I have been happy practicing a new macro technique this week, and here is the first one I am posting. The processing is 'focus stacking' or merging the 'in focus' sections of multiple macro shots to give increased depth of field. ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Focus_stacking) I think of focus stacking as the equivalent of what HDR is to colour, but with focus. I think it produces amazing 3D images. I have a lot to learn about it still, but am so excited to find this type of photography macro challenge. Has anyone else on 365 had a go at this, & has some hints to share?
This shot has merged four hand held shots ( ? I seem to reject my tripod so often) taken on the front step of my house after work last night while in a slight breeze, so it can't be too elitist!!!
@kayley@jml0306 thanks Kayley & Joseph - I still have a lot to practice, but I am really enjoying creating something with the computer that the eye can see, but digital cameras can't do without a bit of help. :)
Nice one. I've sometimes taken 3-4 shots and merged them by hand using layer masks. There are some good automated programs I think, but I've never checked into them.
@mikew thanks Micahel - yes I downloaded a 30 day trial of Helicon Focus & so am really giving it a work out. It is much easier to use than the free CombinZM, but I will have to try it a lot to see if it is worth more than "free"
I see this now. Okay, I get the concept, but still will read up some more...about HOW they get stacked...not sure how it creates the 3-d focus effect> but I will read up more!
@espyetta I downloaded the 30 day trial of Helicon Focus & it is really super easy to use, the free program is a lot harder to use. I took 10 shots in the series for the spider, but decided after stacking them that it actually did not look sufficiently 'natural' so I just took the last 5 shots out of the sequence & the back end of the spider went out of focus. The Helicon program automatically creates 'masks' using only the 'in focus' sections of the photos and presto it is done! - a very clever program. Let me know if you give it a try. x
Thank for the info! I copied and pasted it and will try it one day! When you took the shots, did you focus each one slightly differently, along the spiders body? Or all the same? and then the program melds them?
@espyetta Yes I had to get in a rhythm - to always manually turn the focus ring too far (to the right) and starting with a small section in focus, each shot move the focus ring a small distance back to the left each time. (making sure you don't move the focus too far in one go or there will be gaps in the focus in the final image). I also take a 'sky' shot as a marker to let me know where each sequence started and finished. http://365project.org/ltodd/extras/2011-10-23 and http://365project.org/ltodd/365/2011-10-10 are also stacked shots.
@ltodd That is making sense...thanks. I still have a long way to get to that, but I saved it all for when I have time like T giving or X mas break! Thank you!
This is very interesting. I don't have a macro lens, and use a reversing ring for any (very little these days) macro shots I take. I don't think I dared to even use the reversing ring when I shot into a spider's face. It's always annoyed me that I could only get a tiny portion of any object in focus. Now I know there's a solution, if I had the patience to learn and practice! I'll put it on a list of to-dos for when I've run out of basic stuff I need to learn!
