# Story behind a flower **URL:** \ **Category:** Image Critiques\ **Tags:** macro-close-up\ **Created:** [December 5, 2022, 8:02pm UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/story-behind-a-flower/32004 "2022-12-05T20:02:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dean\_Salman](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/dean_salman/32/13291_2.png) [@Dean\_Salman](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Dean_Salman)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2022, 8:02pm UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/story-behind-a-flower/32004/1 "2022-12-05T20:02:22Z")
![Story behind a flower](https://images.naturephotographers.network/original/3X/8/6/86a67e1a49c45a32c891447feb5bd6da5e8885e8.jpeg) We purchased some of these, so I wanted to try more stacking. I am planning my shots more with new growth and a large pedal off to the side to tell how big the planet is. I found with these bright plants that stopping down a stop helps. ### Specific Feedback Requested Anything is always welcome. ### Technical Details R7 rf 100 f/2.8 F/16 (which was a mistake but lead to a short stack od 10). ISO 400 1/60 Taken after a rain. used a TP. Use Zerene which I am liking a lot. I used DMAP with only 5% on the mask and used a little bit from the PMAX. Photo AI wanted to sharpen a little more, maybe because of f/16 diffraction but who knows. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Freeman](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/shirley_freeman/32/11361_2.png) [@Shirley\_Freeman](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Shirley_Freeman)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2022, 8:22pm UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/story-behind-a-flower/32004/2 "2022-12-05T20:22:37Z")
Now this really would make a Christmas card! You managed the reds nicely, I would say. I will let the stacking Guros give their thoughts on that part of the shot. Looks fine to me. Nice composition. ---
**Author:** ![linda\_mellor](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/linda_mellor/32/15806_2.png) [@linda\_mellor](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/linda_mellor)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2022, 8:43pm UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/story-behind-a-flower/32004/3 "2022-12-05T20:43:54Z")
Yes, Dean. Stopping down definitely has given this beauty plenty of detail and definition. Good for you and nicely done. ---
**Author:** ![Merv](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/merv/32/50395_2.png) [@Merv](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Merv)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2022, 9:36pm UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/story-behind-a-flower/32004/4 "2022-12-05T21:36:16Z")
Hi Dean, Yep gonna leave the stacking talk to someone better qualified that me! As Shirley, said, this is an even better candidate for a Christmas card with all of that real-estate for text. That darker red leaf? with the heavy texture in the lower right corner adds depth and appeal in my opinion. I really like it! 🙂 All the best, ---
**Author:** ![Mark\_Seaver](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/mark_seaver/32/231_2.png) [@Mark\_Seaver](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Mark_Seaver)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2022, 3:31pm UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/story-behind-a-flower/32004/5 "2022-12-08T15:31:08Z")
Dean, this looks very good and yes, it would make a fine Christmas card. When you have overlapped areas that you want sharp, using a high f-stop reduces or avoids what I call overlap blur. (For a description of overlap blur look at my NPN [stacking workshop](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/focus-stacking-webinar-by-mark-seaver/22517) here from a year ago.) I’ve tested multiple lenses and have yet to see noticeable blur (even at 100 % viewing) for a decent lens at f/16. If you go to f/22 and beyond, you do see slight softening at 100%, which won’t be noticeable unless you make a very large print and can often be “fixed” with some extra sharpening. ---
**Author:** ![Dean\_Salman](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/dean_salman/32/13291_2.png) [@Dean\_Salman](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Dean_Salman)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2022, 3:58pm UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/story-behind-a-flower/32004/6 "2022-12-08T15:58:36Z")
Thanks @Mark_Seaver I will try that and see how it works out. Oddly enough, I thought the idea of focus stacking was to keep the lens more open even though the focus point is small. One plus I see in using f/16 would be fewer images to stack. In the R7 I have the setting for focus change at the lowest of 1. That means a lot more photos needed, but at f/16 maybe I can change the setting ---
**Author:** ![Mark\_Seaver](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/mark_seaver/32/231_2.png) [@Mark\_Seaver](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Mark_Seaver)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2022, 4:12pm UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/story-behind-a-flower/32004/7 "2022-12-08T16:12:15Z")
Your camera knows what f-stop you’re using and changes the focus distance accordingly. With my R5, I found by experiment that the setting that it came with worked very well. (Without looking at the camera setting, I think it was at 4.) I tried 6 to minimize the number of shots and found soft areas so I’m back to 4. With that working fine, I don’t see any reason to go smaller.