James Silliman
July 2024 - Double Madness Petunias
About the Image(s)
While visiting my daughter and her family recently, I noticed a planter containing what I think are Double Madness Petunias on the back patio. I thought this would be a good opportunity to practice my developing (no pun intended) skills in focus stacking.
The image was made with a Nikon D610 and 105 Nikkor Macro lens. Settings were f/3.5 at 1/40 sec. and ISO 150. The resulting image is a collection of thirteen separate images stored in LR then stacked and refined in PS. I did enhance the final image. Minor adjustments were made in LR adding texture, clarity and vibrance.
I know I have a great deal to learn about focus stacking and I welcome any suggestions.
This round’s discussion is now closed!
6 comments posted
James - I don't think this shot says that you have a lot to learn about focus stacking - I think you have nailed it already. Your colors are spectacular. But the amazing detail on all edges is the best. That tiny piece of stem on the bottom right shows the perfect focus details on those tiny hairs. And I like the intrusion of the green - it cools the heat of the fuchsia color just enough. Posted: 07/08/2024 14:34:37
I love the color combination, it's one of my favorites. At f/3.5 you managed a beautiful bokeh background. I find photo stacking in the field much more difficult than in a studio as it's hard to tell whether you've got enough images. I find more is always better. With as many layers as that particular flower has, it would require more than 13 layers to get the whole thing in sharp focus at such a small DOF. I would think more along the lines of 25-30. But as you say, practice, practice, and more practice, if not a bit of luck gets the job done. Lovely flower and great effort. Well done! Posted: 07/16/2024 16:31:02
Depth and beauty all the way. Focus stacking is something I need to work on. You left the beauty of the flower and allowed the background to go away. Nicely done. Posted: 07/17/2024 16:59:46
Thank you all for your positive comments. In looking at the image closer, I realized there were some soft areas. This might have been corrected with additional images. As Karen said, probably more like 25-30 stacked images.
I will continue to practice. Posted: 07/22/2024 03:35:56
I will continue to practice. Posted: 07/22/2024 03:35:56
Lovely colors, and the background is nice and soft. To me the focus is a little soft. I assume you used a tripod to take the photo. It is hard to set where you want the focus to be. I notice that the green leaf at the bottom is very sharp. Was auto focused in camera, or did you manually refocus each time? Just some things to think about.
Thanks for sharing. Posted: 07/23/2024 19:31:57
Thanks for sharing. Posted: 07/23/2024 19:31:57
Hi Jim,
I also love the colors and beautiful silky background. Thanks for posting this lovely image.
Keep at this and experiment with using greater DOF. Posted: 07/28/2024 01:05:26
I also love the colors and beautiful silky background. Thanks for posting this lovely image.
Keep at this and experiment with using greater DOF. Posted: 07/28/2024 01:05:26