pfrancke Loc: cold Maine

for your consideration

this was a 21 frame stack. It sure was nice to now know how to open the TIF stack with ACR so that I could edit it there first.

The other side I think will be better but I won't be able to do it for a couple of days.

largest edge to largest edge is about the size of a quarter. I would imagine that the thing whose mouth these teeth filled could swim faster than our ancestors and would probably find us very tasty.

(Download)

Frank2013 Loc: San Antonio, TX. & Milwaukee, WI.

Exquisite Piet......hard to believe you might come up with something better.

pfrancke Loc: cold Maine

Hi Frank - I will let you be the judge of that when I post the other side in a couple of days. I was disappointed in this one because I accidently did it backwards from what I thought I was doing. The serrations show better on the other side.

A big key to my success with this was ACR to normalize the light the way I wanted and to separate out the color using the sliders. Anyway, thank you for your encouragement!

Chuck_893 Loc: Lincoln, Nebraska, USA

I've studied it as big as it goes. The detail is exquisite, sharp (sharp sharp). Gorgeous light, rimlight on the right. Looks like it's sitting on black Plexi. Simply wonderful shot of a supremely detailed tiny object.

So the question is, why is it necessary to stack 21 exposures? Why could this not be achieved with a single exposure? I've never done stacking but I used to make a living doing (among other things) tabletop of all sorts of stuff in a day when stacking was only a pipe dream. I would only have been able to make a single shot. To get it to look like that would have taken (probably) nearly as much work in the studio as stacking it (I think but I've never done it). I'm not trying to be cute; I am sincerely curious why stacking was necessary/best way... :?:

pfrancke Loc: cold Maine

Hi Chuck!

Front to back we are looking at about 1/4 inch. Stacking was easy for me at 21 frames only because that was what I had my rig already set to and I knew it would do the job. I won't have time tonight, but tomorrow I will post the first frame SOOC and we will take a look at it.

My "off-the-cuff" reaction is that to fill the frame, stacking was required. If I were to do a crop, then not. I don't remember my aperture (probably around F/10), with my MP-E 65 I could probably have used F/16 for greater DOF. I don't think I could have had a DOF for a 1/4 inch and filled the frame.

I had it "mounted" by sticking it to a piece of clay putty from the back and then put some dark material behind it, so it was suspended.

BTW, I am strictly a hobbyist finding his way, so my knowledge and pushing of my skills is sporadic at best and I appreciate your points very much!

Lighting was in a home-made light box and under a home-made concave diffuser. Three flashes, probably underexposed. (probably stacking reduces noise a little too).

Probably I did not need 21 frames though!!!

minniev Loc: MIssissippi

It is a fine image Piet - the detail, the background, the lighting, the editing and the image as a whole. Though I am less than even a novice at focus stacking, this looks perfectly done. I cannot even imagine how you accomplished it. Other people offer tutorials about how to accomplish interesting things here. Have you considered doing that?

Chuck_893 Loc: Lincoln, Nebraska, USA

Well, ya did a heckuva job! I look forward to seeing anything else you can show to explain the process. That lens is (as I understand it) one of the best macros there is.

Thanks for the explanation of the setup. I see what looks like a slight reflection of the tooth in the foreground which is why I figured you had it on Plexi (I used to use black Plexi a lot, and modeling clay and small mirrors were all staples for tabletop). You lightbox sounds great. I no longer have the room to do anything and I miss it sometimes.

pfrancke Loc: cold Maine

Hi Minnie, You are very kind! My stacking process is a hardware solution. Here is a link showing my light tent:
http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-360538-1.html
The image shows a different lens (a 400mm with a microscope objective on it) allowing me to reach 20X magnification.

But anyway, I have an automated rail that the camera sits on. The chunk of wood is now also sitting on a slice of memory foam. I push a button and the camera is moved closer to the subject and then it snaps a shot.

I take the images I want to stack and run them through PS automation to create TIF files and sharpen the images slightly, then I run a stacking program (Zerene) that blends the images based on contrast and sharpness. Then I take the output from that and subject it to photoshop butchery.

The biggest key to it (in my opinion) is having properly diffused light.

minniev Loc: MIssissippi

That sounds very impressive but absolutely impossible for a normal human being. I'm overwhelmed and obviously overmatched.

pfrancke Loc: cold Maine

That lens is beyond my ability to use properly hand-held. Very narrow DOF. But on my stacking rail, it gives me nice result. BUT I think LIGHT is the most important part of the process!!!!! That has been my conclusion anyway, after a long time of experimentation and slow painful progress.

pfrancke Loc: cold Maine

The Macro section has taught me everything I know.. And I don't know that much, they have just shown me how to do things.

We all have a focus on different aspects of photography. That is why I seek friendships here also, because I know that there is so much to learn and this is a place where that kind of thing can happen!!

Uuglypher Loc: South Dakota (East River)

You took the words right out of my mouth, Min!

Howzabout it, Piet? Given my enthusiasm for ACR I'm especially eager the see how you integrate ACR in your stacking workflow!

Dave

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

A beautiful shot, Piet, and thank you so much for all the information on how you accomplished. I visit True Macro once in awhile, and am highly impressed with the technique!

pfrancke Loc: cold Maine

LOL Dave. My tut (as it is, is just my answer to Minnie with the light tent image showing my setup).

Now to answer your question about ACR. This is what I learned from YOU!!! When I get home, I will post a SOOC frame.

I used photoshop image processer to (in an automated fashion) turn my CR2 files into TIF files (slightly sharped by a photoshop action). Then into the Zerene program which creates an image combining the sharpest pieces of all the individual frames. It is a TIF file also.

You taught me how to open it in Photoshop with a "open as" command to get me into ACR. On the histogram, my image was on the left side, so I screwed around with the sliders (the color sliders also) and did my beginning processing using ACR. Basically I tried to normalize the histogram to my liking (if I can use your words as I best understand them).

Anyway, first editing was ACR, then back into photoshop for some "Billy" selective high pass filter sharpening.

pfrancke Loc: cold Maine

Hi Linda. I attempted to shoot a subject that I was hoping had aspects of the golden ratio to it. (I don't know how successful THAT part of my exercise was).