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Amazing Photos Show Intricate Details of Peacock Feathers

Photographer Waldo Nell has given us a rare glimpse into the microscopic world of wildlife. It is when photographers do something different that their images stand out, and Waldo’s work here is no different. Whilst the display of a peacock is beautiful with the naked eye, there is something truly fascinating about their iridescent feathers under a microscope.

Waldo told Nature TTL, “I prepared a piece of the feather and placed it on the microscope stage on a glass slide. Using epi-illumination, diffusers and a technique called focus stacking, each image is comprised of between 50 and 250 individual photos. I used an Olympus BX53 microscope with a Canon T3i (Canon 600D) camera, and a Schott KL-2500 LED illumination source with light guides.”

This photo was taken at 4x magnification, showing a 5.5mm section of the feather.
This photo was taken at 4x magnification, showing a 5.5mm section of the feather.

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Waldo’s technique in capturing this microscopic view of a peacock’s feather is truly one of a kind. The mixture of colours that culminate into an impressive mating display are evident throughout all of his photos.

At 40x magnification, the individual strands are shown in incredible detail.
At 40x magnification, the individual strands are shown in incredible detail.
Taken at 50x magnification, representing just 0.44mm of feather.
Taken at 50x magnification, representing just 0.44mm of feather.
At 10x magnification, this image shows a 2.2mm section of the feather.

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Photo Credit: Photos by Waldo Nell and used with permission.

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