Scanning Electron Microscope Photography Regional Event (February 26-28, 2025)
February 26 - February 28
Registration is now open
PRICE:
Registration: $1985
Price includes four hours on Scanning Electron Microscope, SEM training and assistance with post-processing, plus two lunches.
If you are not currently a member, you may want to consider joining NANPA to take advantage of member pricing on all regional events (1 year membership $100)
Maximum number of attendees: 4
Last date to register: January 24, 2025
DATES:
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- Wednesday February 26, 2025 at 7 pm to Friday February 28, 2025 at 5:30 pm*
- December 5, 2024 7- 8 pm (Eastern Time) Pre-Event Webinar (optional)
- March 19, 2025 6:30-8:30 pm (Eastern Time) Post event Image Sharing and Feedback Webinar for participants (optional)
*It is recommended to book departure flights for March 1, 2025
Event Check in and Meet & Greet
Wednesday February 26 at 7 pm in the hotel lobby. Participants should plan to have dinner before the Meet and Greet.
EVENT OVERVIEW:
Discover a new way of photographing at the highest magnification on a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). A SEM will enable us to take images with a focused beam of electrons. A SEM can go from 80-108,000 X magnification allowing you to see a nature sample specimen’s topography in extraordinary detail! With sponsorship from EMIT (Electron Microscope Innovative Technologies), Paul Brooke, Ph.D. and Neal Magdefrau, Ph.D. (founder of EMIT), will teach you how to select samples, prepare those samples, take high magnification images of those samples, and produce quality photographs. The SEM photographs are all captured in grey scale, but there is also an opportunity to use ChemiSEM technology to map the compounds in a sample to compose in color. For an overview of Scanning Electron Microscope photography view this video: https://youtu.be/B0VFM_UhsgM
Image made at 65 times magnification. I decided to do a mirroring technique to make the image more visually interesting. Note, the joint of the antenna as it is illuminated by the focused beam of electrons. ©Paul Brooke
YOUR EVENT LEADERS:
Paul Brooke–
Paul Brooke–Paul Brooke, Ph.D. is a professor and Endowed Chair at Grand View University, where he teaches Creative Writing, Creative Photography and Experimental Photography. He serves on the Board of Directors at NANPA and is the Chair of NANPA’s Awards Committee. Paul is the author of six books of including Sirens and Seriemas, The Skáld and the Drukkin Tröllaukin, and Pantagruelian. Most of his books combine his love of science, poetry, and photography. In 2020, with his coauthor Paul Donahue, he published Jaguars of the Northern Pantanal: Panthera onca at the Meeting of the Waters by Elsevier Publishing.
Paul has been published in Audubon and Wild Planet magazines and 100 literary journals across the world, winning numerous prizes and awards. His photography has been shown in ten different exhibits and he specializes in wildlife and nature photography. He is always pushing the limits of his work by trying new techniques such as Scanning Electron Microscope photography. Brooke teamed up with Magdefrau twice before to work on his images for grant projects and loves finding new partnerships.
Neal Magdefrau-
Neal Magdefrau, Ph.D. is the founder and CEO, Electron Microscopy Innovative Technologies. He is a research scientist, engineer, and entrepreneur who enjoys working with advanced materials characterization to solve problems. He previously spent 15 years working at United Technologies Research Center (UTRC). In 2014, he founded Electron Microscopy Innovative Technologies (EMIT, LLC), the first and only business in the U.S. offering rentals of desktop Scanning Electron Microscopes (SEMs). In 2021, Neal left his position at UTRC to run EMIT, LLC fulltime.
Neal currently holds 15 patents in topics ranging from solid oxide fuel cells, bulk metallic glasses, ceramic matrix composites and high temperature coatings. He earned his bachelor’s degree in MSE from UConn in 2005 and his master’s in 2006. He worked full-time at UTRC while continuing his education in Professor Mark Aindow’s lab and graduated from the MSE program with his Ph.D. in 2013.
WHAT TO EXPECT:
Each participant will get 4 hours (2 hours each day) on a SEM as well as instruction on how to post-process those images.
After the participant finishes with the SEM, they can work on post-processing the images taken. Those participants who are waiting to work on the SEM can watch each other work or wait back at the hotel.
For best results, samples that you want to photograph should be completely dry without any moisture in them. Select samples that can be coated so we can get sharper detail (see video link above to learn more). As an example, over the past few years Paul has used puma hair, flamingo feathers, and different insects (honeybees, beetles, wasps, etc.). Think out of the box and bring your samples with you in your carry-on luggage. Paul suggests packing them in hard boxes with soft padding to keep them from being damaged. Neal and Paul will be bringing extra samples that you can pick from if yours get damaged or are not working well.
NEAREST AIRPORT:
Bradley International Airport (BDL) in Hartford, Connecticut. The airport is about a 35 min drive from the hotel.
You will need to book flights to arrive the night before (Wednesday, February 26, 2025) and, given the late end time (5:30 pm) on Friday, it’s suggested you fly home on Saturday, March 1, 2025. If you must leave on Friday February 28, it is recommended to book a departure flight from Bradley International Airport after 8 pm.
EVENT TRANSPORTATION:
Transportation to and from the hotel and during the event is not included and is the attendees’ responsibility. Each participant will need to take a taxi / Uber / car service from the airport to the hotel in East Hartford, CT, about a 35 min drive away.
Bradley Airport Taxi & Car Service | Bradley International Airport
It is not necessary to have a rental car during the event as the hotel is a short walk (7 min / .3 miles) away from the SEM facility at EMIT. You may want to share an Uber with other participants for getting to/from dinner. It may be possible for multiple participants to share an Uber to the airport after the event.
LODGING:
NANPA is holding a block of hotel rooms for event participants at a hotel in East Hartford, CT within walking distance of the EMIT facility.
The hotel rate (includes breakfast) is:
- King room: $148 per night + tax
Hotel details will be shared with registered participants.
Check in: 3 pm, Check out 11 am
MEALS:
The hotel offers a complimentary buffet breakfast. Two lunches (included) will be provided around noon while at EMIT LLC. Dinners are not included and are on your own.
Image made at 260 times magnification. This photograph, of all I have completed with SEM, was the most surprising as there were hundreds if not thousands of grains of pollen on this honey bee. In the shot, there are shapes that look like deflated footballs and those are all grains of pollen. ©Paul Brooke
PHOTOGRAPHY LOCATION:
Electron Microscope Innovative Technologies (EMIT) LLC
222 Pitkin Street
East Hartford, CT 06108
PRELIMINARY SCHEDULE:
Wednesday February 26, 2025
- 7 pm Meet and Greet in the hotel lobby.
During the meet and greet on the first night we will draw the order for day one and each participant will get two hours to work on the Scanning Electron Microscope. The second day we will reverse that order.
Thursday February 27, 2025
- 6:30-7:20 am Breakfast at hotel
- Walk to EMIT facility
- Training and 2-hour sessions per participant on SEM, followed by instruction on post processing and time to process images taken
- Lunch at 12/12:30 pm at EMIT (included)
- Finish around 5:30 pm and walk back to the hotel
- Dinner on your own
- 8 pm Informal get together in the hotel lobby to share images and ideas for Day 2
Friday February 28, 2025
- 6:30-7:20 am Breakfast at hotel
- Walk to EMIT facility
- 2-hour sessions per participant on SEM, followed by time to process images taken
- Lunch at 12/12:30 pm at EMIT (included)
- Finish around 5:30 pm and walk back to the hotel
- Dinner on your own
Saturday, March 1, 2025
- Hotel checkout at 11 a.m.
HEALTH AND FITNESS:
We will be sitting doing the Scanning Electron Microscope work. There is no physical exertion aside from the 7 min walk between the hotel and the EMIT facility.
WEATHER
Since we are working indoors, this is a rain or shine photography event.
CLOTHING
Wear layers in case you get cold or hot inside.
CAMERA GEAR:
- None needed. SEM machine will be provided.Laptop Computer – for downloading, processing and viewing your images.
- Image Processing Software – Good choices include Adobe Lightroom, Photoshop, or Elements.
- Back-up device – Such as an external hard drive.
- Flash Drive – For sharing images.
ADDITIONAL ITEMS:
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- Cell Phone
- Water bottle
- Energy bars or other snacks
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GENERAL:
This event is designed for nature photographers at all levels of experience. For the best experience, please know your image editing software before you arrive.
Assistance will be available by both Neal and Paul for those who wish to improve their photographic skills. Since this will be new for participants, they will be available throughout the day to provide assistance. Paul will help with post-processing, labeling, etc.
Attendance and participation at NANPA Regional Events are limited to registered attendees only. Anyone wishing to participate in any portion of, or travel with a registered attendee during the group event must contact the NANPA office and pay the full registration fee.
RESOURCES:
EMIT website: https://emitllc.com/
Overview of Scanning Electron Microscope: https://youtu.be/B0VFM_UhsgM
Image made at 50 times magnification. ChemiSEM allows for us to see which elements are in the sample (such as Oxygen, Aluminum, Magnesium, etc.). Since all of the images in the SEM will be black and white, this would be a cool way to add color. ©Paul Brooke
Regional Event Cancellation and No Refund Policy:
NANPA will not offer any refunds for registrations for this event regardless of when the cancellation is made or the reason for the cancellation. NANPA reserves the right to cancel any event or activity due to insufficient registration or any unforeseen circumstances. NANPA will offer refunds if NANPA has to cancel the event. It also has the right to substitute presenters if those originally scheduled cannot attend. Registrants may purchase event insurance as part of the registration process through NANPA’s partner, Allianz. More information on this option will be shown during the checkout process for the event registration.
NOTE: If you do not purchase event insurance at the time that you pay for your registration, you will NOT be able to go back and purchase it with Allianz later.
If you choose to purchase travel insurance separately, you can do so with your own insurance carrier, or NANPA members can receive a special travel insurance rate through USI Affinity/Travel Insurance Services
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