Focus Stacked Renunculus: Here are some new macro focus stacked images this time of Red and Yellow Renunculus Flowers. The first three Renunculi were photographed using #2 and #3...

Jambulee Loc: San Antonio del Mar,Tijuana,Mex

Here are some new macro focus stacked images this time of Red and Yellow Renunculus Flowers.
The first three Renunculi were photographed using #2 and #3 extension manual tubes.

http://www.lightrays-photography.com/LittleThings/Focus-Stacked/i-LRZsfg3/0/L/Ranunculus-Red-2-Focus-Stacked-L.jpg

http://www.lightrays-photography.com/LittleThings/Focus-Stacked/i-zLcvWPN/0/L/Ranunculus-Yellow-2-Fous-L.jpg

http://www.lightrays-photography.com/LittleThings/Focus-Stacked/i-7572Nv6/0/L/Renunculus-Yellow-2-2-Focus-L.jpg

This last one was photographed with the #2 & #3 extension tubes and a #10 close up filter on the lens. What you see in focus are 9 exposures.
http://www.lightrays-photography.com/LittleThings/Focus-Stacked/i-zG8qq7Q/0/L/Ranunculus-Yellow-2-3-Master-L.jpg

All were done in Zerene Stacker and PS5, and NIK Viveza 2

Bunny-Jean Loc: Wisconsin

Beautiful Jambulee!!! Very clear focus!!!

ShooterOR

Jambulee wrote:

Here are some new macro focus stacked images this time of Red and Yellow Renunculus Flowers.
the first three Renunculi were photographed using #2 and #3 extension manual tubes.
This last one was photographed with the #2 & #3 extension tubes and a #10 close up filter on the lens. What you see in focus are 9 exposures.
All were done in Zerene Stacker and PS5, and NIK Viveza 2

Nice work! Light source? Red one is the best, IMO

naturepics43 Loc: Hocking Co. Ohio - USA

Jambulee wrote:

Here are some new macro focus stacked images this time of Red and Yellow Renunculus Flowers. All were done in Zerene Stacker and PS5, and NIK Viveza 2

Do you always have to make adjustmentss in PS5 and Nik viveza 2 ( Don't know what this program does) ? I have elements9 but have not learned how to use it. If I can't get a good image out of CombineZp, I'm shot down. Is it possible to get a stacked image without using PP? Almost forgot to comment on your images. Nice work!

Nikonian72 Loc: Chico CA

Not too shabby!

MJL Loc: Wild Rose, Wisconsin

Sweet set! Really like the rich color and detail of the red one. Nice work.

Jambulee Loc: San Antonio del Mar,Tijuana,Mex

naturepics43 wrote:

Jambulee wrote:

Here are some new macro focus stacked images this time of Red and Yellow Renunculus Flowers. All were done in Zerene Stacker and PS5, and NIK Viveza 2

Do you always have to make adjustmentss in PS5 and Nik viveza 2 ( Don't know what this program does) ? I have elements9 but have not learned how to use it. If I can't get a good image out of CombineZp, I'm shot down. Is it possible to get a stacked image without using PP? Almost forgot to comment on your images. Nice work!

You are not shot down. It seems like you are just learning there is a big difference.
Yes naturepics43, focus stacking is only the first step. Once I have the stack looking like I want I think of it as if it came right out of the camera, the I work with it in PP to fine tune the image as I would any other. You can import into Elements 9 once you learn how to use it. All of the standard photographic rules still apply no matter what the image.
NIK Viveza 2 is just another way to do PP. It has some tools that I use in conjunction with PS5. The best thing would be to go to NIK at http://www.niksoftware.com/index/en/entry.php to find out what it does.

Jambulee Loc: San Antonio del Mar,Tijuana,Mex

ShooterOR wrote:

Jambulee wrote:

Here are some new macro focus stacked images this time of Red and Yellow Renunculus Flowers. The first three Renunculi were photographed using #2 and #3 extension manual tubes. All were done in Zerene Stacker and PS5, and NIK Viveza 2

Nice work! Light source? Red one is the best, IMO

Thanks Shooter. My light source was my west facing picture window with a white sheet diffusing the 2 to 4pm sun.

ShooterOR

Jambulee wrote:

ShooterOR wrote:

Jambulee wrote:

Here are some new macro focus stacked images this time of Red and Yellow Renunculus Flowers. The first three Renunculi were photographed using #2 and #3 extension manual tubes.
All were done in Zerene Stacker and PS5, and NIK Viveza 2

Nice work! Light source? Red one is the best, IMO

Thanks Shooter. My light source was my west facing picture window with a white sheet diffusing the 2 to 4pm sun.

Thanks. I love the soft, even lighting you achieved. And it's nice to be "natural"-- It's been so dark in the NW these days, that if I do any of these I have to use artificial light. Even then, I'm generally shooting at 1/4-1sec shutter durations. One really has to watch the slightest breeze on these source images. I wish I had spent more time with zerene. I tried both zerene and Helicon-- and for some reason couldn't get the kind of results you've achieved with Zerene Stacker. I could only buy one! Have you been using it as a plug-in or "stand-alone"?

Jambulee Loc: San Antonio del Mar,Tijuana,Mex

ShooterOR wrote:

quote=Jambulee quote=ShooterOR quote=Jambulee H... (show quote)

Yes movement can ruin a stacked series that is why I do most of mine indoors. What fstop are you using and what is your setup?

I've been using Zerene as a stand alone. I tried it as a plugin with LR but it was so slow I stopped using it that way. Have you watched the Zerene tutorials, they helped me a lot. One thing I do with Zerene that is not obvious is I use it to isolate my center of interest. Many times there are are things in focus that distract from my center of interest. What I do when that happens I will find an exposure where that part is out of focus and then paint it in. I think of it as the same way I would use DOF in a regular photograph. I did that on all three images of the green succulent with water drops especially the last one which is a very busy image, and on the last B&W in this set.

ShooterOR

Jambulee wrote:

quote=ShooterOR quote=Jambulee quote=ShooterOR ... (show quote)

I typically shoot at f8 and use a Velbon focusing rail. It has 4-way movement: forward/back/left/right. It doesn't have a scale. I'll try to shoot a picture and post. My process is this:

Find light source. Identify what I want in the image (compose). My starting point these days is Manual, F/8 1/8 sec. I shoot one, check the Histogram. Adjust until it looks right visually and in the Histogram. (this is like my "Polaroid"). Then I find my front focus point and then take a series of photos, stopping when I reach the last focus point. I sometimes like the last one a little soft so it doesn't look "pasted on the background". Then I load the images in Helicon and it does it's thing. I save as a jpeg and as a tiff-- if I really like it and might do more. I always shoot these in RAW only (I'm not using these in any other way) Occasionally, I'll find a single image that I like, so I do save my source files-- unless it's just absolute crap.

Jambulee Loc: San Antonio del Mar,Tijuana,Mex

Bunny-Jean wrote:

Beautiful Jambulee!!! Very clear focus!!!

Thanks Bunny

Jambulee Loc: San Antonio del Mar,Tijuana,Mex

ShooterOR wrote:

Jambulee wrote:

quote=ShooterOR quote=Jambulee quote=ShooterOR ... (show quote)

I typically shoot at f8 and use a Velbon focusing rail. It has 4-way movement: forward/back/left/right. It doesn't have a scale. I'll try to shoot a picture and post. My process is this:
Find light source. Identify what I want in the image (compose). My starting point these days is Manual, F/8 1/8 sec. I shoot one, check the Histogram. Adjust until it looks right visually and in the Histogram. (this is like my "Polaroid"). Then I find my front focus point and then take a series of photos, stopping when I reach the last focus point. I sometimes like the last one a little soft so it doesn't look "pasted on the background". Then I load the images in Helicon and it does it's thing. I save as a jpeg and as a tiff-- if I really like it and might do more. I always shoot these in RAW only (I'm not using these in any other way) Occasionally, I'll find a single image that I like, so I do save my source files-- unless it's just absolute crap.

quote=Jambulee quote=ShooterOR quote=Jambulee ... (show quote)

Have you purchased Helicon? I tried it a while back but wasn't impressed however it could have been my stack. My images for this last series was 1/60 no fstop recorded as my tubes are manual i have to use the histogram and preview Polaroid as you say to get what I want.
I'm looking forward to seeing your work.

ShooterOR

Jambulee wrote:

ShooterOR wrote:

Jambulee wrote:

quote=ShooterOR quote=Jambulee quote=ShooterOR ... (show quote)

I typically shoot at f8 and use a Velbon focusing rail. It has 4-way movement: forward/back/left/right. It doesn't have a scale. I'll try to shoot a picture and post. My process is this:
Find light source. Identify what I want in the image (compose). My starting point these days is Manual, F/8 1/8 sec. I shoot one, check the Histogram. Adjust until it looks right visually and in the Histogram. (this is like my "Polaroid"). Then I find my front focus point and then take a series of photos, stopping when I reach the last focus point. I sometimes like the last one a little soft so it doesn't look "pasted on the background". Then I load the images in Helicon and it does it's thing. I save as a jpeg and as a tiff-- if I really like it and might do more. I always shoot these in RAW only (I'm not using these in any other way) Occasionally, I'll find a single image that I like, so I do save my source files-- unless it's just absolute crap.

quote=Jambulee quote=ShooterOR quote=Jambulee ... (show quote)

Have you purchased Helicon? I tried it a while back but wasn't impressed however it could have been my stack. My images for this last series was 1/60 no fstop recorded as my tubes are manual i have to use the histogram and preview Polaroid as you say to get what I want.
I'm looking forward to seeing your work.

quote=ShooterOR quote=Jambulee quote=ShooterOR ... (show quote)

I did purchase Helicon. I had trouble retrieving the files created by Zerene-- and I'm thinking it must have been "operator error". Your stacks look very well done. I will try to post some here later this week. I am thinking of buying a set of the Kenko tubes-- I've heard that they maintain some functions. Your light must have been much stronger than what I'm getting here in the Pac NorthWest. I did post a stack under "Images" a few days ago. I'll have to look for it.

naturepics43 Loc: Hocking Co. Ohio - USA

Jambulee wrote:

You are not shot down. It seems like you are just ... (show quote)

Thanks Jambulee for the kind reply. Yes, I am just learning. So much to master and so little time. Thanks also for the NIK link. I think I might put focus stacking on the shelf until I learn how to use Elements 9. In the meantime I'll enjoy the great images you and others post on UHH. Thanks again.