Look what I found in the woods today

[risingwolf]

Wood Tick with my First stacked image. Used Helicon Focus and it worked well. Tried Combine ZP but it kept freezing and stopped working. Never did get any pictures loaded.

Any recommendations on a free or cheaper stacking program.

Found it on me yesterday and put it in a jar so I could take closeups today. Thought the tick was dead but started crawling away after a few minutes.

[carregwen]

Pretty good stack. I presume he wasn't moving? I find Helicon very good, but don't know of anything cheaper that's as good.

[Cadebou]

Well done. I'm actually using ticks in my research right now and was hoping to get some photographs of them at the different life stages. I'd be really interested to know what setup you used for this one.

Britt

[risingwolf]

I have a Canon 7D and used a Sigma 50mm 2.8 macro lens. With live view and zoom I was able to see the focus point. Took 4 images with the main focus changing from front to back. Used Helicon Focus to stack the images. Very easy to use. The wood tick was stationary for the 4 pictures but yesterday it was moving all over and I could not get one good image. I kept it in a jar overnight and thought it was dead so I took the pictures but after a few minutes it was moving around again.
Good luck on your research. Sounds interesting are you working on diseases?
http://www.heliconsoft.com/heliconfocus_downloads.html

[Cadebou]

Good luck on your research. Sounds interesting are you working on diseases?

Yep. Working on rickettsial disease. Basically studying an emerging disease related to Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, but not as pathogenic. The slow going right now is just rearing my ticks... they take a very long time to pass from one stage to the next.

Thanks for the info.

Keep up the good work.

Britt

PS - Really liked your Canada geese from the other thread.

[PopsPhotos]

I kept it in a jar overnight and thought it was dead so I took the pictures but after a few minutes it was moving around again.

Put the jar in the refrigerator overnight and they will stay still much longer. Another trick is to use a CO2 spray on them when the lights warm them up. Very carefully with that CO2 spray, as they are very hard to find if you blow them off the desk onto the floor. (Don't ask. )

Pops

[risingwolf]

Britt

I am sure you have heard of the Rocky Mountain Lab. It is a few hours south of where I live. No problem finding ticks on the Bison Range. A short hike and sometimes you are covered, well it seems that way.
http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/about/organization/dir/rml/

Pops

I can just see flying ticks. Makes you a family favorite....

[PopsPhotos]

Almost as popular as when I put the little rattlesnake in the fridge and it got out of the jar before stiffening up. Mom was not very proud of me that day.

Pops