Lessons learned - 30 shot focus stack: Well I found the instructions I followed for Focus Stacking in PS were incomplete and I added on the missing step. In PS, before blending the...

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

Well I found the instructions I followed for Focus Stacking in PS were incomplete and I added on the missing step.
In PS, before blending the shots you really need to align them.

So a 30 shot stack of my dandelion seed head with both align and blend done. Then PP back in LR.

(Download)

tcthome Loc: NJ

Nice pic. I am relatively new to d photography. 1rst time I heard of a 30 shot stack. Guess it takes as many as it takes to get the whole subject in focus.

Bultaco Loc: Aiken, SC

Well done!

CLF Loc: Raleigh, NC

robertjerl wrote:

Well I found the instructions I followed for Focus Stacking in PS were incomplete and I added on the missing step.
In PS, before blending the shots you really need to align them.

So a 30 shot stack of my dandelion seed head with both align and blend done. Then PP back in LR.

Jerry, great "stack". This is a technique I want to learn and I will. Well done.

Greg

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

robertjerl wrote:

Well I found the instructions I followed for Focus Stacking in PS were incomplete and I added on the missing step.
In PS, before blending the shots you really need to align them.

So a 30 shot stack of my dandelion seed head with both align and blend done. Then PP back in LR.

Definitely worth the effort.

lamiaceae Loc: San Luis Obispo County, CA

robertjerl wrote:

Well I found the instructions I followed for Focus Stacking in PS were incomplete and I added on the missing step.
In PS, before blending the shots you really need to align them.

So a 30 shot stack of my dandelion seed head with both align and blend done. Then PP back in LR.

Yes, cool. I've shot many one-exposure dandelions and had wanted to try a Stack but I don't have my make-shift table-top home "studio" spot available to try it. I did try stacking a flower, iris, once. But the shooting took so long that the flower slowly started wilting during the shoot and really created some weird effects and distortion in the final image. Not real desirable.

It might be interesting to experiment with finding just what the minimum number of exposures is for an effective stack and to find what stop for the lens can be used to give the greatest DOF and minimum Diffraction. I shot dandelions so far, not counting trying various positions of lights by using a Prime Macro lens, say 50mm at f/16 and f/22 and get pretty darn good results but of course not sharpness front to back. But even that image is diffraction limited. The lens can give me f/32 but the diffraction would be crazy. So what I would like to try is a stack using that lens (f/4) nearly wide open at f/5.6 or use a regular 50mm f/1.7 prime at f/2.8. That should give high resolution but with virtually no DOF per each exposure. So I would need a lot of them to stack. I just have not had the set up to try it.

I've created one exposure images that are nice but not fully sharp front to back. I really like your dandelion image.

Part of the technique is trying to keep the dandelion intact. One time I just bumped the dandelion with the front of a lens and it got all over the room.

One Careful Exposure Image of A Dandelion

(Download)

Tikva Loc: Waukesha, WI

Stacking is something I've never done, but it is something I want to learn how to do. I'm just learning my camera, D500, and have a long way to go.

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

tcthome wrote:

Nice pic. I am relatively new to d photography. 1rst time I heard of a 30 shot stack. Guess it takes as many as it takes to get the whole subject in focus.

thanks
Yes, I have seen a large image of one over 200 and I know at least one of the focus stacking apps is rated for 500.

John N Loc: HP14 3QF Stokenchurch, UK

It was well worth the effort.

James Van Ells

Well and patiently done!

rmm0605 Loc: Atlanta GA

robertjerl wrote:

Well I found the instructions I followed for Focus Stacking in PS were incomplete and I added on the missing step.
In PS, before blending the shots you really need to align them.

So a 30 shot stack of my dandelion seed head with both align and blend done. Then PP back in LR.

Wow! I admire your patience and persistence!

Carolina Wings Loc: Flew from North Carolina to Pennsylvania

robertjerl wrote:

Well I found the instructions I followed for Focus Stacking in PS were incomplete and I added on the missing step.
In PS, before blending the shots you really need to align them.

So a 30 shot stack of my dandelion seed head with both align and blend done. Then PP back in LR.

Great shot Robert!

jaymatt Loc: Alexandria, Indiana

phkowalchuk Loc: Aurora, CO

I've never done a photo stack. I wonder...how did you determine you needed 30 photos? Thanx.

Vince68 Loc: Wappingers Falls, NY

Very well done Jerry... the final result came out great.