Technical Photography – Photo Rumblings and Whispers

Experience

I have long-time experience in every day photography and in specialised techniques. I have been actively taking photographs since I was nine years old. As a university undergrad I started using photography as a tool for my research and scientific endeavours to this day while remaining also a serious hobby.

“Small” subjects: Macro photography of plants, insects, and electronic circuits and components have been the most frequent subjects. I use both single-image- and multi-image techniques.
“Narrow” and far-away subjects: Use of telephoto lenses for bird photography in the natural environment, and occasionally plants and plant parts. In combination with close-focusing, photography of insects in the wild.
“Normal” subjects: Use of normal, noderate telephoto and moderate wide angle lenses for landscapes, cityscapes, various types instrumentation, research facilities, individual and groups of plants under study, etc.
“Wide” subjects: Use rectilinear and circular (fish-eye) wide angle lenses for open landscapes as well as characterization of vegetation structure and its influece on understorey illumination.
Near-infrared (NIR): Using a full-spectrum-modified camera together with long-pass optical filters I have photographed both reflected light and fluorescence excited by light at shorter wavelengths. It can be used for all the different types of subjects described above.
Ultraviolet-A1 (UV-A1): Using a full-spectrum-modified camera together with short- and band-pass optical filters I have photographed both reflected UV radiation, plants, lichens, mushrooms and lansdcapes. The types of subjects are constrained by the need to use special lenses. I have used this approach only for small and normal subjects.
Autofluorescence: This is photography of longer-wavelength light emitted by subjects when illuminated by light or UV-radiation of shorter wavelengths. As intensity of the emitted fluorescence is much weaker than that of the light used for excitation, very good filters are needed to discriminate between them. It is also necessary to use strong illumination as excitation. This limits the use of this technique to subjects not more than a few meters from the camera under artificial illumination. In the field it can be used only in the dark of the night.
Multi-image methods: The cameras I use have built-in support for focus stacking, sensor-shift high resolution, and image-averaging. The merging of these images can take place in-camera or in post-processing. In the case of multi-image panoramas that extend the field of view, I rely on alignment and merging during post processing while in the case of sensor-shift high-resolution images, I always rely on in-camera merging into high resolution RAW files.
Digitizing: Camera-based digitising of colour and black-and-white film negatives and of colour slides. In the past I have also flat bed scanners to digitise film.

Equipment

I use professional micro four thirds cameras from Olympus/OM-System. They are highly versatile and designed to tolerate field use under harsh conditions, including heavy rain and low and high ambient temperatures. The relatively small sensor is more than good enough for most use-cases except printing at huge sizes. As some other modern cameras they can be remotely controlled and triggered with computers, tablets or phones.

Digital cameras: two OM-1 and one EM-1 Mk II.
Lenses are listed by type. The lenses in mounts other than MFT are used together with adapters.
- Macro lenses (magnification range): MFT 30 mm f:3.5 Macro ($\leq \times 1.5$, UV-A1?), MFT 60 mm f:2.8 Macro ($\leq \times 1$), MFT 90 mm f:3.5 Macro ($\leq \times 4$), Classic OM 50 mm f:3.5 Macro ($\leq \times 1$, UV-A1?) and Classic OM 30 mm f:3.5 for ($\ \times 2\ \rm{to} \times 5$, UV-A1?).
- Tele lenses: MFT Sigma 60 mm f:2.8, MFT 40-150 mm f:2.8, MFT 300 mm f:4, MFT tele-converters $\times 1.4$ and $\times 2$. Classic OM 100 mm f:2.8.
- Normal lenses: MFT 12-40 mm f:2.8, MFT 17 mm f:1.8, MFT Sigma 19 mm f:2.8 (UV-A1?), MFT 25 mm f:1.2, MFT Sigma f:1.4, MFT Sigma 30 mm f:2.8 (UV-A1), MFT 45 mm f:1.8. Nikkor AI 24 mm f:2.8 (UV-A1). OM Classic 28 mm, f:3.5, OM Classic 35 mm f:2.8. SOligor 35 mm f:3.5 (UV-A1).
- Wide lenses: MFT 8-25 mm f:4.
- Lens adapters: Adapters for using old and special lenses of other brands with MFT cameras, including one with a filter drawer and one “speed booster” focal length reducer. Macro extension tubes, automatic for MFT, and manual for OM and M42. Focusing helicoids for macro photography.
Lens filters are listed by type.
- UV- and IR-cut “band-pass”:
- Short pass: absorptive filter stacks and interference filters in two different diameters. Suitable for UV-A photography in sunlight and electronic flash illumination.
- Long-pass: Multiple filters with cut-off wavelengths from 360 nm to 850 nm. As many absorptive glass filters fluoresce these filters can be combined to with interference and other non-fluorescent filters.
Illumination:
- Flash: Olympus FL-36 (VIS), Godox AD200 with interchangeable head, One head custom modified to attach glass filters to contrain the range of wavelengths to UV, VIS or NIR (UV-B, UV-A, VIS, NIR). Battery operated and suitable for field use.
- Commercial LED lamps: Special portable small LED panels with very high colour reproduction index (CRI) specification, with adjustable colour temperature and dimming. Flashlights emitting pure UV-A, Blue and NIR radiation suitable for field use. LED ring lamp for macro photography.
- Custom LED sources and drivers: I have a large collection of power LEDs and the equipment to drive them.
Camera and flash control:
- Tethering: OM Capture (computer, USB, Wifi), OI.Share (Phone, Bluetooth, Wifi).
- Triggers: wireless and wired camera and flash triggers. In addition to cameras’ built-in modes for timed and time lapse photography, separate timers and triggers responsive to IR beam interruption and sound.
Supports: I have standardised all support systems I use for photography on the use of Arca compatible rails, plates, clamps, etc.
- Travel and medium weight carbon fibre tripods with articulated central column. “Platypod” style tripods. Ball heads and Z-heads.
- Copy stand for macro-photography and for digitizing film.
- Different types of clamps and “magic arms”.
- Valoi 360 film holders for film sizes 120, 135, 127 and 110, plus 35 mm slide holder.
Software:
- RAW file conversion and editing: Capture One Pro, DxO PureRaw, RawDigger, Affinity, OM Workspace.
- Multi-image merging: Helicon Focus, Capture One Pro, OM Workspace, cameras.
- Colour profile generation: Lumariver Profile Designer.

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--- title: "Technical Photography" author: "Pedro J. Aphalo \"Photo Spectrum Services\"" date: "2026-06-07" date-modified: "2026-06-07" toc: true categories: [services] keywords: [consulting, training, design] format: html: code-fold: true code-tools: true image: images/nir-landscape.jpg license: "CC BY-SA" editor: markdown: wrap: 72 --- ## Experience I have long-time experience in every day photography and in specialised techniques. I have been actively taking photographs since I was nine years old. As a university undergrad I started using photography as a tool for my research and scientific endeavours to this day while remaining also a serious hobby. - "Small" subjects: Macro photography of plants, insects, and electronic circuits and components have been the most frequent subjects. I use both single-image- and multi-image techniques. - "Narrow" and far-away subjects: Use of telephoto lenses for bird photography in the natural environment, and occasionally plants and plant parts. In combination with close-focusing, photography of insects in the wild. - "Normal" subjects: Use of normal, noderate telephoto and moderate wide angle lenses for landscapes, cityscapes, various types instrumentation, research facilities, individual and groups of plants under study, etc. - "Wide" subjects: Use rectilinear and circular (fish-eye) wide angle lenses for open landscapes as well as characterization of vegetation structure and its influece on understorey illumination. - Near-infrared (NIR): Using a full-spectrum-modified camera together with long-pass optical filters I have photographed both reflected light and fluorescence excited by light at shorter wavelengths. It can be used for all the different types of subjects described above. - Ultraviolet-A1 (UV-A1): Using a full-spectrum-modified camera together with short- and band-pass optical filters I have photographed both reflected UV radiation, plants, lichens, mushrooms and lansdcapes. The types of subjects are constrained by the need to use special lenses. I have used this approach only for small and normal subjects. - Autofluorescence: This is photography of longer-wavelength light emitted by subjects when illuminated by light or UV-radiation of shorter wavelengths. As intensity of the emitted fluorescence is much weaker than that of the light used for excitation, very good filters are needed to discriminate between them. It is also necessary to use strong illumination as excitation. This limits the use of this technique to subjects not more than a few meters from the camera under artificial illumination. In the field it can be used only in the dark of the night. - Multi-image methods: The cameras I use have built-in support for focus stacking, sensor-shift high resolution, and image-averaging. The merging of these images can take place in-camera or in post-processing. In the case of multi-image panoramas that extend the field of view, I rely on alignment and merging during post processing while in the case of sensor-shift high-resolution images, I always rely on in-camera merging into high resolution RAW files. - Digitizing: Camera-based digitising of colour and black-and-white film negatives and of colour slides. In the past I have also flat bed scanners to digitise film. ## Equipment I use professional micro four thirds cameras from Olympus/OM-System. They are highly versatile and designed to tolerate field use under harsh conditions, including heavy rain and low and high ambient temperatures. The relatively small sensor is more than good enough for most use-cases except printing at huge sizes. As some other modern cameras they can be remotely controlled and triggered with computers, tablets or phones. - Digital cameras: two OM-1 and one EM-1 Mk II. - Lenses are listed by type. The lenses in mounts other than MFT are used together with adapters. - Macro lenses (magnification range): MFT 30 mm f:3.5 Macro ($\leq \times 1.5$, UV-A1?), MFT 60 mm f:2.8 Macro ($\leq \times 1$), MFT 90 mm f:3.5 Macro ($\leq \times 4$), Classic OM 50 mm f:3.5 Macro ($\leq \times 1$, UV-A1?) and Classic OM 30 mm f:3.5 for ($\ \times 2\ \rm{to} \times 5$, UV-A1?). - Tele lenses: MFT Sigma 60 mm f:2.8, MFT 40-150 mm f:2.8, MFT 300 mm f:4, MFT tele-converters $\times 1.4$ and $\times 2$. Classic OM 100 mm f:2.8. - Normal lenses: MFT 12-40 mm f:2.8, MFT 17 mm f:1.8, MFT Sigma 19 mm f:2.8 (UV-A1?), MFT 25 mm f:1.2, MFT Sigma f:1.4, MFT Sigma 30 mm f:2.8 (UV-A1), MFT 45 mm f:1.8. Nikkor AI 24 mm f:2.8 (UV-A1). OM Classic 28 mm, f:3.5, OM Classic 35 mm f:2.8. SOligor 35 mm f:3.5 (UV-A1). - Wide lenses: MFT 8-25 mm f:4. - Lens adapters: Adapters for using old and special lenses of other brands with MFT cameras, including one with a filter drawer and one "speed booster" focal length reducer. Macro extension tubes, automatic for MFT, and manual for OM and M42. Focusing helicoids for macro photography. - Lens filters are listed by type. - UV- and IR-cut "band-pass": - Short pass: absorptive filter stacks and interference filters in two different diameters. Suitable for UV-A photography in sunlight and electronic flash illumination. - Long-pass: Multiple filters with cut-off wavelengths from 360 nm to 850 nm. As many absorptive glass filters fluoresce these filters can be combined to with interference and other non-fluorescent filters. - Illumination: - Flash: Olympus FL-36 (VIS), Godox AD200 with interchangeable head, One head custom modified to attach glass filters to contrain the range of wavelengths to UV, VIS or NIR (UV-B, UV-A, VIS, NIR). Battery operated and suitable for field use. - Commercial LED lamps: Special portable small LED panels with very high colour reproduction index (CRI) specification, with adjustable colour temperature and dimming. Flashlights emitting pure UV-A, Blue and NIR radiation suitable for field use. LED ring lamp for macro photography. - Custom LED sources and drivers: I have a large collection of power LEDs and the equipment to drive them. - Camera and flash control: - Tethering: OM Capture (computer, USB, Wifi), OI.Share (Phone, Bluetooth, Wifi). - Triggers: wireless and wired camera and flash triggers. In addition to cameras' built-in modes for timed and time lapse photography, separate timers and triggers responsive to IR beam interruption and sound. - Supports: I have standardised all support systems I use for photography on the use of Arca compatible rails, plates, clamps, etc. - Travel and medium weight carbon fibre tripods with articulated central column. "Platypod" style tripods. Ball heads and Z-heads. - Copy stand for macro-photography and for digitizing film. - Different types of clamps and "magic arms". - Valoi 360 film holders for film sizes 120, 135, 127 and 110, plus 35 mm slide holder. - Software: - RAW file conversion and editing: Capture One Pro, DxO PureRaw, RawDigger, Affinity, OM Workspace. - Multi-image merging: Helicon Focus, Capture One Pro, OM Workspace, cameras. - Colour profile generation: Lumariver Profile Designer.