© Julie Murray, JAM Graphics
BIOCOMM 2025
Inspiration - Education - Technology
May 5-9, 2025
Program
BIOCOMM 2025 promises to be an exciting and dynamic conference with a program full of educational workshops and presentations.
Planning is underway for quite a diverse program. We have committed speakers that will be presenting on a wide range of imaging topics. There will be plenary sessions, short presentation sessions like Show Us Your Stuff and Show Us Your Place along with a variety of workshops.
| Plenary Session |
Bruce has been following research biologists around the world for decades taking photos of their work in order to provide them with images for publications, presentations, and public relations work. Many of the images are simply “biologists in the field photos” but many are of animals in settings that have never been seen before. For some of Bruce’s images he had to develop unique photographic techniques or learn new, to him, ways of capturing images. High speed flashes, infrared trips, microscope objectives, focusing rails, underwater cameras, animal lures, night vision goggles, and the like are part of Bruce’s photographic toolbox.
Bruce will present several images, give their backstory, and explain the photographic techniques he uses. From landscape images of bats exiting volcanic lava tube caves in Nicaragua, to breeding bees in AZ, to microscopic images of the sexual features of Panamanian orchid bees he will attempt to show how his images benefit the conservation of our valuable wildlife resources. Bruce will also present a variety of images showing the diversity of research projects he has photographed.
Chip Hedgcock has been documenting the natural world for well over 30 years. His passions for both photography and the outdoors have taken him down a diverse road of research and personal fine art projects. As lead photographer for a series of biological surveys, Chip has explored, documented and created art about the diversity of life in remote locations of the American southwest, Sonora Mexico and, most recently, north Vietnam.
Clinical Photography – Theory and Practice is a new textbook, the first to be published covering the range of skills needed by those undertaking clinical photography either as a profession or as part of their healthcare work. Targeted at an international audience, the book provides a comprehensive resource for readers wishing to develop and improve their knowledge and skills in digital clinical photography. Written and edited by experienced clinical photographers, the book contains around 250 color photographs and accompanying illustrations.
This presentation describes the different stages of publishing the book, from concept to print, the commitment involved, challenges faced and some key highlights.
I will show how to light one or more people using several different lighting techniques for clinical, surgical, or interviews. In the operating room we will discuss different lighting techniques for live broadcasts of hip, knee, shoulder or burns. We will touch on lighting for green screen with multiple people, as well as a news junket TV interview set up.
This presentation will discuss areas in clinical photography that are frequently problematic. Focus, lighting, color balance, cast, camera angle, depth of field are some of these areas. With a little awareness, many pitfalls may be avoided, providing consistent, quality photographs for clinical use.
Astrophotography is the art and science of photographing celestial objects and events, such as stars, moons, planets, and even closer phenomena like auroras and meteors. Like all forms of scientific photography, you need some basic understanding of your subject, the available light, your equipment, your settings and even options in image processing. You don’t need a pure dark sky to get started (although it is pretty good in Tucson!) and you don’t even need special equipment beyond what you already have (but a tripod is pretty handy). In this talk we will cover some basics that you will be able to immediately apply by walking out the back door of the resort and looking up.
In science, a good image provides researchers with valuable information or data, but great images also capture attention. We typically generate images with microscopes, which can be as artistic as those created through traditional photography. Microscopists and scientists can benefit not only from the many images they produce in terms of science, communication, and even financial gain, but they can also explore the artistic potential of their work, opening up a new realm of creative possibilities.
This talk is an invitation for all microscopists to broaden their perspectives and consider the emotions that a micrograph could evoke in the public. This shift could lead to new opportunities for scientific collaboration, enhance the impact of their research, or improve science communication.
Drawing from her experience within NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde, this presentation will explore the challenges and opportunities facing professional clinical photographers in the UK. With the widespread adoption of mobile digital imaging and AI solutions across all levels of healthcare, the role of dedicated clinical photographers is shifting. With digital innovation leading the way, do we embrace these changes and redefine our position, or are we witnessing the decline of our profession? This session will aim to spark discussion on the future of clinical photography and its evolving place in modern healthcare.
Nathan has been a medical photographer working within Mayo Clinic, in Phoenix, Arizona for well over a decade. During this time, his primary focus has been documenting the complex and often lifesaving efforts that the surgical teams execute within this world-renowned institution. This presentation highlights his personal philosophy, approach, techniques, and some of the equipment he uses to capture the most accurate visual records possible of these often-one-of-a-kind procedures.
Surgical photography can be an essential tool in the medical field, playing an important role in documenting, analyzing, and communicating sophisticated surgical procedures. Through high-quality visual documentation, it enhances both patient care and surgical education by providing detailed records of intraoperative stages. These images are invaluable for teaching, research, insights into surgical techniques, complications, outcomes and preparations for patients returning to the operating room. Additional, surgical photography serves as a critical component for legal documentation and for insurance purposes, ensuring accuracy and transparency.
Roman Vishniac’s (1898-1990) lifetime of photographic and cinematographic work focused upon world of biology. Presented here are two recently unearthed films that Vishniac produced which have been largely unseen for 60 years.
In 1959, Dr. Philip N. Sawyer (1925-2014), a young cardio-vascular surgeon based at SUNY Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn, NY was introduced to Vishniac. Sawyer had been conducting research on intra-vascular thrombosis. He engaged Vishniac to collaborate on visualising and recording the thrombotic process. The film that he and Vishniac produced won First Prize at the 25th Annual Congress of the International Scientific Film Association in Rabat, Morocco.
In 2020, Dr. Sawyer’s son, in cleaning the attic of an old family vacation home, came upon 16mm film canisters with labels indicating that they were the work of his father and Vishniac. These films have been digitized and are examples of the seminal scientific cinematography that Vishniac produced. They are outstanding in the Vishniac oevure, adhering to Vishniac’s natural science ethos of only working with living subject matter. They are the only known examples of Vishniac working in basic medical research and they resulted in one of his very few academic publications. The use of light piping and long working distance, water immersion objectives provide examples of Vishniac using the latest imaging technology in his day.
This project has been supported in part by the Univ. of California, Berkeley – Magnes Collection of Jewish Life & Art.
The advent of affordable high-quality production equipment and software has made it possible to produce broadcast quality programs with a minimal budget and crew. In this session, Keven will discuss how he has been able to produce independent films like the travel documentary series, “A Proper Pint”. Topics include storytelling techniques, the shooting process, interviews, post-production and publishing options. Specific equipment choices, logistical planning, photography/audio/lighting strategies, interview tips, editing, film festivals and social media will all be discussed.
Carbon was one of the first permanent mono photographic print processes, developed in 1855. Colour carbon followed in 1868. Today it is still one of the most interesting and stable processes. Colour pigments suspended in gelatin allow printing in any and many colours on a variety of surfaces such as paper, glass, copper and brass. The surface relief creates a dimension unique to the process.
Although it is not complex to produce a print, this economic process has numerous steps. Adapting the offset print industry tools to create CMYK negatives simplifies the process. With my presentation and examples, I hope to entice people to not only understand this amazing process but feel tempted to become practitioners.
| Workshops |
Gather your cameras and close-up equipment, and join Chip Hedgcock, Danielle Edwards and Gale Spring for a morning of exploration and photography of the local “Charismatic micro fauna”. We will venture about the lush garden and desert settings of the Westward Look Resort. Close-up tips and techniques as well as equipment options for both field, and the field studio, will be discussed and demonstrated.
Flash is not only the most available light, but you have complete control over it. This will be a hands-on workshop to help you see how easy, straightforward, and dare I say, fun, it is to use flash, even with off-camera and multiple flashes. In this workshop you will learn how to:
| InfoShare |
A microspectrophotometer combines an optical microscope with a spectrophotometer to measure spectral curves in very small samples that can only be observed with a microscope. This tool is particularly valuable in the forensic field, as it enables detailed analysis of materials at a microscopic level. By integrating the observation capabilities of optical microscopy with the resolution and spectral range of a spectrophotometer, it can measure spectral curves from 200 nm to 2500 nm in microscopic samples. In this presentation, I will showcase documented cases that demonstrate how microspectrophotometers can be utilized to address complex issues, including fibers analysis and document authentication.
This brief presentation shall introduce the attendees to a ground (pan) pod. The extremely low profiled unit (~ 2" high) affords the opportunity to capture images virtually at ground level. Such maximum low angle imaging is most helpful when capturing birds, especially on bodies of water.
When attempting natural science photography where the photographer is exposed to direct sun, especially when temperatures are in excess of 100ºF (> 37º C), there is a strong probability of severe sunburn. To help prevent this hazard from happening a sunshade can easily be attached to a portable chair. This short talk will illustrate how a light weight sunshade can be employed to block the sun and help lower the ambient temperature as well!
| Show Us Your Stuff |
As long as humans have existed they have wanted to record what they see. A visual form of storytelling began long before we could write. To this day, we still have this need and desire. Technology has facilitated this to the extreme. To this end we are now bombarded with imagery. Maybe it’s time to slow it down a bit and really start to look at things in a new, but also older way.
This presentation will discuss how digital negatives have enabled a modern vision to be produced on analogue mediums. Creating something you are forced to pause to look at, you can’t just swipe on by.
In 2024, graphic designers Steve and Julie Murray collaborated on a series of educational books for 6 to 10 year olds. Throughout these books, many examples of beautiful First Nations artworks by artist, Steven Jabaljarri Sutton and references from the First Nations Warlpiri language have been incorporated to cultivate cultural appreciation, understanding and respect among students. The inclusion of First Nations material also aims to foster a sense of belonging with First Nation students while offering non-indigenous students the opportunity to learn about and connect with First Nations peoples of Australia. The Warlpiri language is one of the largest spoken languages. The Warlpiri words used in these books are only one example of First Nations languages of which there are over 250.
The graphic designers and author have worked closely with Steven Jabaljarri Sutton to incorporate their design and lessons that will enhance the First Nations artwork as well as the Walpiri language. The Warlpiri people of the Tanami Desert Region of Northern Territory and their cultural heritage is connected to the land of this region and we thank them for their custodianship and conservation of this land.
This brief presentation relates some of the experiences in the production of this series of books.
Creating close up photographs of latent fingerprint impressions on various substrates that have been forensically processed and developed. Photographs are obtained through the use of a macro lens along with precision forensic lighting techniques.
I will discuss the processes involved in the creation of a teaching video from video capture of a medical/surgical procedure using 3 cameras and subsequent editing. I would like to share some of the many learning experiences, including pitfalls encountered, to prepare and equip attendees faced with similar projects.
| Show Us Your Place |
Health Education and Improvement Wales (HEIW) is part of the National Health Service (NHS) in Wales, UK. One of the primary functions of HEIW is to maintain a continuous supply of registered healthcare professionals to meet current and future NHS Wales workforce needs. This requires healthcare professionals, including clinical photographers, to be educated and trained to enable them to enter the workforce.
In September 2023, HEIW launched a new education and training scheme for clinical photographers. This presentation will give an insight into the HEIW programme, which is delivered in partnership with NHS medical illustration departments throughout Wales.
Ellie opened Gold Street Studios in 2000 in Gold Street Collingwood, in the inner suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria. Fast forward 25 years and Gold Street Studios is now located in Trentham East - up in central Victorian highlands with a gallery space and offering workshops in more than 40 different photographic processes and techniques, making it unique in the photographic teaching and archival conservation space.
Program Chair
If you require additional information about presentations or if you wish to present at BIOCOMM, please contact Gale Spring.
Christina Gunderson, Gail Matsumoto, Dale Kennedy, Bob Turner, Alan Goldstein, Charles Hedgcock, James Hayden, James Koepfler, Gale Spring, Danielle Edwards
