The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
Not exactly a typical flora image, but it doesn’t fit anywhere else any better. I was captivated by the ball of moss on a Garry Oak branch (I started out photographing emerging leaves) and did a focus stack to include all the other moss and lichen on the branches. I used a small aperture to retain some modicum of structure in the background with the spring prairie wildflowers.
Specific Feedback
I hate to say “anything”, but basically I’m interested in finding out if this kind of image grabs anyone other than me, and if so, how I might improve it. After stacking, I didn’t so much of anything other than a bit of microcontrast enhancement some dodging and a TK color mask to pop the greens a bit.
Technical Details
Sony A7R4, Canon EF 180 F/3.5 macro, tripod, f/32 (to get that background), iso 1000, 1/6 sec, 23 exposures stacked in Helicon Focus. Further Processing in LR & PS CC. Added a bit of canvas on the bottom and right, other processing mentioned above.
Hey Dennis - Nice to see you in Flora. As you’re not a regular, (yet), have a look through the archives to see some of my shots and also Diane’s. We LOVE lichens, mushrooms and moss. Little worlds on sticks are fascinating things, aren’t they? I’m so glad you added this here and that you did a focus stack to get all that soft detail. I can’t see any artifacts or gaps so the stack looks good. I like that the background is varied, but not super busy. Shifting a bit to your right would have (maybe?) included more of the lichen cluster that is cut off and that could have made a nice juxtaposition - like a moon circling a planet. So that said, I’d crop it out if you can’t get it all in and let us just concentrate on that bit of mossy goodness. You could also raise the mid tones a bit here as it’s looking flatter than it probably was IRL.
I didn’t even know you had a macro lens! Where have you been hiding it? I’d love to see more of what you find interesting to put in front of it, either here in flora or in the macro category.
I like it very much, it shows an often overlooked slice of beauty that nature gives us.
I like the juxtaposition of the soft and delicate looking moss with the lichen.
The soft lighting and the soft BG works really well together!
I like that you chose to use f/32 to include some definition in the BG, it adds a very nice environmental element to the image.
For me, I would probably have shot this from a slightly different perspective, I probably would have moved the tripod a bit the the left so the limb is at an angle across the frame, in my view it helps to create a three dimensional look.
The problem with shooting at an angle is needing more images for the stack to create a deeper DOF.
Of course with the limb at an angle, a progressive sharp on the left going to slightly blurred on the right where the limb exits the frame adds depth IMHO.
I say to move to the left because that’s the side where the light is coming from but in some cases it works to shoot toward the light. Checking it out from both sides is always worth a try just to see which side works best for you.
That said, I like the way it is here, it’s just something for you to think about on future shots like this.
I’m curious, the A7RIV doesn’t have focus bracketing so I’m wondering how you went about adjusting the focus for the stack. I have that camera as well, so it might help me to know what your process was.
I thought about trying “Small Spot AF”, start out with the spot on the closest point on the subject, then shift the spot one increment at a time using the joystick.
I’m using a manual focus rail at present.
Pixel shift is another possibility I’m ready to try, it produces a 240 MP image (60 MP X 4, or 4 sets of 4 pixel shifted images stacked together), huge crops work very well.
That method allows you to shoot from a distance to gain a lot of DOF, then crop where you want and still have plenty of resolution in the final image.
Well done, Dennis!
BTW, I don’t see any evidence of the stacking process and the colors and details are great!
@Merv My focus stacking technique isn’t at all scientific. I start where the nearest part of what I’m shooting is just barely in focus and just manually move the focus on the lens a tiny bit at a time and take lots of slices. The focus peaking helps, but I used the same technique with my older Canon DSLRs. On breezy days I’ve even set the camera on a moderate burst mode with a fast shutter speed and held down the trigger while turning the focus ring. Kind of chancy, so I do it several times and cross my fingers.
@Kris_Smith I actually started out at NPN in the Flora forum, then got into birds largely due to my wife, the birder’s influence. I still do flora and macro in fits and starts, but my life is pretty busy and there’s only so much good light.
Dennis, this is really nice. I too didn’t know that you were into macro and flora. I understand though with time and windy conditions, that you don’t do too much shooting in either genre. Your bird shots make up for it, and are an inspiration to me. This shot here though is pleasing to the eye, allowing me to see in detail something that I couldn’t in the nature. Excellent shot and I can’t think of anything to improve the image.
