Circlet

This red Gerbera Daisy served a couple, two, three purposes today.

1) It's a 4-image stack using variable focal points rather than a set focal point. (I still have my mind on the dead Saguaro and needed to practice shooting something using variable FPs; in the past I've always used one set FP.)
2) It's the first time I've used the 105mm macro lens combined with the 20mm Kenko extension tube. That too takes a bit of practice.
3) I finally replaced a cable release that broke last fall and I have to get used to that all over again.

This was shot using natural light, a tripod, spot metering at f/7.1, ISO 100, 1' .3", -.67 EV, manual exposure, manual focus.

I used ACR to process the images and converted them to TIFF images which I fed to Helicon Focus. That permitted me to make the same corrections to all images simultaneously.

I cleaned up a few pollen flecks that looked more like dust bunnies but left the grain of pollen at the bottom of the flower disc. Is it distracting? I like that one stray petal sticking up in the air on the right. What do you guys think?

The focal points that I used start at the upper left and come diagonally toward the center of the flower.

When I was shooting, I experimented with several different f/stops and two other FP patterns. One marching around the edge of the center of the flower; the battery died when I was about 3/4ths done and I didn't redo it. The other pattern was marched straight across the flower through the center. That did not work.

I used Live View because I discovered that even the lightest hand on the focus ring made it impossible to get a good focus.

I would appreciate it if those of you who do macro shooting and stacked images, would please chime in with ideas and suggestions.

Thanks.



Carol

Oh, yes, of course there's a black and white version and as soon as I upload it, I'll post the URL

And this is the stylized B/W version, converted in NIK (a modified Antique Solarization effect)