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Wandering along the flower beds in the Botanic Gardens I was looking for a nice flower to shoot which wasn't being drastically blown in the breeze. This small specimen was barely 5 or 10cm above the ground and the petals had yet to unfurl - it looked like a tiny cylinder of white with a purple heart dangling from it's tiny stem and facing directly out towards the path.

The result of 22 images focus stacked [1/160 sec at f/4.5, ISO 100] using the LED macro ring light and the tri-grip diffuser to soften the hard sun (and reduce the breeze) this is my favourite image from the day

Eye on You


and for comparison the single frame - 1/160 sec at f/8 and ISO 400 - in this case I didn't even get enough depth of field to reach from the stamens inside the flower to the centre of the flower

I prefer the first one to the second. However,
my brain tells me it is a construct and that is
not how my eyes see things at that close
proximity. It is an interesting technique and one
that I have yet to approach, but I feel it is more
technical than artistic - perhaps I am being simplistic.

Good technique and a nice result. I expect we are going to see some very interesting images in the future using focus stacking.

Nice one Rodney, good choice for teh stacking.

I love the mushy background in the #1. So the buds are already out at the gardens!

zafra52 wrote:I prefer the first one to the second. However, my brain tells me it is a construct and that is not how my eyes see things at that close proximity. It is an interesting technique and one that I have yet to approach, but I feel it is more technical than artistic - perhaps I am being simplistic.

Thanks Zafra - perhaps I shot it from far away with a 600/4

Matt. K wrote:Good technique and a nice result. I expect we are going to see some very interesting images in the future using focus stacking.

biggerry wrote:Nice one Rodney, good choice for teh stacking.

Thanks Gerry

aim54x wrote:I love the mushy background in the #1. So the buds are already out at the gardens!

Oh yes lots - in fact it's probably too late for a number of them - e.g. the tulips are past their best now I reckon.

Gerry and I went again after the Mrs Macs sunrise shoot so we may have some more after processing - I've got at least one I've got my eye on

I may have to head that way before work this coming weekend!

aim54x wrote:I may have to head that way before work this coming weekend!

A plan - If you'd like some company we could always go out during the day during the week if you've got time?

I like the presentation and admire the patience that has been applied in getting the end result. Zafra52's comments have merit in that it does look a little constructed as in a copmosite of two images being the b/g and the flower. Maybe backing of the stacking so that the green foliage of the flower has some out ouf focus elements in order to provide a transition of the background and foreground elements. Having the entire bloom in focus does lift the image in comparison to the single frame image.

Geoff M wrote:I like the presentation and admire the patience that has been applied in getting the end result. Zafra52's comments have merit in that it does look a little constructed as in a copmosite of two images being the b/g and the flower. Maybe backing of the stacking so that the green foliage of the flower has some out ouf focus elements in order to provide a transition of the background and foreground elements. Having the entire bloom in focus does lift the image in comparison to the single frame image.

Thanks Geoff - I'll see if I can take a look at doing that. I'm hoping that the greenery at the back of the flower is enough behind the heart of the flower so that I can still have that sharp whilst having the rest more naturally fall off to the background.