1. Photomicrographs & Photomosaics

Attention

This document is a work in progress!

1.1. Photomicrographs

  1. Create a folder on teh desktop for the sample, and subfolders within it for your PPL and XPL images.

  2. Make sure the stage is clamped in position and mount thin section into holder with cover glass up.

  3. Turn on the microscope:

  • Instructions for Nikon LV-250 Petrographic Microscope:

    1. Flip switch on back left.

    2. Turn light knob on left to full brightness.

Note

Make sure the microscope is set to transmitted light.

Note

Make sure the upper polarizer is clamped.

  1. Open the Nikon Spot program on the desktop.

  2. White balance the image:

  • Place a piece of blank white paper on the stage.

  • Click SOMETHING

  1. Set the folder your images will be saved in.

  2. Take a photo in PPL by pressing F9.

  3. Insert the upper polarizer.

  4. Take a photo in XPL by pressing F9.

  5. Use the knobs on the mechanical stage to move the view, leaving an overlap of ~30%.

  6. Take a series of photos in PPL and XPL covering your entire sample.

1.2. Photomoasaics

This will guide you through stitching multiple photomicrographs together into one large photomosaic using the Microsoft Image Composite Editor (ICE) software.

  1. Open the Microsoft ICE program from the desktop or start menu.

  2. Choose “New Panorama From Images…”

  3. Select all of your PPL photomicrographs.

  4. Click next and wait until the program has composited your images.

  5. Save the image twice, once with each of the following settings:

File Format: JPEG | File Format: JEPG |
Quality: 75 - High | Quality: 100 - Superb |

  1. Repeat the process for the XPL images.