Close-up Photographs Of Flowers Part 2: Hi Ugly Hedgehoggers, These additional images are far from being "Macro". They are mostly 0.13x to 0.52x life sized on my sensor. All but one...

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Close-up Photographs Of Flowers Part 2

Mar 1, 2022 14:14:58 #

lamiaceae Loc: San Luis Obispo County, CA

Hi Ugly Hedgehoggers, These additional images are far from being "Macro". They are mostly 0.13x to 0.52x life sized on my sensor. All but one flower in both parts are far larger than my camera's sensor (~16x23 mm). Some of the equipment used on various images in the first 6 images in this set, A.-F.

Pentax K-3 Camera 24MP APS-C
Pentax DFA 100mm f/4 Macro Lens (FF)
ISO 200

@ f/5.6 to f/9
@ 1/4 to 1/15 second
Shot RAW, Created TIFF, Created JPEG for various attempts at stacking
WeMacro (Focus Stacking) Rail
WeMacro Control and Stepping Software
Samsung Galaxy Note8 SmartPhone for Programming Running Focusing Rail
Tripod
Ps CS6 for Stacking and Further Processing, including cropping
Zerene Stacker Zs Dmap & Zs Pmax modes
Stacks have included from around 9 to 110 separate images, mostly in the 30 to 50 ish range.

I am posting one or more “straight” versions of my images and one or more “experimental” ones that have been processed or created with the digital filters in Ps, Nik, or Topaz. Best viewed in download. Also comments are welcome. What do you especially like and what might be "too much" digital filter-wise.

A. f/8 1/20 s Immature Pincushion Flower 0.13x ZS DMap Landscape Crop

B. f/8 1/20 s Immature Pincushion Flower 0.13x Ps Portrait Crop

C. Immature Pincushion Flower B: Ps TIF Focus Stack; Nik Color Efex Pro 4 Solarization B&W 2

D. Immature Pincushion Flower: Ps TIF Focus Stack; Ps Plastic Wrap – Saturation – Contrast – Lighten

E. Two Yellow Bean Flowers: Pentax K-3 75mm EL-NIKKOR Lens; f/8 1/15 s 0.5x WeMacro Rail, Focus Stack Of 45 Images Nik Color Efex Pro 4 Solarization 3

F. Pentax K-3 Camera, WeMacro Rail, 75mm EL-NIKKOR Lens; f/5.6 1/15 s; 1.6x life size; Orange Flower: J ZS Pmax; Nik Color Efex Pro 4 Solarization

G. Night Blooming Cactus Flower: Shot many years (2017) ago as a mere 6 image stack with a Pentax K-5 (16MP APS-C) DSLR and 35mm or 50mm Macro lens, further processed with Topaz “Spicify” filter.

(Download)

Mar 1, 2022 15:06:03 #

Curmudgeon Loc: SE Arizona

Beautiful set. IMHO No. 1 clearly the best but only because the tight crop on the last one cut off some of the petals, otherwise ...

Mar 1, 2022 16:29:35 #

kpmac Loc: Ragley, La

The first 2 and the last 2 for me.

Mar 1, 2022 17:58:48 #

lamiaceae Loc: San Luis Obispo County, CA

Curmudgeon wrote:

Beautiful set. IMHO No. 1 clearly the best but only because the tight crop on the last one cut off some of the petals, otherwise ...

Yes, unfortunately the top of number 5 got out of the frame. It looked like it would be OK when I set it up. But that is what happens with a stack of 1.6x. I might have been better off at 1.3x or 1.4x. That flower was small but a APS-C sensor is small as well. Number 6 was done years ago 2017 with out a rail. That was the comfortable shot I got. Several had a few of the green sepals cut off on the edges. I got all the white petals for all practical purposes. I have seen a lot of tight shots of flowers but I prefer not losing anything as well. That flower is pretty large so not easy to work with.

Mar 1, 2022 19:50:51 #