Hello from Los Angeles

Lets get to know each other better. Here's a forum to post images and short autobiographies of ourselves as well as any other info you would like to post about yourself.

Moderators: rjlittlefield, ChrisR, Chris S., Pau

debunix
Posts: 6
Joined: Sat Oct 30, 2021 4:55 pm
Location: Los Angeles, CA

Hello from Los Angeles

Post by debunix »

Long time macro photographer, new to the forum here. Upwards of 95% of the time, my big camera has a macro lens attached. I learned a long time ago that I enjoy looking at things closer and closer, and that shooting with a macro lens was a great way to find interest in the most otherwise forgettable spaces like the weedy verge between urban sidewalk and street. Another one of those long ago lessons was that family and friends get tired of being subjects, but plants can't run away, and if you move slowly and carefully, bugs may stay still long enough to capture.

I like to capture things almost exclusively freehand in natural light, and barely pull out flash or tripod unless I'm working on a specific project indoors.

I have done projects requiring technical photography with transmitted light, fluorescence, and phase contrast microscopy in the past, but now my joy is walking around my yard, my neighborhood, and undeveloped/wild places best of all, and finding small wonders. Sharing their beauty with others who would normally walk right by the tiny bugs on little flowers on scraggly weeds is the best.

Hoping to learn some, share some, and have fun here.

ImageHow close he allowed me to get--crop by debunix, on Flickr

Image210716 Early light DEB_5259 ppd by debunix, on Flickr

Image210425 Med Fly on Thistle DEB_8332 ppd by debunix, on Flickr

Image210829 Chia or Salba DEB_0524 by debunix, on Flickr

PeteM
Posts: 177
Joined: Sat Jan 05, 2019 12:06 am
Location: West Coast, USA

Re: Hello from Los Angeles

Post by PeteM »

Like the look of your Mr. Blue. Pretty sure he's demanding to know, "what you lookin' at, buddy?

Lou Jost
Posts: 5944
Joined: Fri Sep 04, 2015 7:03 am
Location: Ecuador
Contact:

Re: Hello from Los Angeles

Post by Lou Jost »

Welcome! I think we are going to enjoy seeing more of your work!

Adalbert
Posts: 2427
Joined: Mon Nov 30, 2015 1:09 pm

Re: Hello from Los Angeles

Post by Adalbert »

Hi Debunix,
Welcome to the forum!
family and friends get tired of being subjects
:-)
Best, ADi

debunix
Posts: 6
Joined: Sat Oct 30, 2021 4:55 pm
Location: Los Angeles, CA

Re: Hello from Los Angeles

Post by debunix »

Thanks for the welcome.

I found my way here by way of information on a Flickr post from the USGS Bee Lab images (Flickr username Sam Droege), who credited Zerene Stacker in a fabulous image of of a bee's abdomen [https://www.flickr.com/photos/usgsbiml/51601544924], and then Zerene Stacker's information pages mentioning this forum.

I have used Focus Stacker for macOS from the Apple App Store, but it struggles often with my handheld images. I downloaded Zerene Stacker and tried it on a set of images and it really had trouble with some things that were not the main focal point.

And that brings me to my first question for this group: is there a particular focus stacking software that does better with hand-held images and their inherently greater variability in angle/focal plane and distances? Much as I have loved playing with focus stacking from time to time, carrying a tripod with a focus rail and setting it up on the trail, or in my crazyquilt steep terraced garden, is not ever likely going to be my thing.

rjlittlefield
Site Admin
Posts: 23561
Joined: Tue Aug 01, 2006 8:34 am
Location: Richland, Washington State, USA
Contact:

Re: Hello from Los Angeles

Post by rjlittlefield »

debunix, hello and welcome aboard!

I'm the fellow who wrote Zerene Stacker, and I'm happy to help with all sorts of problems.

In the case of hand-held stacks, it's impossible to say much without seeing the actual images because there are so many things that can go wrong and different ways to address them.

I suggest to start an email conversation with support@zerenesystems.com . (That's me under a different hat.) If possible, send source images and output images, preferably marked up to show what areas you're concerned about, using some large-file transfer facility like Google Drive, or Dropbox, or wetransfer.com .

After we figure out what's going on, we can report back here in the forum for other people's benefit.

One aspect that I'm sure other people will touch on, is that handheld stacking is hugely improved by using in-camera focus bracketing that quickly and automatically shoots a sequence of images, stepping focus by using the focus motor inside the lens. Using that approach, all you have to do is hold still for a couple of seconds while the camera does its work.

--Rik

debunix
Posts: 6
Joined: Sat Oct 30, 2021 4:55 pm
Location: Los Angeles, CA

Re: Hello from Los Angeles

Post by debunix »

Focus shift for stacking within the camera and lens sounds great, but that wasn't an option built into the Nikon D500.

I mostly just set to high speed shots and blast away while trying to move just a tiny bit in and out.

I will contact support later.

rjlittlefield
Site Admin
Posts: 23561
Joined: Tue Aug 01, 2006 8:34 am
Location: Richland, Washington State, USA
Contact:

Re: Hello from Los Angeles

Post by rjlittlefield »

debunix wrote:
Sun Oct 31, 2021 12:01 pm
I mostly just set to high speed shots and blast away while trying to move just a tiny bit in and out.
Ah yes, lean in while shooting continuously. That's one of the classic methods. It works well if you can move straight in without moving sideways.

The words "in and and" are a bit worrisome. Stacking software generally prefers to see images that are shot in monotonic order, one pass end-to-end. There are some tricks for handling stacks that are shot in other orders, but they are not obvious.

I look forward to seeing the images.

--Rik

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