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Photo Synthesis is a rotating showcase of the best science photography on the web.


tedkinsman.jpgTed Kinsman is a scientific photographer that specializes in creating images for books, magazines, and television. His particular areas of interest are in x-ray radiography, high-speed photography, Scanning electron microscopy, and time-lapse cinematography. His work has appeared in numerous books and magazines ranging from Discover Magazine to Forbes. Recently his work has appeared on Gray's Anatomy and CSI New York. In addition to running www.sciencephotography.com Kinsman also teaches advanced placement physics at Brighton High School in Rochester, NY, he also teaches advanced macro-photography at Rochester Institute of Technology.


BNSullivan150x200.jpg B.N. (Bobbie) Sullivan has a strong affinity for the sea and everything in it. She first learned to dive in 1970 and has since logged thousands of dives. A wish to document the marine life she encountered prompted her to learn underwater photography more than 20 years ago. More recently, she began to write about the marine life she has photographed. A research psychologist by profession, she approaches her subject matter with the mindset of a scientist, but targets her writing to a general readership in whom she hopes to foster an appreciation for the ocean and its inhabitants.

Bobbie lives in Hawaii with her husband. Together they produce TheRightBlue.com, where you can see more of Bobbie's photos and writing.


bjeffersonbolenderOpt.jpg B Jefferson Bolender is Training Coordinator of the State of Arizona's program for disability awareness and assistive technology. Through her travels she always has a camera at hand to photograph everything from people to technology and nature. As a teacher of elementary education, special education and art, her interests include a wide array of subject matter with an emphasis on documentation with an artist's eye.

See more of her work in her photo stream on Flickr and the website atarizona.com.


jurvetson.jpg Steve Jurvetson enjoys rocketry and photography and especially the pursuit of both in the Black Rock Desert. Some action photos and video links can be found here.

Steve is a Managing Director of Draper Fisher Jurvetson (DFJ.com), a leading venture capital firm with affiliate offices around the world.

He was the founding VC investor in Hotmail, Interwoven, and Kana. Previously, he was an R&D Engineer at HP, and his prior technical experience also includes programming, materials science research, and computer design. He has a B.S. in Electrical Engineering, an MSEE and and MBA, all from Stanford University.


alex.jpg Alex Wild is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where he works on the molecular phylogenetics of various groups of insects. He is also a part-time photographer whose images appear in such venues as Ranger Rick, Smithsonian, BBC Wildlife, and even ScienceBlogs.

Alex's galleries are viewable at www.alexanderwild.com, and he normally blogs at Myrmecos Blog.


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The King of Butterflies

Category: ButterfliesInsects
Posted on: September 15, 2009 1:31 PM, by Erin Johnson

K08SEMmonarch-Wing035small.jpg





















A scanning electron microscope image of a monarch butterfly wing.

Since a scanning electron microscope only collects a black and white image (representing intensity of electrons) the image must be colorized with photoshop. The colors are fairly close to the real colors of the wing.

The wing is composed of scales or platelets that in turn have a micro structure that creates turbulence as the wing moves through the air. The turbulence is responsible for decreasing drag on the wing and allows the butterfly to move with less energy.

Monarch Butterflies are native to North America where they migrate each spring from a wintering ground in Mexico. Each generation moves further north until the last generation gets the urge to migrate back to Mexico. Many Monarch butterflies are blown off course by storms. The butterflies in modern times have established themselves where ever there is a suitable host plant. Fairly recently monarchs have become established in New Zealand. Monarchs were not established in New Zealand until the caterpillar's host plant of milkweed was accidentally released in the early 1900's.

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This post was written by Ted Kinsman for Photo Synthesis


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Comments

Just to point out:
Not all monarchs go to Mexico!

If you are near the central California Coast in the winter, you can check it out:
http://www.monarchbutterfly.org/

Posted by: KeithB | September 16, 2009 1:29 PM

Welcome, Ted. Looking forward to seeing more of these remarkable images.

Posted by: B. N. Sullivan | September 16, 2009 2:21 PM

this looks somewhat similar, at least in purpose, doesn't it?

http://www.biomimicryinstitute.org/home-page-content/home-page-content/biomimicking-sharks.html

Posted by: otis agabey | September 20, 2009 11:44 AM

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