infocus #14 June 2009 100% Natural 100% Synthetic

Rock fragments aren’t the only exciting subject for polarized-light photomicroscopy: Bernardo Cesare also experiments with synthetic materials such as plastic and pieces of nylon. The results are fascinating.

DOI: 10.22443/rms.inf.1.46

Petrography – the study of rocks – requires a good hammer and a good microscope, possibly equipped with agood camera. I have taken photomicrographs for almost 20 years, mainly for researching rocks and minerals (e.g., Cesare, 2008), and the tiny bubbles that they contain (“fluid inclusions”, e.g., Cesare et al., 2007). But along with this scientific side, essentially in black and white, I’ve also approached photomicrography as a form of “artistic” (the word may be overstated) expression. With the use of a microscope, rocks reveal an unthinkable variety of landscapes, colours and shapes. This is due to the power of polarized light, enabling “interference colours” to be exposed.

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