The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
This is my first attempt at stacking. The first pic has 53 shots. Not sure on the second. This was probably not a good first choice to try and stack because some of the caterpillar’s were slightly moving, as can be seen. It was still fun to try. Maybe a shot of just a couple?
Specific Feedback
Looking for all the help on stacking. I should have cropped the second one more on the Rt. side.
Technical Details
Canon 5D SR, 100mm MACRO, f/11, 1/200sec, ISO 800
Helicon Focus 8 for stacking, Topaz for noise, PS for Saturation, Brightness/Contrast
Critique Template
Use of the template is optional, but it can help spark ideas.
John: What a mob scene! I hope you have a good supply of milkweed because I know how fast these guys go through it. I don’t do a lot of stacking but I think you would find it easier to start with a completely stationary subject. I was pleasantly surprised at how easy Helicon is to work with. You might contact Mark Seaver directly if you need stacking help. He is a certified wizard. >=))>
Your right Bill. I had to go to the nursery and get more, without bugs. I was sitting and watching them sleep this morning before they started devouring breakfast. LOL. And I thought it might be a good time to try and get a picture of all of them or at least a hand full anyway. By the time I got set up, the sun was hitting them and they started moving and eating, I’m wondering if I should get more or wait and hope they start taking off to J-Hook then chrysalis. Milkweed is not cheap know more, even if it is a weed. But it’s worth it if I have to.
You might get by with just a couple, John. Another option, depending on your climate is to get our really early in the morning to take the stack. Being cold blooded, they’re more lethargic in the mornings (hopefully). Definitely a cool exercise and I commend your bravery in trying to stack moving subjects. I actually really like the composition in the first image a lot. The caterpillars are nicely distributed in the frame as is the vegetation. Lighting is also very good.
I was up early and yes, they are a lot more lethargic in the morning. But, by the time I was ready, and set up, they were starting to move. I have a lot of shots but not of a lot of them together. Thought I’d try with stacking. Thanks Dennis. @Dennis_Plank for the good comments. Trying to pick up stacking.
John, you’ve got a plethora of Caterpillars… Definitely a fun photo. While things that move can be stacked, getting a good stack depends a lot of when they move and how they move. You caterpillars are mostly nice and sharp, but everyone of the is surrounded by a blurred region that comes from a fundamental law of optics, that stacking cannot overcome. I also see blurred leaf regions (mostly edges) suggesting that the leaves were also moving and in the second view, there are a couple of repeated edges, which is another artifact that appears when there is motion during a stack. I suggest that you practice stacking on a single caterpillar or outside on things that don’t move or only move slightly during the stack. That will let you better understand what stacks can and cannot do.
Your so right. This was more of a last minute thought. I actually tried to stack several shots. Going back and looking at them I see movement in all of them. This was a learning curve for me. I wanted to put these out there for the feed back. I will start slower on the stacking and with no movement. I also wanted to ck out the software I used, how it works, etc… Baby steps LOL Thanks Mark. @Mark_Seaver
Definitely a fun photo. While things that move can be stacked, getting a good stack depends a lot of when they move and how they move. You caterpillars are mostly nice and sharp, but everyone of the is surrounded by a blurred region that comes from a fundamental law of optics, that stacking cannot overcome. I also see blurred leaf regions (mostly edges) suggesting that the leaves were also moving and in the second view, there are a couple of repeated edges, which is another artifact that appears when there is motion during a stack. I suggest that you practice stacking on a single caterpillar or outside on things that don’t move or only move slightly during the stack. That will let you better understand what stacks can and cannot do.