Common Blue Merged Photo

Hi all

I'd like to discuss this image as I've never done merged work before and want to know what people's feelings on the subject are especially for submitting work to agencies etc...

With this image, taken on one of the windy sessions last week, there was a few images where the wings were sharp and others where the head was sharp, but none where both head and wings were sharp. Instead of throwing them all in the rubbish bin (as I thought the image was usable) and not having this photo in my files, I decided to try and combine two of the photographs together as I know a lot of landscape photographers achieve fantastic results with this technique. With this image I used the one with the wings sharp and merged the sharp head from another photograph.

Some might say that I could have been more accurate over the focus plane through the subject on the day, increased the ISO, or used a bigger depth of field (which i should have done anyway!! ) and others might say go back the next day to try again. Although all of these are correct, the lighting conditions for a second attempt, or third, or fourth may not have given the strange lighting that I feel this photo has achieved. Without using the merging technique, this photograph would have been sent to the bin as it is not a 'perfect' image and lost altogether.

I would like to hear other peoples views on this. Would this be good enough to send to an agency (obviously if I stated it was a manipulated image) or just keep it as a personal file for talks and cards etc.

Your thoughts and comments would very much be appreciated.

Regards

Ian



Canon 40D
Canon 100mm f/2.8
ISO 250
1/160sec @ f/5.6

Merging 2 photo's together isn't HDR, HDR is combining images together that have different exposure values, to maximise the dynamic range. most HDR I see is over done and the shadows have been forgotten about, ave a look at photomatix web site for HDR software.

I like your image, I think you have done well combining 2 images together, although the top of the flower head looks slightly soft, compared to the lower bit and the butterfly.

Hi Ian, looks like a nice image to me.

Ian looks like your technique has worked well, too well in fact as for me the flower head dominates the butterfly and makes it look slightly unatural.


Major.

Yes I agree with the previous comments but still a nice result though.
JohnR

Hi all

Thanks for the definition Daniel, i forgot about the exposure blending bit... ... oops!
With regards to Major's post, the only bit I have merged is the butterfly's head so only about 1% of the full frame. I haven't touched any other part of the image so maybe this image just doesnt work from the start.

I'd be interested in other views though.

Ian

Quite like this Ian, although perhaps a bit more to the left?

I think its nice, i ould try to clone the o.o.f leaf out.
Rene de Heer

I think it works pretty well and I like it. Lots of people focus stacking these days and I don't see anything wrong with it myself.
Eric

a nice image Ian, I regularly focus stack images to increase DOF, although mainly in high magnification images taken with my MP-E 65 lens. This image works well although the flower head is perhaps a little dominant.

Matt