photomicrograph

Photomicrography is the process of producing a photograph through a microscope to document the appearance of a specimen at high magnification. A photomicrograph records details such as cellular structures, mineral grains, or surface textures that may be difficult to observe directly. Photomicrographs can be captured in color or grayscale and may be single frames or composite images.

Equipment and methods: A photomicrograph is produced with a microscope equipped with a camera, either a dedicated microscope camera or a mounted digital sensor (CCD or CMOS). Illumination methods vary: transmitted light for brightfield, contrast-enhancing techniques such as phase contrast, differential interference contrast (Nomarski), polarized light, and fluorescence, as well as reflected light for opaque specimens. Confocal laser scanning microscopy and other advanced techniques produce optical sections for high-resolution images.

Process: Specimens are prepared and mounted, sometimes stained to increase contrast. The microscope is focused on the area of interest, exposure and white balance are set, and the image is captured. To improve depth of field, multiple focal planes may be acquired and combined (z-stacking). Digital images can be processed for brightness, contrast, color correction, and annotation; metadata such as magnification and scale bar are included.

Applications: Photomicrographs support scientific communication in biology, histology, pathology, materials science, geology, and for educational and archival purposes. They are used for comparative analysis, documentation of features, and publication purposes.