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Macro stitching?

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Mystery Gardener

Mystery Gardener

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I am not sure what the term may be so I was unable to use the search function.

I just shot a few photos with my new macro lens. Of course they have a small DOF. Is it possible to take one shot with the front of the object focused, the second shot focused a bit further down the object, etc and then stitch the in-focus parts of the photos together so that the entire object would be in focus?

Cheers,
James
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'Curiouser and curiouser' said Alice
 
Not sure about generating a single all in focus image, though I imagine it would be possible. However, the technique you mention has been used in microscopy (called a focus series) to generate a 3d model of things like cells. The process uses a stage whose depth is controlled by computer. The computer captures a series of images at different depths and the software analyzes the images to ascertain the contours of the object being imaged by calculating when a given pixel is most in focus. You should be able to use a variation of the algorithm to piece together the most in focus pixels in the series. In my experience, the resulting models were fairly low resolution and prone to artifacts but then I last time I personally saw this done was in 1990.
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http: www.flickr.com/cgivfx
 
You certainly can, it is called focus stacking. It is easy enough to do in Photoshop using layers and masks, but there are software applications out there that help with alignment etc.

Lord V. used to inhabit this forum and did a lot of focus stacking. He has a SmugMug site http://lordv.smugmug.com/popular/#120917883and used to have a Flikr site too with tutorials.

Brian A.
 
There is a program to do exactly what you want, and it does it quite well, with little fuss:

http://www.heliconsoft.com/heliconfocus.html

Works wonders for the macro application you described. The trick to it is to take many, many shots. Perhaps 12 or more, depending upon how much DOF you want to capture and your f stop. Once complication I have noticed is that for many lenses, like the 100 macro, as one changes the focal length the size of the object changes. This will make straight blending quite difficult, but helicon focus does have a feature to account for this.

In fact I had this idea that one would not need a tilt function on a T/S lens and it will blend many shots for a landscape shot if things aren't moving too much.
Mike K
 
Thanks for the link Gautam. You have an interesting name, I like the way it sounded when I tried to pronounce it ;-)

Cheers,
James
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'Curiouser and curiouser' said Alice
 
You might like to have a look at http://www.photomacrography2.net/forum/

On the equipment and technical threads there are quite extensive discussions about the use of Helicon Focus and CombineZ, how to move the camera or the subject in small enough increments and some inspirational images to let you see what can be achieved with a bit of practice.
 
Sorry, somehow I missed your post last week.

Good explanation and very nice samples on your site.

Would it be possible to leave the camera in the same location (on a tripod) and change the focus point on successive shots to achieve the same effect?

Cheers,
James
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'Curiouser and curiouser' said Alice
 
Mystery Gardener said:
Sorry, somehow I missed your post last week.
Click to expand...
No problem.
Mystery Gardener said:
Good explanation and very nice samples on your site.
Click to expand...
Thanx.
Mystery Gardener said:
Would it be possible to leave the camera in the same location (on a
tripod) and change the focus point on successive shots to achieve the
same effect?
Click to expand...
Yes. I have done it. But then you might be easier with software like Helicon Focus ( http://www.heliconsoft.com/heliconfocus.html )

--
Happy shooting,
Mark
http://www.mplonsky.com/photo

 
Hi Mark:

I will probably end up trying both methods. I am researching focus rails as that would seem easier than moving the tripod. So much to learn, so little time...

Cheers,
James
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'Curiouser and curiouser' said Alice
 
Mike K said:
One complication I
have noticed is that for many lenses, like the 100 macro, as one
changes the focal length the size of the object changes. This will
make straight blending quite difficult, but helicon focus does have a
feature to account for this.
Click to expand...
I haven't followed all links given here, some will probably explain it in more detail. But one thing is clear for magnifications around 1:1. You don't change the focus by adjusting the focus on the lens, you adjust the focus by moving the camera back and forth. At these magnifications, the main effect of changing the focus is actually to change the magnification.
So, set the focus to the magnification you want, then move the camera.

That's why old style bellows have two tracks, one for moving the extension, and one for moving the whole setup back and forth.
But one can buy a focus rail for a camera, see
http://www.earthboundlight.com/phototips/closeup-focusing-rail.html
 
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