Today I worked out a better technique for shooting macro images of my Galileo Thermometer. I am using a Canon 5D with an EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro. My first attempt was horrible so I went back to the drawing board by examining the work of photographers more accomplished than myself. I corrected some things I did the last time around. Here is a summary of what I did to adjust:

1. Bottom Lighting
2. Black Background Material
3. Reduced Ambient Light

Bottom lighting better exploits the colors of the fluids. The black background material gives better contrast. Glass spheres and cylinders gather light from every direction, reducing ambient light helps clean everything up and aids contrast.
For bottom lighting I used an old 12”x9” light table, which I used to look at my negatives with. I used the black under sides of two 16”x23” Kodak film boxes as background material. I am very pleased with the results of this effort over my last attempt where I shot outside in bright sunlight.

This is a sample of my first attempt.

As you can see the result was underwhelming.

My Galileo Macro Images Gallery