Also known as nigella. I have usually shot these with darker backgrounds to bring out the foliage. I was doubtful that it would work with a white background, but decided to give it a shot, and was pleased from the start that the spikes showed up nicely.
A composite of 175 shots (focus stack) taken with tethering software (Helicon Remote) and composited in Zerene.
D800E 200mm f/8 1/200 iso 100 tripod, two flashes one from behind through white plexiglass, one in front in a white box.
Thanks, Diane and Allen.
Diane, the flashes are holding up, but I do run down a lot of batteries ;) I set it up and go and have a coffee elsewhere while it shoots--it rarely hangs, although it did once on this series. The stacking is similar, let the software do the work while I have another cup of coffee. As long as I leave enough room on the hard drive, everything usually goes smoothly. I did one other series this large, for a bouquet of flowers, to try to test the limits. I think the only limitation right now is space on the hard drive. I had been dreaming of trying panoramic stacks of landscapes--I bet that will push the envelope. I worry about the lighting changing, so need to find ideal weather to try that.