Parasitica photography

I've been asked several times recently about how I take photographs of parasitic wasps, so here are the details of my current setup:

• Specimens: preserved in 70% alcohol, suspended in clear alcohol hand gel in a small transparent lid covered with a coverslip. 
• Microscope: Brunel SP300 compound trinocular microscope, using 2.5X, 4X, 10X or 20X objectives as appropriate. 
• Camera: Sony a7Rii.
• Lighting: Dual gooseneck LED plus two Ikea Jansjö LED lamps, diffused by a cylinder of white kitchen towel. 
• Post-processing: Focus stacked with Helicon Focus, processed with Canva Affinity. 

See: Cann, A. (2025) Fine Details: Tips for improving specimen photography. Br. J. Ent. Nat. Hist. 38: 199-206.