Macro and Layers question-need HELP

BH
Posted By
Bill_Hatfield
May 30, 2004
Views
89
Replies
2
Status
Closed
I am in the process of rigging-up a super macro set-up for macro shots. I have a Canon 10D and have attached a Canon 50mm f1.4 lens "in REVERSE" in front of a Sigma 105mm f2.8 macro lens. In this combination they focus beautifully about 2 inches from the subject, and about a 1/2 inch subject will fill the viewfinder. However, using a small fly as a subject, only parts of the fly are in sharp focus. I am using a Bogen tripod and all manual controls, auxiliary lighting, no flash. First, what can I do, if anything, to increase the DOF to about 1/8 inch?
I have read somewhere that you can focus down so that the first parts of the fly are in focus, shoot, then focus down a little more, shoot, etc until you have 4 or 5 shots that cover the entire subject. Then use PSE2 layers to stack, merge or flatten the different shots until the entire subject appears in sharp focus.
I am somewhat familiar with PSE2 and have a couple of books but layers still give me problems. If I can use multi shots and layers to solve my DOF problem, would some kind person guide and tutor me thru the process.
I am using a Dell PC, WinXP (home), with 512mb ram and PSE2,

Thanks in advance,
Bill Hatfield
Related Tags
help layer macro question

How to Master Sharpening in Photoshop

Give your photos a professional finish with sharpening in Photoshop. Learn to enhance details, create contrast, and prepare your images for print, web, and social media.

SS
Susan_S.
May 30, 2004
The only thing you can do is to reduce the aperture as much as possible – of course (particularly with living subjects) you may then have trouble getting a sufficiently large shutter speed to freeze any " action" – which is why macro flashes are so important but sadly so expensive. I’ve had some success using an on-camera flash with a flash diffuser (omnibounce type, but home made) – flash tilted up with a white card to bounce some of the light back down also worked OK- so that the light is scattered down onto the subject (direct on camera flash is no use as the subject is too close).

I’ve not tried the layer merging technique – I’m using screw in close up filters so i can ususually get the depth of field I want as the magnification isn’t so high. Mark Plonsky appears to be the master of this technique:
< http://www.oncloserinspection.com/Guest_Articles/Depth_of_Fi eld/increase_dof.htm> and
<http://www.mplonsky.com/photo/article.htm>

He is using the same (non-DSLR) camera that I have…wish I could get those sorts of result

He appears to just use carefully feathered selections from different images pasted into the original, a technique that would work just as well in Elements as in PS
Susan S
LK
Leen_Koper
May 30, 2004
Bill,

The only way to increase your depth of field is to stop down your lens to its maximum. Still the DOF will be limited.
The technique of using layers is theoretically OK.
It works this way:
open 2 images
"select all" on the first image.
"copy"
go to the next image
"paste"

Now you will have two images over each other; the pasted image is the layer on top of the original image.

Apply the eraser tool to remove the parts of the image that are out of focus. You should be able to seen the parts that are in focus of the bottom image.
Repeat this technique with a third image, and so on.

Theoretically this could be done, but imagine the problems of producing several images at different focussing distances without any camera movement. Even with an extremely heavy tripod this is almost impossible.

Leen

Must-have mockup pack for every graphic designer 🔥🔥🔥

Easy-to-use drag-n-drop Photoshop scene creator with more than 2800 items.

Related Discussion Topics

Nice and short text about related topics in discussion sections