I guess I'm getting anxious to take to macro shots of flowers, so instead I worked on this set of images taken last summer.
Considering the DOF I wanted to capture, this is a 80 image stack of dalmation toadflax. Even though this is a serious noxious weed, its snapdragon type flower has always fascinated me. Other than stacking with Zerene, the other editing involved Nik filters to darken and blur the background and adjust the contrast.
As with most of my macro shots, I use natural light, oftentimes filtered with a screen to block harsh lighting.
Any and all critiques are always welcome.
Posted by Anne K. Rusk on April 14, 2012 at 10:50 AM
Wow! An 80 image stack! You have a great deal of patience and it paid off here. I have never noticed these and they are truly interesting and unique. I like how the three you captured are facing different directions. Getting all those fine hairs in focus is a chore for sure and you did an excellent job. Thanks for posting!
Posted by Bill Pelzmann on April 14, 2012 at 11:49 AM
Nice weed ! I thought these were snapdragons, at first glance.
You did a great job controlling the light.
Did you need to set up a windbreak? I'd think even a slight puff of wind would trash your effort.
Were you using a focusing rail to move the camera, or were you adjusting the focus ring ?
Those must have been really fine adjustments!
And lastly, what f-stop do you use when shooting a stack ?
I can't imagine doing an 80 shot DOF stack. That is insane. I get frustrated with just a few. Well, this came off and has great detail. Well done! Like Bill, I'd like to know more about how you went about this.
Yes, you're right Bill, wind is one's enemy on any macro shot, but certainly more so when stacking this many images.
So yes, I have a plexiglass wind screen. Another macro photographer, Mike Moats, provides instructions on building one at this youtube site: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUhbhXbslW4
Obviously, one can make their particular screen any size. I kept mine the size of the plexiglass sheet I purchased, which was 24". This screen, as you will note, has a top as well. On top I typically place my diffusion screen to block out the harsh sun. Besides blocking most of the wind, this setup allows one to photograph in the middle of the day when most landscape photography is not optimal. Of course this really isn't a setup I take on long hikes with either, so I use it on very short hikes into areas I want to photograph. For places I hike where I can't bring the wind box, I bring the clamp shown on this website: http://www.outdoorphotogear.com/store/fms-field-macro-support-and-clamp-system.html
This works ok if the wind isn't too strong. It also serves to hold small diffusers that I would also bring on a long hike or backpack trip.
Once everything is set up, I use a remote shutter release and move the focus rail about 1 or 2 mm for each shot. I normally shoot quite fast to capture a windless period, consistent lighting, etc. So, it's a matter of one hand moving the focus rail knob and the other clicking the shutter release. Even 80 shots goes quite quickly. I have noticed there is a company that markets a motorized, programmable focus rail for those who want precise movements. I suppose with extremely fine details and high magnifications, it would be invaluable.
The most difficult aspect of macro photography for me is selecting the proper background. It is so essential since distractions can ruin a good subject. So, I always try to select subjects that have the optimal plain background. That's where the f stop comes in to play and the big advantage of focus stacking. To blur the background, I can shoot at a low f stop and with stacked photos and have the image be incredibly sharp with the background blurred. Seems to go against the grain, since most macro shots are about high f stop to capture the most DOF one can. Oftentimes, no matter how hard I look the optimal background one can't be found. Thus, I have printed out some generic backgrounds on 8 1/2 x 11 inkjet paper in differing earth shades. For green, I have take a very low DOF shot of a lawn for a nice even green color. So, for this image the f stop was 6.3 at 1/125.
Of course I am still learning quite a bit, particularly how many images I need for a stack. I do believe the 80 in this image was overkill. But then again, I may not have captured the fine hairs. I have learned the hard way, take more in the field and delete when one can view them closely.
My next experimentation this summer with be macro panoramas!
Posted by Bill Pelzmann on April 14, 2012 at 9:16 PM
Thanks for all the stacking details, Ken.
I'm looking forward to your 80 image stack panoramas.
I really liked Mike's windbox construction video.
Pretty simple, if you can cut tape!
Posted by John Mumaw on April 15, 2012 at 12:45 PM
You nailed this one, Ken. Beautiful flowers with a perfect background.
But...80 focal lengths?! Seems to my untrained eye that three or so would do.
Yea, like I mentioned in my explanation, me thinks it was severe overkill. However, it is hard to tell from the image, but there was an inch or more difference from the closest point of the flowers to the back. So, yes, if I would have used higher f-stop, I certainly would not have needed so many images for the desired DOF. However, I really needed to blur the background, thus, a lower f stop and the need to have more images to create a sharp DOF.
It's nice to have the ability to create stacked images, but it is rather difficult in the field. It is better suited for studio setups where wind and other variables are not a factor.
Discussion
8 repliesConsidering the DOF I wanted to capture, this is a 80 image stack of dalmation toadflax. Even though this is a serious noxious weed, its snapdragon type flower has always fascinated me. Other than stacking with Zerene, the other editing involved Nik filters to darken and blur the background and adjust the contrast.
As with most of my macro shots, I use natural light, oftentimes filtered with a screen to block harsh lighting.
Any and all critiques are always welcome.
You did a great job controlling the light.
Did you need to set up a windbreak? I'd think even a slight puff of wind would trash your effort.
Were you using a focusing rail to move the camera, or were you adjusting the focus ring ?
Those must have been really fine adjustments!
And lastly, what f-stop do you use when shooting a stack ?
So yes, I have a plexiglass wind screen. Another macro photographer, Mike Moats, provides instructions on building one at this youtube site: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUhbhXbslW4
Obviously, one can make their particular screen any size. I kept mine the size of the plexiglass sheet I purchased, which was 24". This screen, as you will note, has a top as well. On top I typically place my diffusion screen to block out the harsh sun. Besides blocking most of the wind, this setup allows one to photograph in the middle of the day when most landscape photography is not optimal. Of course this really isn't a setup I take on long hikes with either, so I use it on very short hikes into areas I want to photograph. For places I hike where I can't bring the wind box, I bring the clamp shown on this website: http://www.outdoorphotogear.com/store/fms-field-macro-support-and-clamp-system.html
This works ok if the wind isn't too strong. It also serves to hold small diffusers that I would also bring on a long hike or backpack trip.
Once everything is set up, I use a remote shutter release and move the focus rail about 1 or 2 mm for each shot. I normally shoot quite fast to capture a windless period, consistent lighting, etc. So, it's a matter of one hand moving the focus rail knob and the other clicking the shutter release. Even 80 shots goes quite quickly. I have noticed there is a company that markets a motorized, programmable focus rail for those who want precise movements. I suppose with extremely fine details and high magnifications, it would be invaluable.
The most difficult aspect of macro photography for me is selecting the proper background. It is so essential since distractions can ruin a good subject. So, I always try to select subjects that have the optimal plain background. That's where the f stop comes in to play and the big advantage of focus stacking. To blur the background, I can shoot at a low f stop and with stacked photos and have the image be incredibly sharp with the background blurred. Seems to go against the grain, since most macro shots are about high f stop to capture the most DOF one can. Oftentimes, no matter how hard I look the optimal background one can't be found. Thus, I have printed out some generic backgrounds on 8 1/2 x 11 inkjet paper in differing earth shades. For green, I have take a very low DOF shot of a lawn for a nice even green color. So, for this image the f stop was 6.3 at 1/125.
Of course I am still learning quite a bit, particularly how many images I need for a stack. I do believe the 80 in this image was overkill. But then again, I may not have captured the fine hairs. I have learned the hard way, take more in the field and delete when one can view them closely.
My next experimentation this summer with be macro panoramas!
I'm looking forward to your 80 image stack panoramas.
I really liked Mike's windbox construction video.
Pretty simple, if you can cut tape!
But...80 focal lengths?! Seems to my untrained eye that three or so would do.
It's nice to have the ability to create stacked images, but it is rather difficult in the field. It is better suited for studio setups where wind and other variables are not a factor.