Tiny Crawdad, stacked: This is my first successful stacked photo. I used the $200 NiSi manual unit to take a number of shots, in this shot there was 0.5mm between shots. Above the NiSi...

Ammo Alamo Loc: Paris, TX

This is my first successful stacked photo. I used the $200 NiSi manual unit to take a number of shots, in this shot there was 0.5mm between shots. Above the NiSi device I had an old Spiratone Bellows, using a Spiratone 75mm Flat Field Macro screw-mount lens. The bellows was only set to about 38mm since the little bugger only needed about 3/4 lifesize magnification. Camera was a Nikon D7500 I recently bought at KEH for cheap, mated to the Spiratone bellows using a T-Mount to Nikon F adapter. I shot with Mirror Up using an inexpensive generic Wireless Remote pushbutton device. I did everything I could think of to minimize shake within the camera or in the tripod-NiSi-Bellows-Camera arrangement. The 'background' for my stacks after this one uses a neat thin sheet of 'Silicone Cutting Boards" from the Walmart Kitchen Goods aisles, four sheets for five dollars US, Red, Yellow, Blue, and Green, relatively smooth on one side and pebbly on the other.
I used Zerene Stacker to combine the photos. I've done a few experimental stacks and I really like Zerene better than the half-hearted attempts I tried with Helicon? or whatever it's called.
I will probably get better at Retouching using Zerene as I begin to use it more. This poor little guy was found dead and dried in our driveway, and my moderately rough handling knocked off some limbs after I completed this photo, sorry about that. I think his eyes shrunk, too. I am looking for a book on handling dry insects so I can make my subjects last longer. It was about 25.5mm long including antennae, so the photo is less than life-size. For my first try at stacking the subject was set up on a translucent orange kid's pencil box, which helped give it the overall brownish coloration.
There's not much more to tell, except I am hooked already on stacking photos, and wondering if I should return the NiSi and add another hundred bucks to my debt to buy a Wemacro electric unit. It is easy enough to punch the wireless remote to take a shot, then rotate the nicely inscribed dial exactly half a turn (which = half a mm), rinse and repeat 20-40 times and try not to let my attention wander. But it would be even easier to set up parameters then hit a switch for an electric motor, especially if I ever get to making 200 photo stack images.
p.s. the retouching time and effort is a serious part of the process which takes much longer than manually shooting and advancing 30 shots.
There you go, all the expertise of a guy with less than five stacking efforts to date.

dreklaw Loc: Tucson

Simply, WOW!!! Well done.

Manglesphoto Loc: 70 miles south of St.Louis

Ammo Alamo wrote:

This is my first successful stacked photo. I used the $200 NiSi manual unit to take a number of shots, in this shot there was 0.5mm between shots. Above the NiSi device I had an old Spiratone Bellows, using a Spiratone 75mm Flat Field Macro screw-mount lens. The bellows was only set to about 38mm since the little bugger only needed about 3/4 lifesize magnification. Camera was a Nikon D7500 I recently bought at KEH for cheap, mated to the Spiratone bellows using a T-Mount to Nikon F adapter. I shot with Mirror Up using an inexpensive generic Wireless Remote pushbutton device. I did everything I could think of to minimize shake within the camera or in the tripod-NiSi-Bellows-Camera arrangement. The 'background' for my stacks after this one uses a neat thin sheet of 'Silicone Cutting Boards" from the Walmart Kitchen Goods aisles, four sheets for five dollars US, Red, Yellow, Blue, and Green, relatively smooth on one side and pebbly on the other.
I used Zerene Stacker to combine the photos. I've done a few experimental stacks and I really like Zerene better than the half-hearted attempts I tried with Helicon? or whatever it's called.
I will probably get better at Retouching using Zerene as I begin to use it more. This poor little guy was found dead and dried in our driveway, and my moderately rough handling knocked off some limbs after I completed this photo, sorry about that. I think his eyes shrunk, too. I am looking for a book on handling dry insects so I can make my subjects last longer. It was about 25.5mm long including antennae, so the photo is less than life-size. For my first try at stacking the subject was set up on a translucent orange kid's pencil box, which helped give it the overall brownish coloration.
There's not much more to tell, except I am hooked already on stacking photos, and wondering if I should return the NiSi and add another hundred bucks to my debt to buy a Wemacro electric unit. It is easy enough to punch the wireless remote to take a shot, then rotate the nicely inscribed dial exactly half a turn (which = half a mm), rinse and repeat 20-40 times and try not to let my attention wander. But it would be even easier to set up parameters then hit a switch for an electric motor, especially if I ever get to making 200 photo stack images.
p.s. the retouching time and effort is a serious part of the process which takes much longer than manually shooting and advancing 30 shots.
There you go, all the expertise of a guy with less than five stacking efforts to date.

This is my first successful stacked photo. I used... (show quote)

Plieku69 Loc: The Gopher State, south end

Great picture and commentary. Welcome to UHH.
We hope to see more of your work.

Earnest Botello Loc: Hockley, Texas

Great job and shot.

Blenheim Orange Loc: Michigan

Pretty great. Thanks for the description of your method.

You might want to cross-post to the True Macro section:

https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/s-102-1.html

Welcome to UHH!

UTMike Loc: South Jordan, UT

Excellent result!

tcthome Loc: NJ

Beautiful work

Bubalola Loc: Big Apple, NY

Ammo Alamo wrote:

This is my first successful stacked photo. I used the $200 NiSi manual unit to take a number of shots, in this shot there was 0.5mm between shots. Above the NiSi device I had an old Spiratone Bellows, using a Spiratone 75mm Flat Field Macro screw-mount lens. The bellows was only set to about 38mm since the little bugger only needed about 3/4 lifesize magnification. Camera was a Nikon D7500 I recently bought at KEH for cheap, mated to the Spiratone bellows using a T-Mount to Nikon F adapter. I shot with Mirror Up using an inexpensive generic Wireless Remote pushbutton device. I did everything I could think of to minimize shake within the camera or in the tripod-NiSi-Bellows-Camera arrangement. The 'background' for my stacks after this one uses a neat thin sheet of 'Silicone Cutting Boards" from the Walmart Kitchen Goods aisles, four sheets for five dollars US, Red, Yellow, Blue, and Green, relatively smooth on one side and pebbly on the other.
I used Zerene Stacker to combine the photos. I've done a few experimental stacks and I really like Zerene better than the half-hearted attempts I tried with Helicon? or whatever it's called.
I will probably get better at Retouching using Zerene as I begin to use it more. This poor little guy was found dead and dried in our driveway, and my moderately rough handling knocked off some limbs after I completed this photo, sorry about that. I think his eyes shrunk, too. I am looking for a book on handling dry insects so I can make my subjects last longer. It was about 25.5mm long including antennae, so the photo is less than life-size. For my first try at stacking the subject was set up on a translucent orange kid's pencil box, which helped give it the overall brownish coloration.
There's not much more to tell, except I am hooked already on stacking photos, and wondering if I should return the NiSi and add another hundred bucks to my debt to buy a Wemacro electric unit. It is easy enough to punch the wireless remote to take a shot, then rotate the nicely inscribed dial exactly half a turn (which = half a mm), rinse and repeat 20-40 times and try not to let my attention wander. But it would be even easier to set up parameters then hit a switch for an electric motor, especially if I ever get to making 200 photo stack images.
p.s. the retouching time and effort is a serious part of the process which takes much longer than manually shooting and advancing 30 shots.
There you go, all the expertise of a guy with less than five stacking efforts to date.

This is my first successful stacked photo. I used... (show quote)

Great, Ammo!

topcat Loc: Alameda, CA

Very nice work. Hope to see more