David Scharf is a scientist, a photographer, and an artist, specializing in Scanning Electron Microscope (S.E.M.) imagery. For over 30 years he has been an innovator in the science, technology,methodology, and photography of this uniquely fascinating form of imagery. His images define the state-of-the-art in this area of science and technology.

In the early '70s he developed techniques that permit SEM imaging of plant and animal specimens that are alive and in their "natural state". By by-passing traditional methods of killing,fixing, dehydrating, and gold coating, and manipulating the vacuum tube of the SEM, Scharf obtains images of life-forms with clarity and realism never before seen.

The scanning electron microscope images are colored using a new a system developed and patented by Scharf . This system uses multiple electron detectors. Each detector’s signal is encodedwith an arbitrary color using a signal mixing system. The R. G. B. signals from the mixer are then sent to an A/D (analog to digital) converter to facilitate acquisition in digital format. The resultingcolor complexity and shading enhance perception of depth and interpretation of the subject’s topography.

United States

Home page

Contact form for more information.