqvfhmvRrg?feature=share

I hope that by the end of this two-part presentation you will be able to find and select the right microscope for your needs,  set it up quickly and correctly, use it efficiently and effectively, and correct any problems you encounter along the way. Throughout the discussion I will show examples of how the microscope can be an almost essential part of any extreme macro photographer’s arsenal.

This Saturday we have another AfterStack with Bud Perrott and myself. It is episode #33 and in it we will be discussing Photoshop’s “Actions” and how to make and use actions to speed up your editing workflow. The previous episode, #32, will be released on YouTube later today and you can use this link to access the recording… https://youtu.be/9sJ_udpWFeE

Here is your invitation to this fascinating and free event - Allan Walls is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Allan Walls’ AfterStack #33, with Bud Perrott

Time: Oct 18, 2025 10:00 AM Central Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6916802815?pwd=TS9tZi9ZL1NXeVUvOUF4eTg5YjdlZz09&omn=82240419283

Meeting ID: 691 680 2815

Passcode: 678122

Join instructions

https://us02web.zoom.us/meetings/82240419283/invitations?signature=AaS8Rzfc3hXbrFOtO63jGuKkOtepDc_HIG3Re1rNBlk

For those of you who attended the last AfterStack, Bud Perrott had promised to share with you a copy of his “Watercolor Conversion” Photoshop action and you can get your copy, ready to load into photoshop, by following this link to the AfterStack Google Drive folder - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1JFSiKcTWqBqzlm81mh1lizAswez0L1BJ/view?usp=sharing

This link is set up so that you can download the link directly from the file. If you have any problems, let me know.

strange crystals

I will leave it here for today and close with a request - if you have any topics of interest you would like me to cover in upcoming livestream, please let me know by messaging me through the Walls App (www.walls-app.com) or leaving me a note in a livestream chat. I always look forward to getting your recommendations and requests!

Allan

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