Post by macromeister on Aug 27, 2012 11:13:35 GMT
For discussion of focus stacking (well, it is raining ) and for posting any stacking attempts. Go on, do it...
Chris asked about focus stacking (FS).
Chris
This is quite a good tutorial, which explains the basics well. Don't forget, you can use FS in various ways. You can do the straight series of manually focussed shots as shown in the video. Or, you can do a series to get the main subject in focus, but have one shot (the rear one) with a nicely blurred background in order to retain a good bokeh. That will make the subject stand out even more. Sometimes the 'all in focus' shots can look too clinical.
You can also use FS for landscape shots that have a lot of in-focus range requirement. Utilize f/8 (or whatever the best part of the lens is) and take two or three shots manually focused and merge them together.
All the tutorials tell you to get everything perfectly still, and to minimise any movement. But when you get proficient at it you will find that movement between shots can be catered for - especially with Helicon where you can change the movement tolerance between shots when performing the stack. Photoshop doesn't handle that at all well, and you will get ghosting. One of my Flickr contacts - LordV (from Brighton in UK) is excellent at shooting and stacking, and he often does it hand-held. If you make yourself a contact it's useful to see how he does it (he posts a lot of shots) www.flickr.com/photos/lordv/
I have CS6, which is quite good for stacking (so is CS5) but Helicon is by far the best program for stacking, in my opinion. www.heliconsoft.com/
FS is an easy process when you get the hang of it - but you do need to practise it to get better at it. That applies to everything. You will find good eyesight is very useful for the manual stacking. I have implants following cataract removal surgery, so my eyesight without glasses is pretty good for my age.
Using flash - either speedlights (flashguns) or studio flash makes FS a lot easier as it speeds up the exposure time, and makes the whole process a lot easier to rattle off the exposures. But you can also do it well without the lights.
Why don't you give it a try? Are you missing anything - tripod? Stacking software? and post the results in this thread.
Chris asked about focus stacking (FS).
Could you or would you do a step by step tutorial on focus stacking? It intrigues me but I can't seem to get all of it in my head.
Chris
This is quite a good tutorial, which explains the basics well. Don't forget, you can use FS in various ways. You can do the straight series of manually focussed shots as shown in the video. Or, you can do a series to get the main subject in focus, but have one shot (the rear one) with a nicely blurred background in order to retain a good bokeh. That will make the subject stand out even more. Sometimes the 'all in focus' shots can look too clinical.
You can also use FS for landscape shots that have a lot of in-focus range requirement. Utilize f/8 (or whatever the best part of the lens is) and take two or three shots manually focused and merge them together.
All the tutorials tell you to get everything perfectly still, and to minimise any movement. But when you get proficient at it you will find that movement between shots can be catered for - especially with Helicon where you can change the movement tolerance between shots when performing the stack. Photoshop doesn't handle that at all well, and you will get ghosting. One of my Flickr contacts - LordV (from Brighton in UK) is excellent at shooting and stacking, and he often does it hand-held. If you make yourself a contact it's useful to see how he does it (he posts a lot of shots) www.flickr.com/photos/lordv/
I have CS6, which is quite good for stacking (so is CS5) but Helicon is by far the best program for stacking, in my opinion. www.heliconsoft.com/
FS is an easy process when you get the hang of it - but you do need to practise it to get better at it. That applies to everything. You will find good eyesight is very useful for the manual stacking. I have implants following cataract removal surgery, so my eyesight without glasses is pretty good for my age.
Using flash - either speedlights (flashguns) or studio flash makes FS a lot easier as it speeds up the exposure time, and makes the whole process a lot easier to rattle off the exposures. But you can also do it well without the lights.
Why don't you give it a try? Are you missing anything - tripod? Stacking software? and post the results in this thread.