Having 'finalised' my macro set-up (based on an old lathe, two R bellows, multiple extension tubes and a couple of microscope stages), I have finally used it in anger. A friend is writing a book on the wreck of the Royal Charter (which sank 150 years ago this year) and asked my to photograph some gold 'nuggets' which were recovered about 25 years ago. Although too big to be really called dust, these 'nuggets are only about 3~4mm long and I shot them using a 50mm f/2.8 Leitz Photar mounted on an R series bellows and shooting with an M8 on a Visoflex 3 - a system which is producing surprisingly good results so far. Here's one of them.