5) provides any number of motor steps at the press of a button. Tis number can be changed any time. After some experimentation I decided on 20 steps per image using the 20x lens. Tat comes out to 30 μm or 0.03 mm per step. I use 10 steps per image for the 35x lens. Te number of images needed before
stacking varies with the size of the subject. Fifty to 150 images per stack are not unusual. Several hundred images per stack is not rare. If this seems extreme, review the title of this article. Te payoff for your diligence is a level of sharpness, detail, and nearly infinite depth of field unavailable by other methods.
Lighting Tere is a ton of advice online
regarding how to light your subject for best results. So far, my efforts involve lots of trials and errors. I dare not give much advice here because I need to learn much more. I can put forth a few generally accepted platitudes. First, you need lots of light.
Some masters of the art use flash, others continuous light. I use bright continuous light just to keep things simple. Second, the light needs to be well diffused to avoid hot spots and specular highlights. Tird, your lighting arrangement should be flexible so it can be optimized for different subjects. Fourth, work in the dark. My only real advice is to read the experts, try a lot of things, and see for yourself.
Operating the Extreme Macro Rig After all the equipment development,
taking pictures is pretty simple. First, choose a sample that holds your interest. Best if it is not too dirty. Te entomology guys clean their bugs before a shoot with some very serious chemicals. I suspect these substances would eat mushrooms and molds, so I confine my efforts to careful selection of subject and possibly a puff of air to dislodge some dirt. Next, mount the sample, keeping in mind what angle you want to show the camera. Tird, find the subject by moving the sample holder and lab lift until some part of the sample is in focus. Fourth, use the lab lift as a coarse focus mechanism to find and frame your image. Fifth, adjust the focus with the sample holder or lab lift so the closest
Summer 2026 FUNGI Volume 19:2 39
part of the sample is clear and sharp. Sixth, adjust the lighting to pop out the details you need. Finally, you are ready to start capturing your image stack. Te three-step procedure is as follows: Snap a photo using the remote shutter release. Press the sled advance button. Look at the image on the monitor. “Rinse and repeat” until the in-focus area sweeps across the whole frame (Figure 6).
Conclusions I am getting useful, publication-ready
images—that does not make me an expert. Most of what I did was adapted from watching YouTube videos from Allan Walls Photography. He is a master of the art and an engaging teacher. I
also highly recommend a terrific book by Lester Lefkowitz called Close-Up and Macro Photography, Volume 2. Both these guys go beyond utilitarian considerations into art.
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