HOHIMER

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Focus stacking is a series of images made at different depth points in the image. In order to do this properly you need a focusing rail that can move your camera forward at set intervals. The correct way to do this is not to change the focusing of the lens, you have to literally move the camera forward slowly and make exposures as the camera is moved. Changing the focusing of the lens changes the perspective of the subject and the end result is not sharp. This has to be done on a focusing rail. There are videos on youtube that explain the process. Look for focus stacking on a focusing rail. You dont change the focusing of the camera, you have to move the entire camera forward bit by bit until you cover the depth of the item you want to photograph keeping the focusing of the camera untouched. Here is a video on the correct way to do focus stacking. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gf7ABBqd0bw&feature=related One last thing, you can not have your camera set to auto focusing it must be in the manual setting. This is the only way to do focus stacking properly. I would recommend the Novoflex castel-l focusing rail, you can find these used on ebay for a good price. They are a little expensive but its a great rail. The stacking is done in photo merge in photoshop and there are videos about this also.[/quote]
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Silver.
How do you think the focusing rail might work on the 9 foot length proposed above?

melphoto60

gavin hoey has a youtube video on focus stacking, seems to me you would have six shots to stack...you can also try focusing abt half way into the sceen and then use either f8-f16, check depth of field preview it will be diffecult to see if everything is in focus because view finder will get dark, if your camera has live view this part might be easier to see.

photogrl57 Loc: Tennessee

You guys are Awesome !!!!! Thank you for helping me understand the concept.... I was adjusting the f/stop thinking that was the way .. but no it was the focal length.
I cannot sing y'all's praises enough for getting me past my blonde moment .....
I totally understand now and here is my very first success. YAY
This is straight out of the camera .. no editing except for the stacking in photoshop ... and resizing it was huge.
I am soooooo happy :)
Except I so need to clean my dusty lens LOL

this was made from 5 photos

tainkc Loc: Kansas City

You did good, Queeny. I especially love those bolts and strap. They make the picture! Lol.

But here is the sad part: I can do that In one shot. lol. You know that I am just messing with you. You set out to accomplish something, and you did it. Yay! Now then, you need to go out into the neighbourhood and find a nice, long Boa Constrictor that some one turned loose and try this technique on it. You may have to take more than 5 photos though.

Seriously, how much time did you spend in pp?

RichardSM Loc: Back in Texas

I agree the frame seems to be full of items or you are just to close, maybe try a different angle. Best of luck

lesdmd Loc: Middleton Wi via N.Y.C. & Cleveland

This information is partially correct. Ideally focus stacking is done with a rail because continuously refocusing the lens does change perspective. That said, better than acceptable results can be done by creating slices by changing lens focus without moving the camera. I can tell you, from personal experimentation, that Zerene Stacker does a faster and generally superior job to Photoshop.

English_Wolf Loc: Near Pensacola, FL

This article is good and shows that your successive focus for the next picture has to be within the first or last third of your initial dof. Now there is the software question. Can it recognize the focus order or not? That maybe of interest to know.

(some panoramic software want ordered picture to work, other - more sophisticated - do not) I assume here that the same exist for stacking software.

photogrl57 Loc: Tennessee

none really .... I sent them from bridge to photomerge ... unchecked the merge feature ... then once it was all in photoshop in the same file I selected them all and in the edit menu had them align and thats it .... no other pp was done. took maybe a minute

iresq Loc: Annapolis MD

Cool link.

tainkc Loc: Kansas City

Ah, she read the book.

RMM Loc: Suburban New York

Congratulations. Don't let them beat you up about background, etc.. You conducted an experiment, it worked, now you know how to repeat your success. I can just imagine the next 10 photos you're going to post!

photogrl57 Loc: Tennessee

LOL me too

LoneRangeFinder Loc: Left field

The aperture is not supposed to change. The only thing that should change is the focal point. Ideally this is accomplished for macro shots is by moving the camera closer with each shot. This is best done using a rail. The idea is that this plane of focus is overlapped. Of course if you are using this technique for a landscape the overlap will have to occur by changing the focal point using the lens. In either case, you should leave some space around the subject for cropping.

photogrl57 Loc: Tennessee

I don't have a macro lens so that was not an option for me ... the camera is supposed to remain completely still for this technique ... every book I read and every tutorial I checked out said the same thing only the f/stop changes ... which is why I was so confused as to how the heck to get it accomplished..... However we have quite a few photographic genius' among us ... and I was able to accomplish my task and the experiment was a complete success. Using my existing equipment. :) HooRah !!

LoneRangeFinder Loc: Left field

Agree to disagree. I've also read a lot on focus stacking and they generally recommend a constant f 8 aperture ( this is the "sweet spot" for most lenses.) Check it out on wikipedia, or google helicon focus, or Zerene Stacker.