Some images that i have done lately, using Helicon Focus !
Nikon D200 + Tamron SP90 - 1:250 @ f8 with flash - 7 shots
Nikon D200 + Tamron SP90 - 1:250 @ f8 with flash - 15 shots
Nikon D200 + Nikkor 55mm. f/2.8 Ais - 1:250 @ f8 with flash - 18 shots
Length of the bench: 1.70 m. / 63 inches
100%crop of previous
100% crop of previous
I'm VERY hapy with this program... pity it's a bit expensive, though !
Cheers,
J-P.
A few images !
a few images.
Those are beautiful images. Do you use a focusing rail or the lens focus ring? What sort of flash do you use and at what setting?
Hi ! Thanks for commenting...
I tried to use both systems -locked focus and moving camera on rail vs camera still and rotating the focus ring- and choose to keep the camera on tripod and rotate the focus ring !
For the iris, the lighting was a 100W Elinchrom into a 24x24" (60x60 cm.) softbox on the left, a white foamcore reflector on the right and a ringflash -at minimum power- on the lens. The background is a piece of black velvet.
For the lathe, the lighting was simply a 100W Elinchrom into a 24x24" (60x60 cm.) softbox, at 45 degrees to the ceiling (to avoid parasitic shadows). Camera was a Nikon D200 with a Tamron SP90.
Hope this helps ?
Cheers,
J-P.
I tried to use both systems -locked focus and moving camera on rail vs camera still and rotating the focus ring- and choose to keep the camera on tripod and rotate the focus ring !
For the iris, the lighting was a 100W Elinchrom into a 24x24" (60x60 cm.) softbox on the left, a white foamcore reflector on the right and a ringflash -at minimum power- on the lens. The background is a piece of black velvet.
For the lathe, the lighting was simply a 100W Elinchrom into a 24x24" (60x60 cm.) softbox, at 45 degrees to the ceiling (to avoid parasitic shadows). Camera was a Nikon D200 with a Tamron SP90.
Hope this helps ?
Cheers,
J-P.
Excellent. Thank you for the information J-P, I appreciate it. I'm just getting started myself and find I'm having a great deal of trouble acclimating to the fine adjustments needed to the focus ring on a lens to get the necessary slices in any kind of even distribution of focus but the issue of perspective with a focus ring is one to consider also. I'm sure loving playing with the possibilities of this though.
Your images are fabulous.
Your images are fabulous.
JPS' flower shot with strobe
Very impressive flower shots, JPS. Outstanding "glow" to the petals. Is there much post-processing involved with these images, or is it "straight from the camera?" I've been doing similar work... but outside. Even at the crack of dawn there's often a breeze, as gentle as it may be.
One tip worth sharing with flower shots: find a "Mister" type of pump-up canister and give the petals and greens a very light touch of water droplets - similar in size (tiny) to morning dew. Water "sprayers" per se, do not work well, it is the misting type that delivers top-notch results. (I have one in my kitchen used for bread baking).
An aside: when have you found it "best" to apply sharpening? "By the rules" we always do it last in PhotoShop... but when using Helicon Focus software I haven't arrived at a definitive answer - sharpen first, then run through HF... or sharpen the outputted HF image. (In all instances my Canon 5D camera is adjusted to apply zero "in-camera" sharpening.
One tip worth sharing with flower shots: find a "Mister" type of pump-up canister and give the petals and greens a very light touch of water droplets - similar in size (tiny) to morning dew. Water "sprayers" per se, do not work well, it is the misting type that delivers top-notch results. (I have one in my kitchen used for bread baking).
An aside: when have you found it "best" to apply sharpening? "By the rules" we always do it last in PhotoShop... but when using Helicon Focus software I haven't arrived at a definitive answer - sharpen first, then run through HF... or sharpen the outputted HF image. (In all instances my Canon 5D camera is adjusted to apply zero "in-camera" sharpening.
Re: JPS' flower shot with strobe
Hi and thanks for commenting !okie wrote:Very impressive flower shots, JPS. Outstanding "glow" to the petals. Is there much post-processing involved with these images, or is it "straight from the camera?" I've been doing similar work... but outside. Even at the crack of dawn there's often a breeze, as gentle as it may be.
One tip worth sharing with flower shots: find a "Mister" type of pump-up canister and give the petals and greens a very light touch of water droplets - similar in size (tiny) to morning dew. Water "sprayers" per se, do not work well, it is the misting type that delivers top-notch results. (I have one in my kitchen used for bread baking).
An aside: when have you found it "best" to apply sharpening? "By the rules" we always do it last in PhotoShop... but when using Helicon Focus software I haven't arrived at a definitive answer - sharpen first, then run through HF... or sharpen the outputted HF image. (In all instances my Canon 5D camera is adjusted to apply zero "in-camera" sharpening.
As for applying some "dew" on the petals, i didn't think of it, although it's a trick i often use...
Now, about the sharpening, as long as i remember, i loaded the original RAW images into Helicon Focus, so no post-processing AT ALL was applied before... and i also allways use the "zero in-camera" settings !
Of course, the image rendered by Helicon Focus has been post-processed as usual, with a final sharpening, then resizing for Web, and finally one more slight sharpening !
Cheers,
J-P.
Re: JPS' flower shot with strobe
[quote="JPS
Now, about the sharpening, as long as i remember, i loaded the original RAW images into Helicon Focus, so no post-processing AT ALL was applied before... and i also allways use the "zero in-camera" settings !
Of course, the image rendered by Helicon Focus has been post-processed as usual, with a final sharpening, then resizing for Web, and finally one more slight sharpening !
J-P.[/quote]
My experience has been similar, that sharpening and then a bit more seems to produce excellent imagery. Frankly, amazes me how much post-processing sharpening the Helicon image can handle, far more than a file directly out of the camera.
An aside: seeing your strobe images inspired me to try the same instead of always working outdoors (USA, Florida, where it comfortable to work outside year-round). Literally even cut the iris flower I initially photographed (in layers) outdoors, then brought it into the studio: a 24"x36" softbox and a reflector on the opposite side, but without any ring flash from the camera. Remarkable results! Particularly when applying a black backdrop... sample about a dozen different backgrounds and came back to "black is best." And what a delight to shoot indoors without wind or light-change factors... I thought I was in heaven. (Camera is directly tied to a computer using Breeze's DSLR Remote Pro software - instant gratification!).
Your ideas and input was very helpful, J-P. Thank you.
Now, about the sharpening, as long as i remember, i loaded the original RAW images into Helicon Focus, so no post-processing AT ALL was applied before... and i also allways use the "zero in-camera" settings !
Of course, the image rendered by Helicon Focus has been post-processed as usual, with a final sharpening, then resizing for Web, and finally one more slight sharpening !
J-P.[/quote]
My experience has been similar, that sharpening and then a bit more seems to produce excellent imagery. Frankly, amazes me how much post-processing sharpening the Helicon image can handle, far more than a file directly out of the camera.
An aside: seeing your strobe images inspired me to try the same instead of always working outdoors (USA, Florida, where it comfortable to work outside year-round). Literally even cut the iris flower I initially photographed (in layers) outdoors, then brought it into the studio: a 24"x36" softbox and a reflector on the opposite side, but without any ring flash from the camera. Remarkable results! Particularly when applying a black backdrop... sample about a dozen different backgrounds and came back to "black is best." And what a delight to shoot indoors without wind or light-change factors... I thought I was in heaven. (Camera is directly tied to a computer using Breeze's DSLR Remote Pro software - instant gratification!).
Your ideas and input was very helpful, J-P. Thank you.
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- Posts: 8
- Joined: 10.02.2009 22:14
focus ring
Can someone tell me what a focus ring is?
Could I use it on a Canon xsi 450D?
Thanks
Could I use it on a Canon xsi 450D?
Thanks
Re: focus ring
Maybe I misspelled it !?! The "focus ring" that I refer to is the FOCUSSING RING on the lens, that allow you -mainly on an SLR/DSLR camera- to focus on your subject: I guess one might also call it DISTANCE RING !?!peteschick wrote:Can someone tell me what a focus ring is?
Could I use it on a Canon xsi 450D?
Thanks
Got it ?
Cheers,
J-P.