A rose is a rose...

[Kerry Perkins]

Getting to know my new macro lens also. I'm way out of my element here, but that's where the learning happens so I boldly go... This is the center of a white rose. Processing includes Topaz Detail Extractor, Adjust, Darken/Lighten Center, and Vignette. This is a three-image focus stack. I know I didn't do a great job on that aspect, but it was my first try so I'm bound to get better at it.

[Michael Gerald-Yamasaki]

Kerry,

Greetings. Interesting range of contrast - soft to detailed, blue-orange color and a subtle green-purple color. The radial composition is engaging. Thanks for posting.

I've wanted to learn focus stacking myself, but still down on the list. How steep is the learning curve?

Cheers,

-Michael-

[Diane Miller]

A very pleasing image, Kerry, and a great one for a stack. This is always such a frustrating subject, to get enough DOF on those tiny little whatever-they-ares. (Stamens?)

Stacking isn't a big learning curve, except for the care needed in getting carefully aligned shots. But the only current program that will give the best results is Zerene Stacker. Their tutorials seem complicated because it is a very sophisticated program, but for 95% of situations you'll get excellent results with their simple-to-use PMax method. It will avoid the "overlap halos" you get with PS and Helicon Focus, where a very 3D object (such as the stamen on a closeup of a hibiscus flower overlapping a back petal) will be OOF in some of the layers and cause a smear in the resulting image.

[Nancy Bell]

Kerry, this looks good to me. I like that the center anthers vary in sharpness, giving a bit of a motion feel. My imagination must be in high gear because it makes me think of tiny little dancers in their own tiny universe . Nice softness to the white petals with some detail coming in towards the outer edges. Also a lovely glow to the center. Stacking is on my winter project list.

[Kerry Perkins]

Thanks all, I did this focus stack in PS. I took three images at slightly different focus settings, then aligned and blended them in Photoshop. I'm going to be experimenting with this technique to see how far I can get with it. The "real" way is to use a focus rail or something expensive like StackShot, but I'm not obsessed enough to shell out that kind of money. Yet...

[Anita Bower]

Lovely. I like this a lot! Great composition. Lovely colors. I like that the white rose has a blue tint, and how the petals softly flow away from the bright and happy center. Excellent work. I plan to avoid photo stacking. :-)

[Judy Howle]

Ditto the above comments! I think you did a good job with subtle details in the petals and the dancing stamens look great to me. I also like the blue tint. Good work! I also plan to avoid focus stacking. I don't have a macro lens anyhow. If I were to indulge in a "sometimes" lens I would get a fisheye.

[gary ellwein]

Nice contrast between the sharp stamens and soft petals. Focus stacking sounds like a good winter project. Thanks to Diane for some software leads.

[Jackie Schuknecht]

Really lovely Kerry, the luminosity in the petals is gorgeous. It would make a lovely print.

[Diane Miller]

Thanks all, I did this focus stack in PS. I took three images at slightly different focus settings, then aligned and blended them in Photoshop. I'm going to be experimenting with this technique to see how far I can get with it. The "real" way is to use a focus rail or something expensive like StackShot, but I'm not obsessed enough to shell out that kind of money. Yet...

You don't need hardware until you really get into a super-macro lens that goes > 1:1. A steady tripod and a steady hand is enough. I just find the frontmost and backmost focus points and go back and start at the closest and advance the focus ring (MR of course) very slightly for each shot, till I'm sure I've gone past the backmost point. No need to even look thru the viewfinder except near the end to confirm you went far enough. The interval depends on aperture, of course. ESP works fine for me in that regard. The stacking software will choose the sharpest pieces from all the exposures so the shotgun approach is fine. And it will compensate for the changes in magnification.

I use an external shutter release to minimize movement of the camera.