Theme: Coral

[Jackie Schuknecht]

I used my 100 mm macro lens and took three shots of this coral and combined them in Helicon Focus using focus stacking. The piece of coral is about 3 1/2 inches long. I have been doing some experimenting but this was a really simple stack. Shot on white matteboard, and then added some textures. Also oil paint, and fractalius. I hope others will challenge themselves and try a new technique that they have never done before.

[Anita Bower]

Good for you for trying focus stacking! Was the coral white, or did you desaturate it? I like the detail in the upper part slightly left of center. The bg is beautiful! I think the bg is too strong for the coral and overpowers it. I look forward to more of your focus stacking images.

[Diane Miller]

A nice experiment! I'd like to see a version with more light modeling (shadows showing up the 3D shape) on the coral -- you got some very nice detail but the overall 3D shape is a bit flat.

[Jackie Schuknecht]

I tried a rework trying to bring out more detail in the coral. Anita the original coral was more of an ivory colour. Does this look any better? I will be trying more focus stacking when time allows. From reading Ron Conlon's post in the General discussion area, the best way to do it seems to be to get the remote app from Helicon Focus, so you can check the focus and sharpness of each image.

[Anita Bower]

I tried a rework trying to bring out more detail in the coral. Anita the original coral was more of an ivory colour. Does this look any better? I will be trying more focus stacking when time allows. From reading Ron Conlon's post in the General discussion area, the best way to do it seems to be to get the remote app from Helicon Focus, so you can check the focus and sharpness of each image.
I see more detail. I think Diane pinpointed the main issue--needs more modeling--shadow and light--to show the three-dimensionality of the coral.

[Diane Miller]

Helicon sounds great but not that necessary to experiment starting out. With the camera on a sturdy tripod you can move the focus ring to get a feel for the near and far focus points and just look at it to get an idea where those two points line up on the ring. Then just shoot (a remote is best for not disturbing the camera) a series as you move the focus ring in small increments between those points.

A little experimenting will give you a feel for the increments for your DOF -- too many is OK.

Would love to see more of your experimenting!

[Kerry Perkins]

This coral made a nice abstract for you. I have been wanting to try some focus stacking... I think I like the repost just a bit more. Nice job!

[Paul Lagasi]

You can see the detail so much better in the repost, I like a few others haven't ever tried stacking. Maybe someone who knows about this can set up a tutorial on how its done? Thanks for posting.

[Diane Miller]

Ron Conlon put some great information in Macro a while back. (Scan down for a very long thread with lots of detailed posts.) Maybe he'd make it a tutorial. It should be in the Educational Resources forum.

[Jackie Schuknecht]

There is also a good thread in the General Photography Discussion under a thread called focus stacking.