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What is photo stacking?
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Jun 24, 2019 15:57:48   #
LasVegasCindy Loc: Las Vegas, Nv
 
jerryc41 wrote:
Lots of links - br https://www.youtube.com/watch?v... (show quote)


WOW, thanks for taking the time to post these links, Jerry! I certainly appreciate it! Looks like I have some reading to do!

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Jun 24, 2019 15:58:00   #
Fredrick Loc: Former NYC, now San Francisco Bay Area
 
brianmcnarch wrote:
Ancillary question: how long did the shot take? how long will a hornet or bee stay still for this kind of work o


Doesn’t look alive to me.

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Jun 24, 2019 16:11:01   #
LasVegasCindy Loc: Las Vegas, Nv
 
sippyjug104 wrote:
I shoot focus stacking images nearly everyday and I post them in the True Macro Photography section here.

I like to think of focus stacking as a loaf of bread. Imagine taking a picture a slice at a time where you can focus past the slice before it yet not completely focus on the slice after it. As you take the pictures slice by slice you progress your way from the starting heal to the end heal of the loaf.

You then use a software program that merges the individual images into one image that is focused sharply from one end to the other.

I've attached a focus stacked image of a Queen European Hornet that I posted a week ago to illustrate how the camera progresses from taking a photo from the closest tip of its antenna and progressing with photographs until I reached focus on the tip of the hair on its tail.

The lens combination that I use has a razor thin field of view so there are several hundred shots taken to be processed. The software that I used takes a bit over three hours to process all of the images taken in this session.
I shoot focus stacking images nearly everyday and ... (show quote)


Your hornet photo is probably the most amazingly focused image I have ever seen!! Not one detail has been left out! I will go to the True Macro section to see more of your images as I am in awe of your work and expertise!

I love your analogy with the loaf of bread. It really helps me visualize the process! Do you always take so many photos when you focus stack? Your results are amazing!! Thank you for sharing them!

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Jun 24, 2019 16:16:39   #
LasVegasCindy Loc: Las Vegas, Nv
 
robertjerl wrote:
It is in the App Store. And the Helicon and Zerene full on stacking software both come in mac versions.


Good to know! Thanks

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Jun 24, 2019 16:20:44   #
LasVegasCindy Loc: Las Vegas, Nv
 
Chris T wrote:
Cindy - Gene's response, thus far - is the most explicit, be it also - the most complicated.

If you have a late model DSLR - including most Sony models, and some of the more recent Canons, and Nikons, you will find you can initiate HDR from the menus. This is a simplified way of doing Focus Stacking, and will allow the camera to do all the work. It will take 3-5 images of the subject, at hand, layering them all on top of each other - to give you the best Photo (with them all compiled) automatically!
Cindy - Gene's response, thus far - is the most ex... (show quote)


Hi Chris T! Yes I have seen the HDR setting on my camera and my iPhone. I will pay more attention to that and do some experimenting with it! Thanks for pointing that out!

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Jun 24, 2019 16:24:51   #
sippyjug104 Loc: Missouri
 
I use a WeMacro digital motorized focus rail and I set the number of shots based on the lens and the amount of magnification I use. When I use a 10X microscope objective as the camera's lens the distance the camera travels between shots is 8-microns. I shoot in the mirror up and manual mode. I set the control to pause 1-second between shots. Three hundred shots is a low number norm for my sessions. Some exceed 1,000 images.

I use Zerene Stacker Pro as my software of choice and my process time is 2+ hours on the short end to as high a 6-hours for some recent sessions. All of my work is automated and once I get the subject staged and lighting arranged I click the button and walk away and return later.

The same is true for my stack processing. I transfer the images to my work file, load them in a new project, hit the button and the software processes it all while I do something else. When finished there's a little cleanup work of the final image (like clone out the mounting pin holding the insect) and I'm done.

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Jun 24, 2019 17:32:57   #
bleirer
 
lev29 wrote:
Wonderful URL that you provided, bleirer! Cambridgeincolour has another link that I believe is complementary to this: https://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/focus-stacking.htm.


Those tutorials are all worthwhile, enough science but practical applications. He had a book too, sounds good.

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Jun 24, 2019 18:00:05   #
LasVegasCindy Loc: Las Vegas, Nv
 
sippyjug104 wrote:
I use a WeMacro digital motorized focus rail and I set the number of shots based on the lens and the amount of magnification I use. When I use a 10X microscope objective as the camera's lens the distance the camera travels between shots is 8-microns. I shoot in the mirror up and manual mode. I set the control to pause 1-second between shots. Three hundred shots is a low number norm for my sessions. Some exceed 1,000 images.

I use Zerene Stacker Pro as my software of choice and my process time is 2+ hours on the short end to as high a 6-hours for some recent sessions. All of my work is automated and once I get the subject staged and lighting arranged I click the button and walk away and return later.

The same is true for my stack processing. I transfer the images to my work file, load them in a new project, hit the button and the software processes it all while I do something else. When finished there's a little cleanup work of the final image (like clone out the mounting pin holding the insect) and I'm done.
I use a WeMacro digital motorized focus rail and I... (show quote)


Wow, that is quite a process!! Thanks for sharing!

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Jun 24, 2019 18:06:29   #
lev29 Loc: Born and living in MA.
 
bleirer wrote:
Those tutorials are all worthwhile, enough science but practical applications. He had a book too, sounds good.
HE?
I’m sorry, what is his name, please? I couldn’t find a soft key on that page that led to the author’s name.

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Jun 24, 2019 18:26:18   #
bleirer
 
LasVegasCindy wrote:
Thanks for this information. What camera(s) do you use?


My canon eos RP has focus stacking. You can dial in up to 999 shots I believe, and set the focus increment from narrow to wide and click 'smoothing' If desired. Focus on the near point and press the shutter once and it moves the focus for you and automatically shoots as many images as needed to get to infinity. Using the software that came with the camera, after getting the images out of the camera, you can click any one of the photos to start stacking, or you can be selective if you don't want the background in focus. It can be done in photoshop also if preferred.

I think a lot of cameras have focus stacking built in. It also has HDR built into the camera, but only gives jpegs, so I do it in photoshop so I can shoot raw.

What camera are you using?

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Jun 24, 2019 18:30:02   #
bleirer
 
lev29 wrote:
HE?
I’m sorry, what is his name, please? I couldn’t find a soft key on that page that led to the author’s name.


https://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Photography-Digital-Capture-Perfect-ebook/dp/B077X2Z363

Sean McHugh

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Jun 24, 2019 23:08:21   #
bwana Loc: Bergen, Alberta, Canada
 
LasVegasCindy wrote:
Hello All,

I have been seeing posts and photos related to photo stacking. Can someone please explain in plain terms, what it is and how is it achieved? I’m guessing it is done in post processing but honestly do not have a clue! So much to learn! Thanks in advance for any responses!

Aligning and stacking multiple images reduces random noise in the final image, i.e.: improves the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Improvement equates to the sq.rt. of the number of images. 16 images gives a 4x improvement in SNR.

Stacking is normally done in postprocessing; however, some cameras can do stacking internally to do noise reduction.

bwa

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Jun 25, 2019 01:20:40   #
John Sh Loc: Toronto, Australia
 
A long time in this case. It looks kinda dead to me.

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Jun 25, 2019 01:32:07   #
John Sh Loc: Toronto, Australia
 
Most of my stacks are 60 to 80 shots so about 10 to 15 minutes for the photography, half an hour to set up then up to an hour of more, including post processing, on the computer. I do a lot of plant specimen shots with a DOF of 4cm so use one shot for every 2cm of specimen depth. This makes the process much faster and sometimes you will get a better result with fewer images. I also take at least on shot before the near and after the far focus points.

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Jun 25, 2019 11:20:50   #
lev29 Loc: Born and living in MA.
 
bleirer wrote:
https://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Photography-Digital-Capture-Perfect-ebook/dp/B077X2Z363
Sean McHugh
Oh, wow! Thank you, sir!

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