first attempts at macro stacking, let's see some stuff. (beginners only please)

[tolusina]

This is indeed stunning.
---
Um, mackguyver, thread title is "first attempts.... (beginners only)".

 

[mackguyver]

gnl.weirdness, Menace, and tolusina, thanks for the nice comments!

 

[K-amps]

Not my favorite technique as I don't have the tools (proper focus rails), software (I use PS, Helicon and others made me crazy), or patience, but here's one of my more successful attempts that was necessary - it's a Maypop flower - really odd to me, but apparently an extremely common flower/weed 180mm macro @f/8, 1/800s, ISO 800:

Amazing pop!

 

[mackguyver]

Amazing pop!

Thanks! The comments I'm getting here make me think I need to try more macro stacking

 

[chrysoberyl]

Not my favorite technique as I don't have the tools (proper focus rails), software (I use PS, Helicon and others made me crazy), or patience, but here's one of my more successful attempts that was necessary - it's a Maypop flower - really odd to me, but apparently an extremely common flower/weed 180mm macro @f/8, 1/800s, ISO 800:

Lovely! And thanks for mentioning focus rails.

 

[lion rock]

I built a focus rail and shot about 20 frames but the result that came out processed with PS CS5 was incorrect. PS chose all the OOF frames and thus what I got was a 100% blurry photo.

My question to the experts here, when you use a rail to select a focus plane, will the image in front of the selected plane be slightly larger because the camera/lens is closer and the image behind the selected plane be smaller, so as you change positions during the process, what would happen to the stacked end product photo?
Conversely, if the camera/lens is held stationary, and the focus is selected by adjusting the lens focusing mechanism, what will be the result?

My setup: 5D3 with remote flash mounted on hot shoe, 100 mm_f/2.8 with Kenko extension ring, and the camera is controlled with CamRanger all mounted with a screw operated rail.

Thanks for the advice.
-r

 

[Menace]

I built a focus rail and shot about 20 frames but the result that came out processed with PS CS5 was incorrect. PS chose all the OOF frames and thus what I got was a 100% blurry photo.

My question to the experts here, when you use a rail to select a focus plane, will the image in front of the selected plane be slightly larger because the camera/lens is closer and the image behind the selected plane be smaller, so as you change positions during the process, what would happen to the stacked end product photo?
Conversely, if the camera/lens is held stationary, and the focus is selected by adjusting the lens focusing mechanism, what will be the result?

My setup: 5D3 with remote flash mounted on hot shoe, 100 mm_f/2.8 with Kenko extension ring, and the camera is controlled with CamRanger all mounted with a screw operated rail.

Thanks for the advice.
-r

Personally, when focus stacking, I never change the frame i.e. camera never moves. Here is my very basic MO

1. Fix camera on tripod
2. Frame your subject - use live view.
3. Manually focus and shoot a bunch of images - each focusing on a different plane of your subject. Use remote etc.
4. Process in PS.

Hope this helps

Menace

 

[Marsu42]

Personally, when focus stacking, I never change the frame i.e. camera never moves

I also do this with Magic Lantern, the catch is that when re-focusing the image magnification changes which means that you are missing image data behind objects. The software tries to compensate by adding some reconstruction blur, but this often doesn't work esp. not for high-iq pro purposes.

There are only two ways around this problem: a) use a macro rail which forces all images to have the same magnification at all focus settings or b) stop shooting at the first large object and remove clutter in the foreground.

 

[Hesbehindyou]

3-8 shots at varying focus + adobe automatic align and blend ... Would love thoughts/comments. No flash was used, just natural light.

It doesn't look stacked - would be good to see one of the frames so we can see the depth of field you were working with.

Couple I took recently - I bought a licence for Zerene Stacker as it does wonders with spider legs and is super-quick:

Two (I think) shots taken hand held in a burst with external flash, moving the camera towards the subject. You can see that I 1) needed more shots as the edge of the abdomen is blurry and 2) did badly with the lighting - the head is too dark (and this is lightened in post). If I could do it again I'd have held the flash so the head wasn't in shadow.

These two were swinging about next to the TV so I grabbed a few shots (hand held with external flash) and combined 3 in Zerene Stacker. Woodlouse was already very dead but the spider was nice enough to stay still. I've never worked out how to shoot these spiders from a flattering angle - anyone managed it?

 

[sparda79]

It's been a while since I do macro.... even longer since I last played with focus stacking... So these 2 are from years ago.

Both with 100L


Shield Bug by Sparda (AMT), on Flickr
7 shots, hand held


IMG_6225-38 by Sparda (AMT), on Flickr
14 shots, focus rail

Anybody used Helicon Remote for Auto DoF bracketing?

 

[Jura]

Re: first attempt at stacking macro shots :: )


[/quote]

I know one photographer who puts his insects in the fridge just long enough for their metabolism to slow down to a point where they are almost asleep - and then shoots them.
[/quote]

Then you should kick them squarely in the nuts and give their macro lens to a charity shop. It is extremely poor practice to harm your subject in this way. it amounts to nothing more than animal cruelty.

 

[tolusina]

.......

My question to the experts here......
Conversely, if the camera/lens is held stationary, and the focus is selected by adjusting the lens focusing mechanism, what will be the result?.....

I know you asked for experts, I'll try an answer to this part at least.
Two images from my posts above, first is the end result, second is a gif showing the progression of the frames.
The gif sure shows a zoom effect as focus changes, not being expert, I've no explanation, only the observation.

Canon 6D,
Canon EF 40mm f/2.8 STM lens
20mm Kenko extension tube.
Lens max magnification specification, 0.18x.
Calculated magnification, 0.68x.
Tethered to an ASUS MeMO Pad FHD 10 (Android 4.3). Focus limits, steps and control by DSLR Controller.
Gitzo, RRS, Acratech support.

Composites were stacked from the RAW .CR2 files, automated with Helicon Focus, saved as tiff, converted to jpg, cropped. Gif stacked in Gimp.

12 frames at f11, 2 second shutter speed.

 

[lion rock]

Thanks for the advices, Manace, Marsu and Tolusina!
I'll have to do some more tests. I should try to shoot several frames with and without rails.
Thanks.
-r

 

[Northstar]

I built a focus rail and shot about 20 frames but the result that came out processed with PS CS5 was incorrect. PS chose all the OOF frames and thus what I got was a 100% blurry photo.

My question to the experts here, when you use a rail to select a focus plane, will the image in front of the selected plane be slightly larger because the camera/lens is closer and the image behind the selected plane be smaller, so as you change positions during the process, what would happen to the stacked end product photo?
Conversely, if the camera/lens is held stationary, and the focus is selected by adjusting the lens focusing mechanism, what will be the result?

My setup: 5D3 with remote flash mounted on hot shoe, 100 mm_f/2.8 with Kenko extension ring, and the camera is controlled with CamRanger all mounted with a screw operated rail.

Thanks for the advice.
-r

Personally, when focus stacking, I never change the frame i.e. camera never moves. Here is my very basic MO

1. Fix camera on tripod
2. Frame your subject - use live view.
3. Manually focus and shoot a bunch of images - each focusing on a different plane of your subject. Use remote etc.
4. Process in PS.

Hope this helps

Menace

i've never done focus stacking...so pardon my noobness:

step #3...so for example...i'm shooting a flower at a 45 degree angle....i aim the first shot at the furthest petal, the next shot at a petal slightly closer, and so on and so on and so on until i've shot 8-12 images.

is this the basic strategy? (for step #3)

 

[Chapman Baxter]

These two were swinging about next to the TV so I grabbed a few shots (hand held with external flash) and combined 3 in Zerene Stacker. Woodlouse was already very dead but the spider was nice enough to stay still. I've never worked out how to shoot these spiders from a flattering angle - anyone managed it?

As far as I'm concerned, there is no such thing as a flattering angle for any spider!

 

[eml58]

Re: first attempt at stacking macro shots :: )

I know one photographer who puts his insects in the fridge just long enough for their metabolism to slow down to a point where they are almost asleep - and then shoots them.
[/quote
Then you should kick them squarely in the nuts and give their macro lens to a charity shop. It is extremely poor practice to harm your subject in this way. it amounts to nothing more than animal cruelty.

I sort of noticed the funny side of Menace's comment, you know the bit where someone freezes the subject to the point they are slow to move, then shoots them ?? shoots them ?? see the funny side at all ?? No ? must be an Aussie Kiwi thing.

On the other side, your resolution was sort of humorous as well, Kicking People in the Nuts & stealing their Gear is clearly seen as no biggy, while freezing an Ant to slow it down before taking it's Photograph, is Nut Kickable , also very Funny, Love CR in the morning.

But I do like your defence of Insects & all things small, should be more of it, perhaps without the Nut Kicking though .

Some nice Images here, I do a lot of Macro Underwater Imaging, but generally not Focus stacked, this thread has me thinking to try it next time underwater, no chance of semi freezing the subjects as well so my Nuts should be safe ;D

 

[lion rock]

Northstar,
That's the idea. Camera held by tripod ( I used a focus rail ), selected a portion of my object to photograph and focused on it with my CamRanger and iPAD and trip the shutter. Then I moved my rail mounted camera a small distance without refocusing again, the focus plain is moved by that distance I moved the rail. Remote release the shutter. Repeat until the object is photographed front to back.

However, when I stacked my images, the resultant photo was totally in a blur!
The experts here suggested a stationary camera, and focus of different planes will be achieved by changing the camera's focus rather than moving the camera. Something to do in this weekend while my orchids are still in bloom.
-r

 

[Famateur]

Re: first attempt at stacking macro shots :: )

Off Topic:

Then you should kick them squarely in the nuts and give their macro lens to a charity shop. It is extremely poor practice to harm your subject in this way. it amounts to nothing more than animal cruelty.

Hard to believe one's respect for life is genuine when it stops short of humans. ???

On Topic:

These "beginner" shots are simply amazing. Makes me want to pick up a macro lens and take a stab at it myself.

By the way, I didn't know LR/Enfuse could do focus stacking (never thought about it as I use it strictly for blending exposures). I'll have to check it out...

 

[unfocused]

Re: first attempt at stacking macro shots :: )

I know one photographer who puts his insects in the fridge just long enough for their metabolism to slow down to a point where they are almost asleep - and then shoots them.

Then you should kick them squarely in the nuts and give their macro lens to a charity shop. It is extremely poor practice to harm your subject in this way. it amounts to nothing more than animal cruelty.

Hard to believe one's respect for life is genuine when it stops short of humans. ???

Am I missing something here? Does putting an insect in the refrigerator to slow its metabolism slightly do some harm to the insect or are we just anthropomorphizing here? Because I've frequently heard about this technique and understood it to be quite common.

 

[Famateur]

Re: first attempt at stacking macro shots :: )

I know one photographer who puts his insects in the fridge just long enough for their metabolism to slow down to a point where they are almost asleep - and then shoots them.

Then you should kick them squarely in the nuts and give their macro lens to a charity shop. It is extremely poor practice to harm your subject in this way. it amounts to nothing more than animal cruelty.

Hard to believe one's respect for life is genuine when it stops short of humans. ???

Am I missing something here? Does putting an insect in the refrigerator to slow its metabolism slightly do some harm to the insect or are we just anthropomorphizing here? Because I've frequently heard about this technique and understood it to be quite common.

I personally don't see anything wrong with the technique. Just thought it was odd to condemn chilling a fly for a few minutes, then turn around and advocate violence on a person.