Delicate Enough
The story of this photo
Delicate Enough – Before and After (click to enlarge – open in new tab to see in full size)
This is my latest macro shot. Over the last few weeks, I have been spending my time doing a lot of stuff that did not have too much to do with taking or editing photos. It did have to do with photography, but just not with the creative part of it. Anyway, yesterday, I got fed up with this stuff and I started messing around with my macro gear. The sun just went down and I found this tiny foilage with those delicate little hairs. I figured that this would look great against the sun. So, I got out my little syringe, applied a few droplets and took a whole bunch of shots with the sun in different spots relative to the foliage.
Dynamic Before-and-After: Delicate Enough – Slide back and forth between the original exposure and the focus-stacked and post-processed final image
Initailly, I went with an aperture of f/20 to f/25 to get all of the leaves in focus. But that brought parts of the background too much into focus too. So, I went with f/8 which blurred the background entirely, and I took different shots with different foci. Then I used focus stacking in Photoshop to blend those images together. Et Voilá, subject in focus, background blurred.
And here is the lesson for you: Always know what you can do to an image in post-processing while you are shooting. This may help you solve problems and lets you create images that may be very difficult to create otherwise.
How it was shot
- Taken with a tripod
- Three exposures – used focus stacking to bring the whole subject into focus
- Camera: Nikon D7000
- Lens: Nikon AF-S Micro-Nikkor 105mm 1:2,8G VR
How it was post-processed
- Post-processing was done in Photoshop
- Topaz DeNoise
- Topaz Infocus for sharpening
- Topaz Details for bringing out the details in the petals and some basic color correction
- Saturation adjustent layer (master)
- Vibrance layer (vibrance)
Really stunning work, Klaus. Thanks for sharing and I think backlighting is the best for photography.
Wow, the water droplets are amazing! They look so perfect they seem almost unreal (not suggesting they’re not).
Hi David,
they are real. But I applied them to the petals. 😉
If you have a vision, don’t wait for it to come true – make it happen!
Cheers
Klaus
A remarkably great macro image, very nicely done!
Wonderful work Klaus. Maybe you might enlighten us with your focus stacking process? I’ve read about it, but you have a way of explaining techniques that make them more understandable.
Hi Kirk,
thanks for the suggestion. I may publish a focus stacking recipe soon.
Excellent work, beautiful result. Yes I agree with your comment about being aware of what you can do in PP. I use Zerene Stacker for my stacked macros.
Thank you Klaus for all your generosity in sharing your methods you have helped and enriched my work immensely.
That is great to hear, David! I am glad you found some tips and inspiration here.
Very nice image. Technology can enhance our experience of the world around us (mother nature provides many subjects). Have you tried any other focus stacking software besides photoshop? All the best :))
No, I have only tried Photoshop. But there are other (also free) tools out there. What I like about Photoshop though is that it gives me so much control also after the stacking is finished.
I like so much your work for me is very real this photograph. how many time you take the photo, and the environment light I can not see this imagen that you saw when I take the shoot, before you thought that the lab.was wrong. and nowadays with digital technology, you can to put the colors tha you saw, the light that you see and the tone the photograph.
I hope you understood because I don’t know to write in English language.
Thank so much for to say the way you doing the photograph.
Cordially
Federico Flores Moy.
Ciao Frederico,
thanks! I toook quite a few shots to create this image. The light changed all the time. That is the great thing about digital photography. You have direct control and you can take as many photos as needed.
Cheers
Klaus
Great image! I agree with Kirk….maybe you can tell us how you do photo stacking in Photoshop. Thanks for sharing your wonderful photos with us.
I will try to do that soon, Linda! Thanks!
Kalus as usual extraordinary, could you explain teg technique of FOCUS STACKING? I dont know what it is about.
Congratulations. Your friend José.
Hi José,
with so many people asking that question, I will publish a tutorial soon.
Thanks and take care!
In the close-up How did you stack them? Was it treated as an HDR merged together (did you focus 3 different times?
Hi Tim,
there is no HDR involved in this image. I shot three different photos changing the focus each time between the shots. The first photo had the focus on the elements close to the camera, the second one on the middle parts and the third one on the distant parts. Then I used Photoshop to stack and blend them. Afterwards, I used Topaz Detail to work out the details.
Regards
Klaus