some cute DIY stuff

[IgsEMT]

Really interesting
Get Greater Depth of Field with the Brenizer Method « Photojojo

 

[Garbz]

For anyone with Photoshop CS4, there's a feature that allows you to stack multiple images with far different focus points together and then expand the DOF to an arbitrary value. The results are fantastic given the workings of it are like voodoo.

 

[K8-90]

^ Do you know what said feature is called? I'd like to look it up and give it a try!

Nice tutorial! Seems like it would work well for static subjects, but you'd have to work really fast and have some statuesque friends to get a portrait shot that way!

 

[Garbz]

edit -> Auto-blend layers

Combines layers into one and picks the sharpest details of each for the final.

 

[Overread16 4]

Focus stacking is its common name and there are some freeware bits of software you can use to do it as well (if one happens not to have photoshop). Combine ZM is what I use (newest version is ZP) and I have used it to good effect a few times. Its tricky to use and generaly leads itself only to very static scenes - movement creats a heck of a lot of problems and most times will lead to errors.

You can even use it on live insects provided that they are sleepy (early mornings and after rainfall are good times to find cool and slow insects)

eg:
stack 2 on Flickr - Photo Sharing!
stack4n on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Though you can work handheld for such shots (the first is an example of handheld) it is easier to work with a tripod and a focusing tail - moving the rail closer/further for each shot of the series to be combined. When handholding I find that what you need most (aside from steady hands and something to lean against) is a quick refresh rate on your flash (if shooting a macro shot where focus stacking is most popular) since a burst of shots is needed to get the different focus points without too much frame movement from shot to shot

 

[K8-90]

Thanks both. Will try that out soon...

 

[Foxman]

oooooohhhhh this is a very cool thing. I will have to try this out. I wonder if my PS Essentials 2.0 has this. I can't wait till I get home and see.....