Focus stacking

[gcluer]

Adrian Davies mentioned Focus Stacking. I didn't know you could do it from Photoshop but attached is a photo I processed in Helicon Focus from a stack of photos taken at different focus settings. The rust gall is on the leaf of a pear tree and is about 1 or 2 mm across.

[Mike Farley]

Thanks for sharing, Graham. How many images did you take and how long did Helicon Focus take to process them?

One thing which your image does show and is something which Adrian Davies himself remarked on as he had done the same in one of his examples, is taking enough shots to ensure that every part of the subject is in focus. The differentiation between the sharp and blurred areas in a conventional image comprising a single shot is much more gradual than in a focus stacked one, where the change can be quite abrupt and looks abnormal. Of course, that is all down to perception as having any part of a scene out of focus can hardly be described as natural.

[Nina]

You produced a fascinating image Graham. I wonder if I would have enough patience to do the image stacking though, even if my old PC could cope with the strain.

[GrahamL]

Hi Graham,

Is amazingly detailed indeed! What was the lens setup?

GrahamL

[gcluer]

Canon 7D with Canon 60 mm macro lens.

Helicon focus does all the work changing the focus in increments.

[Mike Farley]

Helicon focus does all the work changing the focus in increments.

Does this mean that you Were using a motorised focussing rail?

[gcluer]

No. The camera to subject distance was fixed and Helicon Focus altered the focus setting of the lens in increments.

[Mike Farley]

No. The camera to subject distance was fixed and Helicon Focus altered the focus setting of the lens in increments.

Neat. Presumably that means that the camera was tethered?