Want critique Hornet closeup

[CA Madhu Ramaswamy]

My first try using the focus stacking technique. Thanks to all the members from this group in helping me learn the technique and with the advice on the right tools/applications. Let me know what you think and where I can improve. I want to now slowly master this technique to match up to your levels of macro photography.

 

[Yohanna_D]

I don't know this technique at all, I have never tested it before (as my approach on macro is far from being pure macro). But your photo looks stunning to me and the head shows so many details, it's awesome.
I don't know your starting point, but from this photo, this looks more than promissing.
What kind of lens do you use? And how do you edit your photo afterwards?

 

[CA Madhu Ramaswamy]

I don't know this technique at all, I have never tested it before (as my approach on macro is far from being pure macro). But your photo looks stunning to me and the head shows so many details, it's awesome.
I don't know your starting point, but from this photo, this looks more than promissing.
What kind of lens do you use? And how do you edit your photo afterwards?

Thanks Yohanna_D. I use Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 macro lens. Basis the instructions I received from this group, I downloaded Helix and Zerene software for focus staking macro images. In this shot, I used a dead Hornet , and took multiple shots with different focal points. I stacked 10 images to get this output. Using Zerene application/software, I got the images aligned to get the DoF and details. Post that I did editing to adjust brightness, contrast, color correction, noise reduction and additional sharpness. This is pretty much what I did.

 

[Chavezshutter]

Great results for your first try! The settings for this are much better for this stacked shots. The sharpness and details look great and the exposure is much better balanced. The antenna on the right has an awkward angle and so its not fully in focus but i consider this a minor detail. A little cleanup of things like the thread on the mouth and maybe some of the dust in the eyes would improve it but once again minor, overall its a great image, well done

 

[Yohanna_D]

I don't know this technique at all, I have never tested it before (as my approach on macro is far from being pure macro). But your photo looks stunning to me and the head shows so many details, it's awesome.
I don't know your starting point, but from this photo, this looks more than promissing.
What kind of lens do you use? And how do you edit your photo afterwards?

Thanks Yohanna_D. I use Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 macro lens. Basis the instructions I received from this group, I downloaded Helix and Zerene software for focus staking macro images. In this shot, I used a dead Hornet , and took multiple shots with different focal points. I stacked 10 images to get this output. Using Zerene application/software, I got the images aligned to get the DoF and details. Post that I did editing to adjust brightness, contrast, color correction, noise reduction and additional sharpness. This is pretty much what I did.

Thank you for your elaborate answer.
I believe that this method is not made for me as my approach is so much different than macro itself; the only thing that saddens me is the fact that sometimes we're in the position of using dead subjects - and to me it's a No No - I can never use a dead animal in photography, my heart can't take it.
But I understand that for training purposes we take what we're given as subjects.

 

[CA Madhu Ramaswamy]

Great results for your first try! The settings for this are much better for this stacked shots. The sharpness and details look great and the exposure is much better balanced. The antenna on the right has an awkward angle and so its not fully in focus but i consider this a minor detail. A little cleanup of things like the thread on the mouth and maybe some of the dust in the eyes would improve it but once again minor, overall its a great image, well done

Thanks a lot Chavezshutter for your comments. Will surely work on these suggestions for my next project. The software that you recommended also helped bring this out.

 

[CA Madhu Ramaswamy]

Thank you for your elaborate answer.
I believe that this method is not made for me as my approach is so much different than macro itself; the only thing that saddens me is the fact that sometimes we're in the position of using dead subjects - and to me it's a No No - I can never use a dead animal in photography, my heart can't take it.
But I understand that for training purposes we take what we're given as subjects.

Yohanna_D I too don't like capturing dead subject shots, but it's difficult to get focus stacking technique to work with moving subject. My approach on macro photography is also the same. I try to capture live subjects, however was not very happy with the sharpness/clarity of the outputs. It was always a DoF issue for me with some areas of the image being blur or out of focus. The only way I could try this focus stacking technique was on this beautiful but dead insect.

 

[Helix_2648]

A very good result for the first try... no visible halos, well balanced light and very good and sharp details.
You can try to download the smartphone app "DSLR controller" and connect your phone to the camera. I used this combination for many years for focus stacking. The app has an internal focus stacking feature which is nor very fast but efficient.

 

[CA Madhu Ramaswamy]

A very good result for the first try... no visible halos, well balanced light and very good and sharp details.
You can try to download the smartphone app "DSLR controller" and connect your phone to the camera. I used this combination for many years for focus stacking. The app has an internal focus stacking feature which is nor very fast but efficient.

Thanks Helix_2648. I will give the DSLR controller app a shot. I connect my 70D using wifi and mobile, but don't think the focus stacking is something that the EOS app provides. Let me try this and come back with some results.