SEM Art

Edge of Humanity Magazine

1 year ago

Scientific Photographic Artist Karl Gaff is the Edge of Humanity Magazine contributor of this photo essay. From the project ‘SEM Art of Bugs, Plants and Lichens’. To see Karl’s body of work, click on any photograph.

I am a scientific photographic artist from Dublin, Ireland. In 2014, I completed a project using a high vacuum Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). To image samples with this microscope, the samples had to first be dehydrated and then coated with a thin layer of gold, only a few tens of nanometers thick, using a sputter coater. This gold coating makes the samples conductive, preventing the buildup of electron charge and ensuring that excess charge can flow to Earth. The accumulation of charge creates electric fields that interferes with the rastering electron beam, resulting in image distortion. The acquired images were monochrome, and I later added colour in Adobe Photoshop through digital painting, using hues that closely represent their true appearance.

Pollen grains of the Yarrow flower among the hairs on the flowers peduncle

Artist biography:

Karl Gaff is a senior technical officer in the Physics Department at Trinity College Dublin, where he oversees the first-year teaching laboratories, designs and constructs physics demonstrations in collaboration with the machine shop engineers, and creates 3D illustration artworks for the various groups research manuscripts. His role also includes photographing and assisting with research projects, combining technical expertise with creative problem-solving.

Outside of work, Karl is a passionate scientific photographic artist who specializes in capturing the hidden beauty of the microscopic world. Using advanced microscopes and close-up photography, he explores and documents the mesmerizing details in subjects such as soap films, crystals, plants, pond water samples, and other intriguing samples from the natural world. His work bridges the gap between science and art, offering a unique perspective on the natural world.

All images and text © Karl Gaff