This is a case of I’m so glad I took the time! I was on the point of turning around on my forest walk when I noticed this cute little bit of moss on a fallen tree (right across the trail as it happens and I’ll probably be the one to take a chainsaw out there since now I’ve volunteered with the Ice Age Trail Alliance and this is my section to maintain, but I digress). There is so much life here and most of it works in a symbiotic relationship that I think it’s important to show all of that when I can. There are mushrooms, moss and lichens here as well as fallen debris (needles and a samara). The whole scene is about 2 inches across.
Nerdy stacking technique stuff -
Anyway, with each stack I changed my composition and with this one I used a 0/-/+ method which moves the focus point in front of and behind the first point chosen. I use this for deep stacks where I want to be sure I get the nearest bit in focus. It’s sometimes hard to tell that without a hand lens and getting all over and around the subject in relation to where you put the camera. Another stack missed that closest bit and I scrapped all the images in favor of this one that does include it.
So I ended up with 41 images total, but chucked a few of them since they had focused too close and everything was blurry. Who cares? Everything necessary to the image is crisp. Partially because of the number of photos, but also because I closed the aperture down a bit for better overlap. 37 images went down to 5 PMax slabs which I stacked into 1 DMap image that needed no retouching. Slabs are output images so those go back to Lightroom where you can work on them to be the best they can be for more stacking. Things like saturation, contrast and noise reduction are what I usually end up adjusting. Then I add them back to Zerene as source images to be stacked again. The DMap final image needed a lot of Lightroom work in the same areas as the PMax slabs, but I massaged a few more things like black point and dehaze.
Yes, it takes some time, but I don’t mind if it results in a photo that has the qualities I’m looking for, which for this scene was maximum detail front to back. Through the slabbing and stacking process a lot of color separation happened and I didn’t need to separate them with the HSL panel at all.
Specific Feedback Requested
Open to ideas for field technique or processing.
Technical Details
Tripod
Lr for initial work to fix white balance and overall contrast, etc. Applied settings to 37 total images that got sent to Zerene and went through the slabbing process. The final DMap image needed some work again to add a lot of needed contrast and some texture. Also Transform to adjust the angle slightly for a better frame.
This is just a great image with all of its shapes, patterns, textures and colors. I like that you have avoided to add any vignette, it is great that the luminosity is equal over the whole image surface letting the viewer explore and discover all parts of the image. Regarding the stacking technique, I have nothing to add, just to read and learn! Thanks for sharing that information.
Amazing, Kris. Clearly the detail is outstanding, as is your technique and processing! Thanks for sharing for process, boggles my mind! Can’t imagine change a thing. Very nicely seen and captured.
Very nice, Kris. I have tried a few times to capture something like this and never satisfied with the results. I think the stacking is what makes the difference, letting the whole image be tack sharp. I love the composition with the green moss placement. Nice. No nits here.
Nice work, Kris. I love the textures and shapes. The colors are so wonderful as well.
I’m undecided on the moss placement. Gee, you had a million considerations (x41 frames), but I might be inclined to try the moss further to the left corner —or rather I might be incline to crop off the upper left corner— to get a more consistent density of textures and interest.
I could be wrong and the space on the upper left works as a lead in to the image, but something like this might be interesting too:
Anyway…thanks for taking the time to play with it Marylynne. I was undecided about the placement and crop as well, but the sweep of lichen on the left was one thing that drew me to the scene. It’s like a little nest; a protected place and it felt odd to cut it off with that in mind. I could take some off the left without encroaching on it though…so many things to consider.
This is a nice shot (or many shots!) Kristen. I do like the mini ecosystem feel. The colours are just lovely and I find myself exploring every little bit of it. I prefer it as it is, without the crop that Marylynne suggested, as I feel that the area on the left is an important anchor and adds some wonderful colours and textures. Really nice. Cheers.
Thanks @Phil_G - yes, many shots, but enough and so I’m happy. These little landscapes are always fun to explore for new little features, like the thread-like structures under some of the foliose bits of lichen - kind of like feet or tentacles. Always something new to intrigue and delight.
A great look into a mini-world! Well worth the trouble!! I never thought of doing slabs of partial stacks and working them in LR/PS and then putting them back together in Zerene. I should play with that.
I like this quite a bit!
To me the lead in is the lichen from the right side, through the mushrooms, around the moss and exiting the frame at the top.
Everything is working together to survive and even thrive for a time, at least until the chainsaw has its way with it.
I can’t even come close to commenting on the technical side of stacking, just from what I’ve read here, I’m a little intimidated by the process. I’m sure I can figure it out and have one of those eureka moments where I say: Oh…OK, now I understand what Slabbing, DMap and PMax means!
Nice find, it was well executed and obviously you did a great job on the stacking!
Thanks @Diane_Miller - I don’t do a ton of slabbing - just for more than say 20 images. You can slab anywhere from 2+ images and dictate the # of shots Zerene uses to overlap them by. I do PMax images for those and then create a DMap of those slabs. It’s worked really well so far and my retouching is down even if the slabbing process takes some time. And yeah, on the trip back to Lightroom you can work on them to get them optimized for more stacking. Of course you could do the same in Photoshop, too.
Glad you guys like the photo. Sometimes I’m just too weird for NPN I think. Not a classical nature photographer, more of a nerd.
Oh and I won’t damage this little section when it comes to clearing the trail - if I can help it that is. The tree is already down and dead so it’s just a matter of getting it out of the way come spring.
I love the colors and how they blend so well, Kris. That is a great description on the stacking method and what you did. I miss the colors that the southwest lacks so seeing photos like this is a welcome site.
Thanks @Dean_Salman & @scott_clark - lichens come is so many colors and shapes that I can’t resist them much. If you look at my portfolio from last summer you’ll see my lichen obsession in all its glory. Moss, too, is a favorite subject.
Tried playing with a different crop, but lost the samara in the URC and the bottom mushroom and I don’t want to do that, so it stays the way it is. I appreciate the fooling around with it though.
