Stacked Shieldbug

[rudi]

Thanks David for comment.

[Slipper]

Having just tried stacking myself, I think this a good attempt, and for me , worked well. I cant comment on the the technique as I am still learning, but well done.

[marlunn]

For a first time and hand held on a live subject, I personally would say good work. I can understand the good feedback and see the development that it will lead to. Being as it is not something I have tried I am looking on with interest and an open mind to learn before i try

[John 2]

Nicely done Rudi. Hand held yet! That's doing it the hard way.

[DanK]

I shot a number of frames of a moth using a tripod a while ago with the intention of stacking and it appeared perfectly still with my eyesight. On looking at the frames on the computer he had been clearly nodding his head up and down for part of the session, quite amusing.

I had exactly the same experience recently with a seemingly still bumblebee covered with morning dew. When I went to stack the images, I saw that he was doing exactly what Grahame described. I might have salvaged the stack with some manual work, but I gave up. I have only successfully stacked a few bugs in years of bug hunting.

Re how many shots: when the subject is staying put (not bugs, that is), I do what Kodiak suggests: start a bit in front of the closest point of focus and continue until I am sure I am past the rearmost. Then I blow the images up in Lightroom and discard the ones I don't need. In this case, it looks like you could have gone further back. However, I don't see any sign that you have too few for the range that is in focus. There are no gaps of clear detail in that range; it just stops a bit soon.

All in all, an excellent job.

[rudi]

Thanks John (Slipper) and Mark for the comment.

Nicely done Rudi. Hand held yet! That's doing it the hard way.

Thanks John2 for the comment. it was not a preplanned shoot as with most live bugs, just an opportunity...

[rudi]

. In this case, it looks like you could have gone further back. However, I don't see any sign that you have too few for the range that is in focus. There are no gaps of clear detail in that range; it just stops a bit soon.

All in all, an excellent job.

Thanks Dan for the comment. In this case the antennae were the most moving parts from frame to frame.I have a few more frames further back, but not alligned with the others, so I could not use them, maybe some day....You are right that the focus just stops a bit soon. But we can't have it all...