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| Moderated by: chrisbet, | ||
| Author | Post | |||||||||
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Graham Whistler
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Taken x5 images with Nikon D850 and Macro 105mm AF-S Nikon Lens at exposure and focus M. Camera locked firmly on tripod. All 5 shots at F11 starting on closes part the M progress focus in each shot. Import all 5 pixs into Photoshop CC as follows: File Menu Scripts, Brows files you need to use. Select all 5 files and load into 5 layers in correct order as shot. Next USE auto Attempt to align. From top menu EDIT Select Auto Blend Layers Select the stacked images. Save as final tiff file after normal crop, levels and small amount of USM, Above is final image, may not win prizes but my first go at this. Attachment: Blend Finished Image.jpg (Downloaded 316 times) |
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Graham Whistler
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PS to abve you can use as many images as you like I saw a demo with 18 used images on U-Tube. The Nikon has built in auto blend stacked images but I have not tried that yet as I thought I would have far more control in Photoshop CC. If any of you Nikon Friends out there could add to this please do as I need to help another Nikon friend get to grips with this. |
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jk
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Nice work Graham. The Z7 has this built in as well and should produce incredible detail but I havent tried it yet. |
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Graham Whistler
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Another go this time with a complex subject with a lot more depth. 7 layers in stack and taken with same set-up as above. Studio flash ans camera on very firm tripod. Again processed and image stack blended in Photshop CC. Attachment: Blended Finished 2.jpg (Downloaded 298 times) |
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Graham Whistler
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This is a ref shot from side of the same subject to show the depth of focus required from a top view! This is a normal pix with no stacking but F22 with flash power turned up. Attachment: Side View.jpg (Downloaded 295 times) |
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Graham Whistler
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https://nps.nikonimaging.com/technical_solutions/d850_tips/useful/focus_stacking/ This is a very good link for those of us that use the 850 I will report more later as I have more tewsts to do. So far so good! PS! Here is a good U-Tube on landscape image stacking: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wx014kIUNJw |
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jk
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Graham Whistler wrote:https://nps.nikonimaging.com/technical_solutions/d850_tips/useful/focus_stacking/Thanks Graham. Been looking at this technique but havent actually used it. The YouTube video is taken at a location not so far away from me.  Must go visit and see if I can do the same. |
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Graham Whistler
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JK I have now done test with D850 photo of A$ size test written page at angle 45. Camera on M exp 105mm Macro AF-S lens on auto focus. In camera shooting menu: Focus Shift Shooting, No Shots 11, Focus step width 10, Exp Smoothing on, Silent Photography on. All set but must start with OK button once checked camera is focused on nearest part of subject. Press OK: done it very quickly. I then imported into Photoshop CC to load the 11 files Select Scripts load files in stack then select all 11 files in layers. Next go to Edit top menu and Attempt to Align Source image. Next Auto Blend Layers. Job done! I think a page of text is of no interest so I will take a suitable pix and publish it this blog! |
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Graham Whistler
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I have now donw a test out doors with the D500 and 105mm AF-S Macro Lens. Tulip at an angle even at f16 it would be very hard to get it all sharp. I set up the D050 as per page 212 in the camera instruction book. Focused on the closes part of the flower and shot a burst of 12 shots. The first 5 were all I needed to get this picture. If I had used all 12 pixs the grass would also have been pin sharp. Firm tripod required and had to wait for right light and more important no wind! Having got exposure and first focus point in place camera was still in the Focus Shift Photography Menu just gently hit OK! In less than 10 sec job done full automatic. Note there is very slight ghosting on left lower of flower, this is in one layer there could have been a slight puff of wind but it would be easy to correct in Photoshop. Give it a go and post some of your pix here, it works very well. Attachment: Blended Tulip.jpg (Downloaded 249 times) |
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Graham Whistler
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Ghosting removed and slight plus on contrast as the forum still tends to soften images a bit. Attachment: Blended Tulip 2.jpg (Downloaded 244 times) |
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jk
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Superb image. I cant see the ghosting you mention but maybe I am not looking close enough. |
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Robert
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Second one looks better, think it still looks slightly undersaturated. Wind is always an issue with outdoor flower photography. For small low flowers a glass or plastic bell like a large sweet jar with the bottom cut out, and a hole for the lens, is one way, the best way is in greenhouse or take flower into studio. I have set up tripod in perfectly calm conditions started exposures and wind comes from nowhere! Then have to wait ages for it to settle down. This happened at Ness Gardens when I went specially to photograph Pieris Formosa Forrestii, one of the three bushes from the first shipment of seeds sent from China by George Forrest. Take a look at Michael Erlewine's work, stunning. A short video, more of Michael's work is well worth checking out. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ruemLwqrbo |
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Graham Whistler
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Thanks for that Robert. Colour of tulip is spot on it is a very pale colour but the forum does tend to make images softer if you same the same image on my website you would see wahat I mean. I will put it up on my website and here is the link: http://gwpmultimedia.com/flowers/ |
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chrisbet
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Graham Whistler wrote:Ghosting removed and slight plus on contrast as the forum still tends to soften images a bit.Don't "attach" the image file (it resizes the image) - use the blue cross button to upload the image & paste to the post, then it should retain the sharpness. |
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Graham Whistler
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This is computer capture of the layers in Photoshop CC with the blended final image. Attachment: Imag Stack 2.jpg (Downloaded 191 times) |
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Graham Whistler
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I tried to load this with blue cross but did not work we need bit more help with this please. This picture needs to show detail of how good stacking and blending is with no loss of sharpness becuse you can use lens at prime f stop settings and avoid loss of detail by defraction and likes of f32! I am doing my best to get more serious topic going there is too much of the same every day in bird topic AND OTHERS we need to advace things with a bit more thought and generate help and learnig like we did in the old days with this forum. I hope some of you will see what I mean get your own website if you want to post more and more images but save you best only for here. WE WILL LOSE OUR WAY AND VALUED MEMBERS WILL STOP POSTING NEW AND GOOD INFO! Attachment: Image Stack Cati.jpg (Downloaded 189 times) |
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Eric
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Graham Whistler wrote:I tried to load this with blue cross but did not work we need bit more help with this please.Thanks for posting details of your procedure, Graham. It's something I have been promising myself to explore but not yet got round to it. Maybe once all the current domestic issues are resolved I will knuckle down and try it. On the subject of posting lots of images in threads... I had always assumed that threads were about information sharing...on any subject. And images could be used to illustrate a point. Members Galleries on the other hand are there to display our work....where people can browse through the images more conveniently than when the images are intermingled with spurious comments and the inevitable thread drift. When you first started the Bird photography topic a number of us posted our efforts and there was constructive discussion that, I for one, enjoyed and learnt a lot. But it soon became clear to me that pursuit of excellence wasn't so much about equipment but more about fieldcraft, local access and being prepared to invest time...more time than I was prepared to invest... especially as I was lagging behind in the other criteria as well. 😆 Yes it's true that if people stop contributing, it does become pointless in terms of learning. I remember in my IR days that members expressed interest in technique, lens, processing ...even though few intended to have a go themselves. Once the initial interest was satiated, I became painfully aware I was the main poster on the IR threads and when the only responses were suppressed yawned 'nice shot'... I stopped posting them. The reality is that EVERY subject, once all new information has been shared, dries up. I except your focus stacking to do the same. It's also true that the whole digital imaging has come of age. We all know how to do 'it' in our own particular way. And for most that's good enough. I could bore people on the use of Affinity Photo on an iPad ....few would ever feel it useful. To keep interest we need new topics. The trouble is they seem to be fewer in number these days. I do feel threads are for new topics, (illustrated) information sharing; when they become pseudo galleries, they have run their course. Just my 2 cents. |
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Graham Whistler
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Eric thanks for that I agree with all you have said. Perhaps JK could gaive us his thoughts on the subject? |
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jk
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I have been following this thread very actively as the technique interests me as I see it as a technique for improving my landscape photography. I have seen it used before in macro photography but I dont find that topic particularly interesting except to see other people's great images. I think that if we are 'old' photographers then we remember the evenings of see holiday slides from others! Everybody has a boredom level and it is variable. I like to learn the names of the birds since the RSPB seems to be less good these days at putting out definite bird books/DVDs. Books are better for this learning though. As Eric says ....... "But it soon became clear to me that pursuit of excellence wasn't so much about equipment but more about fieldcraft, local access and being prepared to invest time...more time than I was prepared to invest." Eric, I have two Fuji XE1 IR (655nm and Full Spectrum) cameras and 1 D80 (655nm) and D70 (720nm) IR cameras. I still need to experiment with the Full Spectrum camera but this Brexit stuff and the need to move back to UK has destroyed my spare time! I still enjoy the IR stuff and experiment with it but not as much as I would like. In general I definitely agree with Eric's comment..."To keep interest we need new topics. The trouble is they seem to be fewer in number these days." I am happy if people want to take photos and only participate in only one thread. I do agree that the Gallery is the best way to post images and with the current enhancements to the forum software performed by Chris all images are put into each person's personal gallery. I personally spend a lot of time in the Fuji X forum as I am a moderator there. However since my Z7 has arrived I am taking more and more images with the Z7. Plus ca change! |
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jk
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Graham, Please can you annotate your image showing where you mentioned that you had ghosting in your image in post#9. |
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Graham Whistler
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It is the lower left and here is a blow-up of the area easy to remove in Photoshop. It must have been in tiny bit of wind on only one of the stacked images when shooting. Attachment: Ghosting Tulip.jpg (Downloaded 168 times) |
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Robert
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jk wrote:I like to learn the names of the birds. Yes please! I find it incredibly frustrating seeing lovely photographs of birds but no description or caption. Sometimes, when I have time, I embark on a search for similar images which are named, just so I can learn the names. I do know the names of a handful of birds but not the vast majority. It would be greatly appreciated if a caption with plant or bird name was added to most images also location for landscape images. I always try to include other relevant data like camera/lens and exposure details so others can see how the photograph was created. I have in the past been influenced in my choice of gear by images here and elsewhere because the poster was kind enough to add the basic shooting data. As Eric says ....... "But it soon became clear to me that pursuit of excellence wasn't so much about equipment but more about fieldcraft, local access and being prepared to invest time...more time than I was prepared to invest." When I got the D3, it rapidly occurred to me that long glass is needed for distant subjects, way beyond my pocket if they were to create good quality images. I set a notional limit of 300mm, retaining my 300mm f/2.8, giving me an equivalent to 450mm on DX. I parted with my 400mm f3.5 because it 'broke the rule' and was only slightly longer anyway and heavier. In general I definitely agree with Eric's comment..."To keep interest we need new topics. The trouble is they seem to be fewer in number these days." With the advances in technology and user experience we have fewer technical problems, most wrinkles have been eliminated and therefore questions and discussions are fewer. I am happy if people want to take photos and only participate in only one thread. I feel the 'theme' threads like the bird photography thread ARE the way forward, that thread has by far the greatest views of any thread we have seen on this forum, I believe all contributions add to the diversity of the content of that thread. I am constantly striving to widen my experience of photography and learn new stuff. Wide spectrum photography, night time and focus stacking are all technically challenging and push one's abilities and understanding of photography further. The choice of lens is also extremely important with focus stacking. The choice of lens has a huge influence in the final image. Focus stacking is one of the most challenging aspects of photography. I am planning a purpose made bench and a novel mount for that when I have time. |
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chrisbet
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Graham Whistler wrote:I tried to load this with blue cross but did not work we need bit more help with this please.What help do you need? The process is basically the same as the attach file routine with one additional step - once you have browsed to the file you want to upload and clicked on the upload button, wait for the file to be uploaded. When this is complete you will be shown a paste to post button which inserts the picture in the post text - this means you can add text above and below the image. There is no resizing of the image involved so the quality should be identical to flickr etc. The attach file routine DOES resize over large images and WILL degrade the image, just as RAW to jpeg loses 3/4 of the pixels the resize will lose pixels depending on the degree of resizing - halving the width & height will lose another 3/4 of the remaining pixels leaving only 6% of the original RAW image. Attaching the file appears to be faster, but the file is attached AFTER the post button is pressed rather than being included within the post text. The advantage of using the blue cross is also that the image is included in your gallery and can be reused without needing to upload it again, the URL of the gallery image can also be used on other sites or emailed. If you have problems with the upload, let me know and I will try and help  |
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jk
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See here for a tutorial on the Blue cross [+] upload. Download the PDF file. https://nikondslr.uk/view_topic.php?id=1709&forum_id=27&jump_to=21206#p21206 |
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Graham Whistler
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[url][/url]Is that it? I have tried several times I must ber thick!!! |
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Robert
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Graham Whistler wrote:Is that it? I have tried several times I must ber thick!!!Not thick Graham! Programming thought demands different wiring from an artistic bent. |
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jk
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Graham Whistler wrote:Is that it? I have tried several times I must ber thick!!!You got to follow the PDF. Just clicking the Blue cross wont do it.  |
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jk
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Back on Topic. Tried a series of Focus Stacking shots today of a poppy field with my Z7 but I need to see how good they are and if I got what I wanted. First look indicates I need to practice more. |
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Graham Whistler
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The Z7 must have all the Auoto Focus Shift Setting like the D850? I must say they work very well on the D850 tried to do a dead fly with the 105mm but it is the wrong lens for that as 1:1 is max: Micro photography is not my interest Africa put me off bugs for good ! |
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jk
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The Z7 is a mirrorless version of the D850. It is difficult to tell the difference between images from the two cameras. |
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jk
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Some first efforts. |
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jk
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And the weather threatens!  |
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jk
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And not Focus Stacked but shallow depth of field. |
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jk
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Just some straight shots. Not as good as I would like as it was quite windy.  |
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jk
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This Hummingbird moth arrived as I went back to the car. |
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Bob Bowen
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Cracking images JK. |
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jk
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Thanks Bob. I am not so far away now. I hope all is good with you health wise. |
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Graham Whistler
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Super set of pixs very well taken JK. |
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Bob Bowen
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Keeping OK thanks JK apart from increasing achs and pains joint wise. Arthritic shutter finger the worst bit - I refer to it as my industrial injury but can't sue myself. |
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blackfox
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Love the moth shot , it would be a stunner cropped in |
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Graham Whistler
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This shot would have been perfect for stacking provided no wind. With D800 and 24-70 F2.8 AF-S at 1/200 sec f14 62mm focus would be 1/3 in but last rows no quite sharp. Your poppy field shots look good JK haw many in stack? You must have had a good calm day as with D850 with an 18 image stack it takes about 12 sec to shoot so even slightest puff of wind would kill the registration of the stack. Attachment: Sunflowers4016.jpg (Downloaded 227 times) |
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jk
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blackfox wrote:Love the moth shot , it would be a stunner cropped inI wish I had had my flash with me as I could have managed to freeze the wings then. Fill-in flash (SB800) makes for some great extra stopping of fast moving wings! |
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Graham Whistler
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Did some more tests yesterday of a 9cm flower in the garden. To find corect settings for D850 and the 105mm Macro lens. In "focus shift shooting" D850 menu I now think that 8 shots at 1/250 sec at f9 is about right with "focus step width" of 8 seems to work well. Always focus on nearest part of flower. Series of 8 takes about 10 sec to run so any movement due to wind or unsteady tripod is a no good at all! I tried several runs in the evening conditions were calm but still slight movement of air is enought to cause ghosting when images are stacked and merged in Photoshop see ghosting of centre of yesterdays test image. This was best of 8 runs. Also with camera set to do 8 pictures in each run the last 2 pixs were not used as focus passed beyond last part of flower. Attachment: Ghosting Crop1.jpg (Downloaded 215 times) |
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Eric
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Graham I wonder if it's Photoshop itself causing the confused blending? Have you considered getting a free trial with Helicon Focus ...the defacto stacking programme...to compare results? |
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jk
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Graham Whistler wrote:This shot would have been perfect for stacking provided no wind. With D800 and 24-70 F2.8 AF-S at 1/200 sec f14 62mm focus would be 1/3 in but last rows no quite sharp.I shot my poppy field at f8 with my 24-70mm on the Z7. Probably less than ideal as it should have been f5.6 for best results. I set a stack of 8 images, with a spacing of 3. The camera decided it needed just 3 shots! I did some test stacks with my Macro 105mm AFS VR on the Z7 as well but this gave a stack of 5 or 7 i ages which gave a nice result. Results are interesting. I havent noticed artefacts but it is difficultto identify when you have many flower heads. |
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jk
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I will go to Venford Falls where the original video (see Graham's earlier post) was shot and see if I can make some test shots. This really is a technique where time, patience and practice really pays off. |
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Graham Whistler
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Less wind today gave it another go this is 5 images stacked. Attachment: Rose1.jpg (Downloaded 194 times) |
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jk
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That is really excellent. |
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Graham Whistler
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Icould not find a grasshopper to pose for me so used this very small alpine flower only 2 cm wide flower. 5 Stacks did it no problem, this would work for Blackfox even better with his 60mm Macro. This is the 105mm Nikon Macro and is just able to do 1:1 on the D850. Attachment: Small3927.jpg (Downloaded 179 times) |
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jk
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I dont think that my iPad does this justice! It is sharp all over. In fact so sharp everywhere it means you need to search for all the points of interest which is almost every hair! Great work Graham. |
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Eric
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You are certainly mastering this technique, Graham. Lovely composition and exposure control as well! |
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Graham Whistler
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Out in the garden today and yes they realy are called "Whistler Lillies"! Attachment: Llies3949.jpg (Downloaded 289 times) |
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Graham Whistler
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Out of the Garden today, one for Robert. D850 with 105mm Macto lens. I'm off to France on the ferry tonight for two weeks holiday. Hope to get some more pixs I am taking the D500 18-140mm & 400-80mm lenses. Attachment: _DSC4057.jpg (Downloaded 275 times) |
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jk
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Hope the holiday goes well Graham. Are those dahlias focus stacked? |
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Graham Whistler
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No, not needed just F18 |
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Robert
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Graham Whistler wrote:Out of the Garden today, one for Robert. Well, thank you Graham! Lovely flowers, just what I needed. Have a good trip. |
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Graham Whistler
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Have now arrived in France at our rented villa, swimming pool looks great and hope to use the D500. I have internet so can keep an eye of my Nikon Friends! |
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Robert
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Graham Whistler wrote:swimming pool looks great and hope to use the D500. Not in the swimming pool I hope!!!  |
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Graham Whistler
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Image stacking Banana flower did well at the camera club last night with a first place. The judge asked how did you get it so sharp: stack of 10 used 7 images stacked in Photoshop CC. |
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jk
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Graham Whistler wrote:Image stacking Banana flower did well at the camera club last night with a first place. The judge asked how did you get it so sharp: stack of 10 used 7 images stacked in Photoshop CC.Well done on the win Graham. Very fine image. You need to print it big 30"x30" and enjoy. One worrying aspect ...... the judge needed to ask how you got it so sharp! I guess this was a ?Southern Counties? Photographic Society judge. Sorry but it does bring into question the judge's photographic competence. This sort of question whilst maybe being a polite query of how, I find somewhat mind numbing from someone who should know. Maybe I am being overcritical as I have little time for these judges as I experienced some of their crass comments back in the 1980s when I belonged to a South London photography group. It put me off for life! I decided that I would rather be judged by my paying customers. Maybe I am being ungracious to the judge. |
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Eric
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Graham aside from the sharpness and composition, the lighting is superb. Can you elaborate on how you lit it ? |
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jk
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I am wondering where he took the picture as I have only ever seen banana plants flowering in the tropics or places like Kew greenhouses. |
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Eric
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jk wrote:Well done on the win Graham.I agree Jonathan. I often found camera club judges tended to be guest speakers who specialised in one form of photographic genre or another. Whilst they could recognise a winning image interns of aesthetics, appeal and execution, their knowledge of the necessary specialist techniques outside their own specialism may have passed them by. |
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Eric
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jk wrote:I am wondering where he took the picture as I have only ever seen banana plants flowering in the tropics or places like Kew greenhouses.Especially having to 'set up' the multishots. Very impressed. |
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jk
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Eric wrote:Especially having to 'set up' the multishots. Very impressed.You and me too! |
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Graham Whistler
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This was a normal shot 2 days earlier. We were in a villa about 80 miles south of Bergerac France Sept 2017 in a remote farming area this was the clump of Bananas first pix. I had time on hand and my laptop with me so wanted to do stacking tests. No lighting so needed a roll of tin foil (from local shop) to reflect some back hard light into subject also a white swimming towel put some nice soft light into the front. It took a bit of cleaning up dead bits slight change of angle after several goes back to laptop then out again to set-up bit like working in the studio. Nice day no wind. White bal gave problems so did one off the white towel and stored it into presets. ISO 200 1/125 sec F11 100mm lens stack of 10 big advantace is when stack is loaded into Photoshop CC the 10 layers can be worked on as single shots to cure problems. Final image then is high quality TIFF then can have final levels etc. The 3 ladies with me said I was a sad person!!!! |
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chrisbet
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Thank you for the mini tutorial - it has given me food for thought  |
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jk
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Thanks for the update on the where and how Graham. Bet the three ladies would be impressed by the final result. |
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Eric
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Bet the three ladies said you had gone 'bananas' |
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Graham Whistler
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Long time since I grew bananas in my Rhodesian garden 1970+- I think JK is right they need tropic conditions so I looked it up on internet and they flower in early Spring and fruit in later summer. So this banana in the villa garden in France would be out of luck flowering so late in the year ie Sept. The fields of sunflowers all round us were well dead and ready for harvesting. So I should think this flower had no chance of producing fruit as Autum and Winter were on the way. However I had never done stacking before and it helped me learn to do it, well done Nikon! |
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jk
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Well the flower is spectacular and the fruits you can buy at Waitrose, Tesco, Sainsbury, Aldi, Lidl, Morrisons, Co-Op, et al. The flower is spectacular, the fruit are ordinary. |
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chrisbet
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First foray into focus stacking with my new macro lens - having taken a set of photos in burst mode as I moved in to the subject, I tried using the Linux native software Enfuse to focus stack - it did not work! So off to get Photoshop (did you know they give it away for free and you can cancel the free trial but keep the software?) and, following the many online guides it seemed that things have changed since they were written but eventually I managed to find my way round the software to stack the images. I am quite pleased with the result considering it was handheld! Yes, I know I should maybe have gone further in to get the back of the flower in focus but it is a learning curve!  |
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jk
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That looks very good for a first attempt Chris. Very well done. I think you will find that a tripod makes it easier and more controllable. |
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Robert
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Two learning curves! Both steep but rewarding ones. There are I think three worthwhile focus stacking applications, each having merits, from my reading I understand it's not always possible to tell which is best for a particular image until you have tried it. This is an area I have dabbled in and want to get to grips with but is a little way down my list! I am currently finishing my shed which I started last March, today is big day, I am fitting a roller shutter door which I had given minus all the brackets and ancillaries which I have had to create myself. It will house my lathe and workshop, relieving the pressure on my other shed which is a little crowded. |
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jk
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Sounds like your man cave is coming on well Robert! |
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Graham Whistler
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Chris well done giving it a try but it will NOT work if you are not locked onto a good firm tripod in a wind free place. However steady your hand is there will be movement during the burst of stacking shots as you shoot. |
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chrisbet
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Graham, yes I understand that and for other than really close up macro shots that makes perfect sense. What I am grappling with is the extremely short depth of field when working in macro mode and rather than trying to adjust focus with a static camera I thought of making up a rail system so that the camera can move smoothly towards the subject. Alternatively, make up a lever arm to clamp on the focus ring to give more control over the very fine adjustments needed to move the focus point 1 mm at a time ..... Any advice is welcomed! |
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chrisbet
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Take 2 .... think I am getting the hang of this now   |
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Graham Whistler
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Starting to look good Chris well done. Try asking on internet there are plenty of very good demos I searched Google this afternoon with "Photograph Image Stacking" some even showing it used for landscapes and others for micro with very small things. |
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jk
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I have used image stacking for some of my landscape shots. It tends to be more automated in the new Nikon cameras. Take a look here (YouTube) for a demo of use in landscape photography. search using "Image stacking landscapes" or "Focus stacking landscapes" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAKLyjwbwCo |
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Graham Whistler
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I agree with that JK I did it with the D850 and Photoshop CC |
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chrisbet
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I have read & seen a number of online articles / videos on the subject but I can't help feeling that nothing really replaces just getting out there and experimenting. I will be taking the macro lens out to Italy next month so I will have to see what I can find - maybe a basking lizard but they tend to shoot off rapidly! |
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Graham Whistler
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Not focus stacking but another of many Photoshop CC problem solvers. How do you put a new sky behind a complex subject like a winter tree (see little pix as shot with winter sky)? Using Colour Range masking and normal layer masks it take less the 5 mins to do enclose sample. There was no easy way to do this with early Photshops. There is no end to what you can do now with digital photography and a good computer! |
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jk
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So the grey skies of the UK can be replaced with something more...French (blue skies with clouds), or Spanish (bright blue skies). Makes you wonder if maybe we need Photoshop for Politicians, Magic Erase tool!  |
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chrisbet
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Shame it can't do it in real life - I'd love to replace our weather with something from Spain or Italy. Especially as my trip next week has been cancelled ... |
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jk
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chrisbet wrote:Shame it can't do it in real life - I'd love to replace our weather with something from Spain or Italy. Especially as my trip next week has been cancelled ...Sorry to hear that your trip to Italy has been put off for the moment. You will be able to travel soon I hope. I estimate that by mid-April UK will be in a similar place (lockdown) and by end of May the situation will be resolved or in further crisis. |
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Graham Whistler
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Chris very sorry about your trip perhaps better off with no travel there for the moment. I am amazed Italy let all the F1 local teams and fans go to Australia for the first meeting this weekend. |
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chrisbet
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I think the virus has been on the move for months and the attempts at containment are a bit "horse - door - bolted" ! Flu kills far more elderly and immuno-compromised people each year but it never hits the headlines like this. We had plans for our 50th wedding this May but I fear they are out the window now as well ... |
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jk
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Graham Whistler wrote:Not focus stacking but another of many Photoshop CC problem solvers. How do you put a new sky behind a complex subject like a winter tree (see little pix as shot with winter sky)? Using Colour Range masking and normal layer masks it take less the 5 mins to do enclose sample. There was no easy way to do this with early Photshops. There is no end to what you can do now with digital photography and a good computer!Graham, have you tried Luminar4 it does this very easily. Well worth a trial download. I cant say I want Adobe to go out of business but if they did it wouldnt bother me. They have really upset a lot of people with their attitude to customers who prefer purchase option rather than subscription. I will never buy a product by subscription. Same with Sky, Netflix, etc. |
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Graham Whistler
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With all this gloom in the news I am sharing a bit of colour from our garden today. No stacking just Nikon D500 with 18-140 Nikon lens. |
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Graham Whistler
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Graham Whistler
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JimCarlin
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Excellent photo Graham Here is a few photographs that I took with the same lens hope there are of interest to the group  Click here to comment on this image |
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Robert
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Hi Jim, thanks for posting. If I may say so your avatar is very striking, I instantly thought of a member of another forum, Garry who was a war correspondent/photographer in Vietnam, his avatar was strikingly similar, wearing a full face gas mask not unlike your gear. I haven't seen him post for quite some time. |
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Eric
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We may ALL need to be wearing that sort of look soon.  |
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jk
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Eric wrote:We may ALL need to be wearing that sort of look soon. Easier to self-isolate then you can control your environment easier! |
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Eric
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jk wrote:Boris may force us oldies to do that soon enough. In fairness, because my wife has a compromised immune system, we have been doing that as much as possible already. I had to post a parcel today. I loitered outside the post office until the queue disappeared. I then dashed upto the counter with my face mask, balaclava and gloves. The post mistress nearly pooped herself and visibly breathed a sign when I flopped a parcel on the scale. |
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chrisbet
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Oh dear, I can just imagine it ...  |
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Graham Whistler
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jk
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Nice shot Graham. What are those flowers? |
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chrisbet
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Snake's head fritillary, I think. |
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Graham Whistler
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White Fritillarias. I tried to up load a new pix in the new bird topic and it blocked me so I uploaded this here as a test and it came in quickly with no problem. |
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jk
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Thanks, all plants to me! I know Robert will think I am a heathen. |
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Robert
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jk wrote:What are those flowers? Galanthus? |
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jk
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Robert wrote:Galanthus?I am able to manage the Latin though. They dont look like the snowdrops. |
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Eric
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jk wrote:Nice shot Graham.Fritillaries Edit ...Chris/Graham beat me to it |
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Robert
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jk wrote:Thanks, all plants to me!Not at all, I am very backward with plant names, believe it or not, some I know well but many more are a complete mystery to me. My father on the other hand would give chapter and verse base on a shrivelled leaf or broken twig! He was on a panel of experts at Chelsea Flower Show for many years and never ceased to amaze with his knowledge of naming plants from the scantest clues. Each to their own.  |
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jk
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Yes but you know your SWG and thou! Not to mention all the other skills. |
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Robert
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I suppose I am one of the few people who can recite all the Lucas car wiring colour codes for their wiring schematic... not to mention the cable sizes... Pretty useless unless you are working on a pre 1980's vehicle of course. |
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Graham Whistler
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One for Robert from our garden today D500 with 140-18mm Nikon AF-S Lens, no stacking. Click here to comment on this image |
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Graham Whistler
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Another for Robert Click here to comment on this image |
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Robert
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Thank you Graham, much appreciated, you are much further advanced with the season than we are, despite the Gulf Stream we benefit from. We are still getting very cold winds and some nights frost. I went out last Friday night before the more severe lock down, took some star trails in the Duddon Valley at Ulpha but not particularly good, I need more practice and I really should be recording my methods rather than re-learning them each year... with all the inevitable wasted journeys and lost opportunities on a glorious night. Half the sessions are wasted while I fumble to remember what the optimal settings are for given conditions. Speaking of recording stuff, is anybody keeping a (photographic) diary of their experiences and observations during this pandemic? There are some remarkable images of normally crowded space being deserted. Like one person stood in front of Buckingham Palace, for example. |
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jk
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Great work Graham. So much better to have live flowers left for others to enjoy than being cut! |
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chrisbet
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I have taken a few , like this one on our morning dog walk / exercise in the country park - crowded it is not! No - not two dogs, just one but she ran up to me while I panned 360 degrees!  Click here to comment on this image |
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Graham Whistler
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The yellow flower is a giant Fritiiiaria Crown Imperial and stanads 3 feet. Chris much the same here but the few open shops shops are still quite busy. Wendy & I are both well but like most are self isolating plenty to do in the garden with several very nice days plenty of sun. We have cancelled our two holidays for this year one in France and later Spain in September. Jim Carling and I are both active members of our local Gosport Camera Club and it is now closed for the rest of the season as are most such clubs all over the country. I may have to setup to photograph the many birds comming to our garden. Keep well all our Nikon Friends! |
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Graham Whistler
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I am getting to be a sad person as not only am I photographing every flower that comes out in out modest garden but spent last two day locked indoors painting some flowers. Keep well all our Nikon friends!!! Painting is not a accurate or as sharp as my Nikon Cameras, sorry bit off topic. PS this painting was photographed with Nikon D850 24-70 AF-S Lens lit by Elinchrom studio flash camera on M and custom WB 1/200 sec F16.  Click here to comment on this image |
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Robert
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That is super Graham, a really nice change from original photographs. At least you don't need to focus stack! In fact, thinking about it, this is an alternative form of focus stacking, so you are still on topic! I think the detail is brilliant. |
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Eric
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Yes that's very good Graham. Please don't cut your ear off, though. |
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blackfox
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been having a go at this today with the olympus . it takes 8 raw shots together then gives you a finished j.peg . this was my first ever attempt at this only had the macro lens a week .. as graham says wind will be the enemy outdoors so a sturdy tripod will be needed . have to order a new head to as I only have a gimbal for mine . anyway a couple of flower shots .. pleased for a first attempt . Click here to comment on this image.  Click here to comment on this image. |
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Graham Whistler
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Looks like a good start. Did you focus on nearest point first the let camera do the stack on auto? You should the look at last image to see if focus is as good at back if not add more frames to the stack and reshoot, easy later to delete the extra unwanted frames later. If you get into micro results I have seen from people doing this blow you away, as I have said beyond macro not my field or interest. Keep up the good work Jeff! |
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blackfox
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graham I focussed on mid point ,the camera does the stacking at the moment its set for a 8 stack ,but it can go up to 15,still on a learning curve with it ... couple below from yesterday the nutcrackers were at a angle away from me so pleased with the result , and the flowers were in a shallow dish of water to get the reflection .. if anything its keeping my mind active under lockdown  Click here to comment on this image.  Click here to comment on this image. |
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Graham Whistler
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Jeff you are doing very well the stacking looks spot on. Look on u-tube and see stacking and there are some super examples. I agree it's hard being stuck indoors or your garden we have plenty of birds but all on feeders and not very good for photography. I think I may have to do another painting!!! |
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blackfox
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thanks graham , I found out today that the above shot which I finished off in topaz de-noise has the problem that yesterdays update to it was not working . now un-installed and the older version put back on . the two below are from today after re-installing the older version ..getting to really enjoy this macro lark now I have the time to learn it properly  Click here to comment on this image.  Click here to comment on this image. |
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Graham Whistler
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The three white flowers are of a very high standard well done Jeff and it's great to enjoy your photography! Focus not quite there on the 2nd shot. Lighting and exposure looking good on both. |
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Graham Whistler
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Bit of Spring Colour to cheer us all up! Nikon D500 with 140-18mm lens Click here to comment on this image. |
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Eric
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Had a little dabble in the garden, myself today. I was supposed to be weeding, watering and mowing but couldn't resist these Pagoda Lillies while stopped for coffee. Grabbed the wife's Panasonic for speed. Bit windy and low down (6†high) .....excuses, excuses. Will get the Nikon out and try again next week.  Click here to comment on this image. |
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Graham Whistler
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Lovely light on the top one! |
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Eric
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Graham Whistler wrote:Lovely light on the top one!The Panasonic hasn't got the dynamic range of the latest Nikon's so highlights burnt out and shadows too noisy to lift. Trying to use contrast to sharpen further compresses the range. â˜¹ï¸ |
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Graham Whistler
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 Click here to comment on this image. |
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Graham Whistler
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Out today first of the season. D500 with 140-18mm lens Click here to comment on this image. |
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blackfox
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more comfortable now with focus stacking and macro in general so heres a couple from this week ,both focus stacked in camera with the olympus 1-mk2 and 60mm macro a small caterpillar and a nest of spiders  Click here to comment on this image.  Click here to comment on this image. |
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Graham Whistler
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Well done getting better by the day Jeff so pleased you are ejoying it. |
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jk
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Windy and rainy here in Cornwall. No chance for outdoor stuff. |
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Graham Whistler
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Same subject but better flower and D500 with 105mm Macro Nikon Lens  Click here to comment on this image. |
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jk
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Wow, how many images in the stack. Seeing on internet probably doesn't do it justice. |
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Graham Whistler
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Flowers in our garden today, Nikon D500 with 18-140mm AF-S lens Click here to comment on this image. |
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Graham Whistler
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 Click here to comment on this image. |
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Robert
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Graham how are you stacking with the D500? Do you have an automatic 'Stackshot' device or are you manually refocusing between exposures? https://cognisys-inc.com/focus-stacking/stackshot-pkgs.html I moved a little closer to my objective of building a very heavy duty, hydraulic stackshot last evening when I had a brainwave on how to overcome a fundamental issue with my design. Very similar to this one, but comes with a pump and is much cheaper. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/20-Ton-Hydraulic-Cylinder-Ram-Jack-for-Shop-Press-Garage-Workshop-20T-20-Tons/112849902036?hash=item1a4660d9d4:g:uvMAAOSwhSFdkySp I have devised a way to automate a mechanical stackshot with a robust setup, the Stackshots are in my opinion way too fragile and flimsy. Not to mention extremely expensive. |
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Graham Whistler
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Robert these were normal shots with the D500 and small F No to get DOF. I do not think the D500 will do auto Focus shift shooting like the D850. Perhaps the Interval time shooting menu in the D500 could be used for this but I have not tried this. The D850 has Focus Shift Shooting menu as well as the Interval Time Menu, JK has said the Z7 has the same set-up and I know he has done this with his Z7. I have just looked at the D500 instruction book and there is no info of focus stacking. |
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Robert
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Graham Whistler wrote:Robert these were normal shots with the D500 and small F No to get DOF. I do not think the D500 will do auto Focus shift shooting like the D850. Perhaps the Interval time shooting menu in the D500 could be used for this but I have not tried this. The D850 has Focus Shift Shooting menu as well as the Interval Time Menu, JK has said the Z7 has the same set-up and I know he has done this with his Z7. I have just looked at the D500 instruction book and there is no info of focus stacking.Thanks Graham, my expectation was that they were stacked, due to the thread title, not a problem - lovely flowers! I have been investigating the Hydraulic rams and they seem to move about 0.7mm per stroke, that is of course variable by regulating the stroke of the pump. I imagine it will be possible to get it down to 0.01 movement per stroke but that's going to be stuff like insect eyes using X5 magnification. It will be entirely possible to throw away alternate images or even more if the increment is too small. The movement continues very slightly for about 0.01mm for a second or so, a slight delay on the shutter actuation will avoid making the exposure until the movement stops. I have an early Nippon Kogaku Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 'S' coated lens, ('S' for sep or seven) it's pre AI which I need to mod to AI so it will fit my D800, when used with a No. 1 or 2 Nikon close-up lens, I am told it closely emulates the legendary Nikkor 'O' (oscilloscope) lens, the 'O' indicates oct (eight), elements. The Oscilloscope lens has a curved, convex focus plane to enable hard copy images to be made of early oscilloscope convex glass screens during the early tests of the first nuclear bombs. At the time it was the only way to capture the radiation spikes of the nuclear event. The real Nikkor 'O' are very rare and ...expensive. These lenses have a very shallow depth of field, especially wide open and close-up, the bokeh is generally considered very smooth and milky. This is ideal for focus stacking and avoid the circles and other eye-catching artefacts which some lenses exhibit. It remains to be seen how nice my lens is. |
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