Every now and then when you work in a laboratory which provides services to a wide range of clients with diverse needs you are approached to perform work which takes you into a new industry. The microscopy laboratory of CSIRO Manufacturing at Waurn Ponds was approached by an advertising agency to provide images of particular species of insects to promote an agricultural pesticide manufacturer. Usually cartoon images of insects are used in advertising (“Louie the Fly” for Mortein as an example). However in this case they wanted images of the specific insect. The insects in question cause a large amount of damage to particular crops at certain times of the year and the pesticides used, specifically target these insects.
The brief from the client was that they wanted images of the “faces” as well as limbs of the insects so that their graphic artist could then manipulate them into looking “scared”. A complete anathema to the usual scientific method.
The work for this client provided some interesting challenges. It was the exact opposite to a scientific study. It was the one striking image that was required, not the series of images attempting to show a representation of the sample. Sample preparation had to be modified as had the imaging conditions for each insect to enable to features required by the client to be clearly visible. Images were taken at high and low voltages and in high and low vacuum depending on the samples. Images of the insects will be presented both pre and post manipulation by the graphic artists, with discussion on preparation and imaging.