akiyama2

Taking a Micro Photography
Minoru Akiyama

(Shooting Microscopic Images)---(2)

In 1974, I announced microphotograph for the first time. At that time, some design-related people concerned it interesting, but only few people had an idea to apply the photo as a design. The editors of photo magazines were awed at seeing such a photograph way beyond those that existed then. Now, these microphotographs are applied to printed matters such as calendars, posters and bindings of books. Also to packages, TV commercials, textiles, interiors, and so on.

The photograph below is a picture of a ceramic board (7460mm×2755mm), decorated on the wall of the Osaka Medicine Business Insurance Center. It used 15 kinds of crystal photographs such as caffeine, vitamin C, for the design.

If I were a researcher, I would feel some resistance in handling the materials so freely.

For myself, such materials like medicines are only there to express myself in it, discovering their curiosity of abstraction.
Gradually, my target spread from crystals of a medicine to minerals, metal, LSI, and to liquid crystal.
I have always been surprised at the resemblance of micro and macro that beautifully exists inside the tiny world in which you cannot see even if you stare at.
I eventually wanted to film the process of a minute brightness maturing from total blackness.

If I were a researcher, I would feel some resistance in handling the materials so freely. For myself, such materials like medicines are only there to express myself in it, discovering their curiosity of abstraction. Gradually, my target spread from crystals of a medicine to minerals, metal, LSI, and to liquid crystal. I have always been surprised at the resemblance of micro and macro that beautifully exists inside the tiny world in which you cannot see even if you stare at. I eventually wanted to film the process of a minute brightness maturing from total blackness.

Generation of Crystal (Video Photography)

Nicotinamide
vanilline

By dissolving some crystal on a slide glass by heating it, you will be able to see the beginning of re-crystallization in the darkness making some unseen nucleus as a trigger. It uses a lot of nerves because you don't know where it will emerge.

Since the timer shows in 30th of a second, I can see how fast the crystal is emerging.

For the system, I use a 3 CCD microscopic video from Hitachi Electronics (1.2 million pixels) and a Bata-Cam recorder.

I had a hard time with the change of brightness by a zooming (the latest thing is automated) and in free movement method of the target object.

Handling a ND filter of no stage that I made for myself solves the former problem.
By designing and using a device of my own that can move above a plane freely solves the latter.

I am having a hard time with fields of technology not accustomed to with photography such as editing with sounds.

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	Taking a Micro Photography	Minoru Akiyama
	(Shooting Microscopic Images)---(2)

Nicotinamide		vanilline
	By dissolving some crystal on a slide glass by heating it, you will be able to see the beginning of re-crystallization in the darkness making some unseen nucleus as a trigger. It uses a lot of nerves because you don't know where it will emerge. Since the timer shows in 30th of a second, I can see how fast the crystal is emerging. For the system, I use a 3 CCD microscopic video from Hitachi Electronics (1.2 million pixels) and a Bata-Cam recorder. I had a hard time with the change of brightness by a zooming (the latest thing is automated) and in free movement method of the target object. Handling a ND filter of no stage that I made for myself solves the former problem. By designing and using a device of my own that can move above a plane freely solves the latter. I am having a hard time with fields of technology not accustomed to with photography such as editing with sounds.