Microhand, the smallest fingers in the world!

How do we photograph extremely technical subjects, and make the look interesting so there is a greater chance to get published in the mainstream media, and not just in technical journals? How do we make people without any technical background feel curious about the subject instead of feeling ignorant and detached? I used the MEMS(Microelectromechanical Systems) device, designed and manufactured by Professor CJ Kim and his student Wook Choi from UCLA, to demonstrate my creative photographic approach and developed solution.

Normally, when we see scientific subject being photographed, it is either a flat picture under the microscope or a black and white SEM image (Scanning Electron Microscope). In this case, with MEMS devices, you will see most of the images and illustrations done in SEM. SEM provides a much larger DOF (Depth of Field), and can show more details throughout the image. However, two very important elements are lost in this process: the ability to take real-time photos in operation and capturing the eye catching factor -- color.

The device being photographed is a very small robotic hand operated by pressurized nitrogen. Each finger is only less than 4mm long, and composed of multiple sections linked by the airbag. When pressurized, the airbag inflates and closes the fingers. It is so tiny and thin that if you don't know what you are looking at, you might just miss it. I used a super-micro lens to shot this series of images. With a regular camera, I can light the micro subject with dramatic lighting to bring out the device's appeal that could otherwise be way too scientific for most of the people to digest. I also was able to get images of the device while it was working. The challenge was how to light up the subject with a high reflective surface and still maintain the details on transparent airbags while at the same time, capturing fingers moving. It is also usually very difficult to give this kind of high reflective surfaces enough color and make them look interesting. Below are some final shots I got.


Let me know your favorite, or which photo you think explains the functionality, and at the same time creates the "coolness effect" the best?

I've also put together a short animation showing how this MEMS Microhand works.

A great book, The MouseDriver Chronicles

My good friend Alan, a very successful online store entrepreneur, recommended a book this weekend after we shared our experiences of starting our own businesses, The MouseDriver Chronicles.

After graduating from the Wharton Business School, the authors gave up high paying job offers in 1999 (when dot com was the hottest topic in town) and started the business of making and selling....eh...computer mouses. Ya, it might be a fun business to do and talk about, but it just doesn't have the potential to grow significantly and change people's life, unlike all the other dot comers with millions to promise.

As I went through the book, I could absolutely connect with the ups and downs that authors went through. Starting a business without venture capital investments relies heavily on a different set of skills that anyone ever knew. Take me, for example, without the leverage of the capital, I had to become manufacturing, R&D, sales and marketing all in one. Decisions were made on the dollar-to-dollar basis, and no CC-ed emails could prevent me from a trouble anymore, since every single mistake I make comes out of my bottom line. Nevertheless, Experience is a great teacher: it gives you a test first, and a lesson afterwards... Amazingly, I started to learn sales techniques, marketing analysis, and customer service on the first hand basis.

I thought I was well prepared before I made the leap because I read so many marketing and business strategy books. But DOING business is quite different from READING about it! :) It took me quite some time to figure out how to convert the big-book knowledge into the small-business world, but the result was definitely worth it!

Reading the authors' recorded day-by-day activities, I realized that they went through exactly the same processes, and I am not alone... Building a business is a constant work in progress, and every day seems to be more challenging, but DEFINITELY even more exciting than the previous one!...

Photolosophy

Today, my blog goes live. It will be a place to share my philosophy of seeing the world through camera lens - my Photolosophy... It will document my personal quest on the path of turning a passion into a profession, and will share my individual approaches and methodologies to creating stunning images for my clients that are able to captivate audiences and communicate stories.

When talking to my great friend and a brilliant PR professional, Cindy Cooper, about the market positioning and communicating my value proposition, I realized that my portfolio images were very multifaceted and complex -- a result of close cooperation with my clients to define their particular vision, come up with creative photography solutions, and help deliver their products to consumers in a convincing, but very concise single-image format. It is truly said, "A picture is worth a thousand words", and my job (and creative challenge) is to "voice" those words in a single picture...

Of course, there are a lot of things that go into this process, and in this blog I will attempt at showcasing some of the photography projects I was commissioned for, and will provide some "behind-the-scenes" stories for my readers. People interested in my photography work, can also check out my website at InTouchStudios.com.

So, stay tuned and enjoy the read!