Electronic component photography art  - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: Sarvesaa
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: June 13, 2025, 04:05:18 pm
content: Hi all,I wanted to know whether the photograph that I took is good one or not. Rate it out of 10.Also may be we can use this thread to share the interesting photographs that we capture.

author: TimFox
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 13, 2025, 05:25:21 pm
content: Art is in the eye of the beholder, but I have a couple of hints:1. Flat black is not a good background for components that are also flat black. A flat grey or similar allows the part to stand out better.2. Even though the field of view is not deep, there seems to be a depth of field problem between the extremes of the object planes. Can you use a macro lens with a very small aperture?3. Autofocus often fails with this type of subject: the best (fancy) way to deal with that is to prefocus the lens and move the camera longitudinally to do manual focus.4. With the long exposure time probably needed, the autoshake protection may fail also, so some type of tripod or other steady mount is a good idea.

author: UnijunctionTransistor
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 13, 2025, 05:54:24 pm
content: There are so many electronic component shapes, that I would add a little more variety: for instance TO-3 transistors, some stud SCRs, bridge rectifiers, power resistors, fuses, etc, etc.

author: coppercone2
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 13, 2025, 06:39:46 pm
content: photo graph those VHF LCR tunable filters (through hole) that look like sewage plant hardware

author: SteveThackery
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 13, 2025, 07:13:46 pm
content: Actually I like the photo a lot. My only critical observation has been made already: I would prefer the focus to be pin sharp everywhere. And yes, I like the flat black background very much.

author: floobydust
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 14, 2025, 02:11:15 am
content: I thought this thread is about using electronic components in artwork.example CD cover Yello Pocket Universe, song #10 title "resistor" lol. Back cover has a little different (LEDs) critter.

author: xrunner
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 14, 2025, 02:31:32 am
content: Quote from: Sarvesaa on June 13, 2025, 04:05:18 pmI think it is a good idea and effort. I am not an artist so my opinion means very little, but I think it's a good attempt. I'd rate it a 6 out of ten.

author: Sarvesaa
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: June 14, 2025, 03:15:42 am
content: The image was not taken by a camera, so no way altering the focus. Guess what ?.I took the image from a flat bed scanner.

author: Sarvesaa
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: June 14, 2025, 03:21:43 am
content: Quote from: TimFox on June 13, 2025, 05:25:21 pmTim this image was taken with a flatbed scanner, I removed the white backing and took this photo in a dark room.

author: TimFox
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 14, 2025, 04:12:34 am
content: Yes, a flatbed scanner does not need depth of field for its normal operation.

author: johnboxall
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 14, 2025, 05:33:06 am
content: Here's an interesting book of photography:https://nostarch.com/open-circuits

author: mawyatt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 14, 2025, 01:55:56 pm
content: Interesting use of a scannerIf you have an old Minolta DImage 5400 Scanner, the lens within is highly sought after by extreme macro folks when used in an image focus-stacking system, very good lens for this!! We acquired one before the word got out and the price skyrocketed!!WRT to conventional macro photography. Along with that was mentioned earlier consider using a flash, this allows more selection of the lens characteristics to achieve desired result and control of the lighting. Having a wide field causes issues with the "linearity" in the image corners which in the old days required complex and expensive lenses, for example the famous Printing-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8 (not the macro version) used for reproducing movie theater film from the master. We used such for imaging semiconductor chips and wafer sections way back when developing chip imaging techniques and systems to produce gigapixel results. Modern lenses often use digital "correction" where the lens "distortion" is corrected post image acquition, which reduces the demands on the lens optics, thus reducing size, weight and cost.Beware, this can lead to semiconductor chip imaging which we started investigating methods/techniques/equipment back in ~2000, a very steep rabbit hole indeed!! Some of our original works are hanging on the walls at IBM, Keysight and a few USG facilities and other companies!!There were some other lens "jewels in the rough" found way back along with those mentioned that produced some good results but didn't cost much, like the vintage Soviet radioactive Lomo 3.7X and AmScope 4X objective (Our very old DD2A test chip packaged Low Res shown below with AmScope 4X).https://www.closeuphotography.com/4x-lens-test/part-one-4x-for-less-than-100-dollarsAnyway, electronic components are a interesting photographic subject certainly art to our eyesBTW another good resource for macrophotography is:https://www.photomacrography.net/forum/index.php?sid=37ce7e6441a9948b6fb5e44362a64d9dBe sure and check out all the great chip images Noopy has createdBest

author: BrianHG
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 14, 2025, 03:05:07 pm
content: When you say 'Electronic component photography art', I though you meant something like this:or this:

author: mikeselectricstuff
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 14, 2025, 03:14:31 pm
content: Scanners are good at SMD parts

author: Simmed
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 14, 2025, 04:13:20 pm
content: from a random search

author: BrianHG
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 14, 2025, 07:22:16 pm
content: Quote from: Simmed on June 14, 2025, 04:13:20 pmHow long would it take to calculate the active resistance from 1 of the bird's legs to the other?

author: tggzzz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 14, 2025, 07:50:35 pm
content: Burr Brown images from 45 years agohttps://entertaininghacks.wordpress.com/2015/07/07/images-of-late-70s-burr-brown-thick-film-hybrid-ics/Click to embiggen.

author: TimFox
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 14, 2025, 07:56:13 pm
content: Chip and wire hybrids! The only one I designed was in 1982.

author: tggzzz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 14, 2025, 08:09:05 pm
content: Quote from: TimFox on June 14, 2025, 07:56:13 pmModern AMD and ARM processors are several chips on a substrate. Long flying wires replaced by interposers, of course.

author: abeyer
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 15, 2025, 02:12:16 am
content: Quote from: BrianHG on June 14, 2025, 07:22:16 pmProbably depends on whether that's an African or European swallow.

author: tautech
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 15, 2025, 02:56:20 am
content: Underwater simulation using electronic components.....looked better in real life compared to these pics...Hopefully they'll attach direct from phone....

author: SteveThackery
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 15, 2025, 11:27:30 am
content: Nice one, @tautech!Of all the pictures shown, my favourite by far is the first one, by @Sarvesaa.