Project 52 - Botanical Subjects by Geoff F - 3rd Quarter

[IzzieK]

Your post has become very informative to say the least...and I am enjoying them all as they come...I like the shot of the second one very much as it is very clear and sharp and the separation from the background is really good. The second to the last of the thistle flower looks threatening with all those thorns but the flower is beautiful...my preference is the mushroom...because I like mushrooms...this parasol one I have not seen in person and the added little yellow flower adds to the shot.

Now a question...when you do your two focus shots, do you change either aperture, shutter speed, ISO or you just change the focus to shoot the next frame but same settings on the aperture/shuter speed and ISO? OOOppppssss! second question...how do you recognize which one is which when you are processing (because you said you have lots of rejects) which is the first and which is the second to merge as two...?

[Geoff F]

Firstly, Izzie, when doing a simple two Raw conversions from one shot I just stack the images and merge by hand using layers and masks.

When shooting two or more shots intended for merging it is a bit different. In the simplest cases I simply change the focus point and shoot. Sometimes this change can result in different camera settings which may produce problems; so sometimes I have to meter the scene and set the camera with manual settings.

I normally shoot in aperture priority with a fixed Iso so only the shutter speed can change. But just a slight change here can occasionally result in substantial brightness differences between shots.

On a few occasions I need to have a difference in brightness levels so I am producing something of a HDR effect plus different focus points. This tends to get a bit tricky.

When processing the Raw files from a simple two different focus points shots I adjust the first image in ACR then use Select All Images and Sync All Images then transfer to the main edit window. Sufficient space needs to be allowed for movement of one image during the Auto Align stage of processing. Which means a final crop is required after the Auto Blend procedure.

The same options need to be considered when using other merging software or doing a 'hand made merge' with masks.

It doesn't matter which order you stack the images for auto merging although if doing this manually I normally like to have the 'most successful image' at the bottom of the stack to create a 'baseline'. Which is the way I normally produce my hand crafted HDR merges; starting with the 'normal' image at the bottom then adding the over and under exposures above that baseline. So only those layers get masked.

The Auto Align and Auto Blend options with the later Adobe CS or CC software is very effective - usually.

[IzzieK]

Thanks Geoff, I will save this post so I can practice it...I need to research how to do manual processing. I have been so spoiled with automatic merging...this post is very informative...thanks again...

Firstly, Izzie, when doing a simple two Raw conversions from one shot I just stack the images and merge by hand using layers and masks.

When shooting two or more shots intended for merging it is a bit different. In the simplest cases I simply change the focus point and shoot. Sometimes this change can result in different camera settings which may produce problems; so sometimes I have to meter the scene and set the camera with manual settings.

I normally shoot in aperture priority with a fixed Iso so only the shutter speed can change. But just a slight change here can occasionally result in substantial brightness differences between shots.

On a few occasions I need to have a difference in brightness levels so I am producing something of a HDR effect plus different focus points. This tends to get a bit tricky.

When processing the Raw files from a simple two different focus points shots I adjust the first image in ACR then use Select All Images and Sync All Images then transfer to the main edit window. Sufficient space needs to be allowed for movement of one image during the Auto Align stage of processing. Which means a final crop is required after the Auto Blend procedure.

The same options need to be considered when using other merging software or doing a 'hand made merge' with masks.

It doesn't matter which order you stack the images for auto merging although if doing this manually I normally like to have the 'most successful image' at the bottom of the stack to create a 'baseline'. Which is the way I normally produce my hand crafted HDR merges; starting with the 'normal' image at the bottom then adding the over and under exposures above that baseline. So only those layers get masked.

The Auto Align and Auto Blend options with the later Adobe CS or CC software is very effective - usually.

[Geoff F]

Week 37

Devil's-bit Scabious. This is my third attempt at photographing Scabious. Not sure if it is this monitor but the blues seem to be looking a bit too purple here. I will double check on that. I always think this plant looks like a Victorian Lady's best Sunday hat.



7D with Sigma 180 macro lens 1/100 F11 Iso 400. A merge of three shots.

And a side view.



1/80 F11 Iso 400. A merge of two shots.

Water Pepper (Persicaria hydropiper) another struggle with these tiny flowers at the end of a long arched stem.



1/250 F11 Iso 200 another two shot merge.

And a closer view of those little flowers. Each individual bloom is less than 5 mm long.



1/200 F14 Iso 400 two shot merge.

[Geoff F]

That Devil's-bit Scabious is another of those flowers which tend to 'change colour' depending on the light so it is tricky to accurately photography the correct colour. So here is another attempt with the colour balance a little more on the blue side.

[Shadowman]

Nice series, really carries lots of depth.

[IzzieK]

I like composition...the first shot of the scabious is very nice too...it looks like one of those delicate but fleshy flower type. Good series...I hope your efforts will pay off soon...

[Geoff F]

Week 38 and trying some fungi for a change.

Bulgaria inquinans looking like those liquorice pennies (Pontefract Cakes I think they were called) are they still made?



7D with Tamron 24-70 lens 1/20 F11 Iso 400

Ganoderma australe. The dark brown dusting all around are spores produced by this fungus.



7D with Tamron 24-70 lens. 1/10 F11 Iso 400 (obviously all these shots were using a tripod)

I think the next two are variations of Trametes versicolor but this is subject to change.



1/50 F11 Iso 400



1/4 F11 Iso 400

All images are merges of two or three shots.

[IzzieK]

Although I like all of the shots, I favour #1 because I have not seen one like it before...

[Geoff F]

I've been concentrating on catching up with editing and identifying my insect work recently so this project has started to slip behind.

Week 39

English Stonecrop - Sedum anglicum. I have previously photographed this plant but returned to capture one of the tiny flowers.



7D with Sigma 180 macro lens 1/100 F14 Iso 400 The only hope was to create some light shade using my body.

Square-stalked Willowherb - Epilobium tetragonum. Another tricky little flower to photograph.



1/200 F11 Iso 400. A merge of two focus points.

[Cantab]

Geoff, the English stonecrop flower is truly beautiful. Thanks for posting it.

[IzzieK]

I like the second one, Geoff even though both of them are good shots. It is most colourful. and the composition are really good.

[Geoff F]

Thanks.

I was wondering about cropping the Willowherb a little tighter at the top and bottom and going 4 x 5 ratio; but I'm not really sure as that seems to lose as much as it gains.

Although I used myself to create a little shade for the Stonecrop I actually shot with a fraction of flash and that image is another merge of two focus points.

Time to start a new thread for the 4th Quarter next week. Where has this year gone!

[bnnrcn]

I like the fungi shots very much

[Geoff F]

Thanks. I've been looking out for more fungi but I'm not finding much with any photographic interest at the moment; so just snapping them for identification.

Didn't find any other flower subjects today so perhaps I will have to try a different part of the site.

[Geoff F]

I have started to slip behind with this thread so here are some more fungi to help with the catch up.

Week 40. Inkcap - Coprinus micaceus



7D with Sigma 180 macro lens 1/13 F11 Iso 400. A merge of 4 shots, obviously using a tripod

I think this is a dark form of Honey Fungus - Armillaria mella but at the moment I'm not certain.



Switched to the Tamron 24-70 lens for this large fungus which was 6 ins across. 1/15 F11 Iso 400. A merge of two shots.

King Alfred's Cake - Daldinia concentrica. A very hard structure which grows to around 1.5 ins diameter.



Back to the Sigma 180 lens. 1/20 F11 Iso 400 and another two shot merge.

Wild Angelica - Angelica sylvestris



Tamron 24-70 1/320 F11 Iso 400. With bits cut and pasted from a second photo because there was too much movement for a full merge to work.

I have made many attempts to photograph this species during the year but all have been rejected. This is the best so far and a dull day with the background turning to a more regular shade of brown has helped. It is getting a bit late for this species now so I will probably have to wait until next year to have some more attempts at getting something better.

[Cantab]

Geoff, I enjoyed all these photos but particularly the first one – perhaps because of its warm colours.

[Shadowman]

Nicely done on the botanicals.

[John 2]

Beautiful Fungi Geoff. Nice shots.

[Geoff F]

There was another group of fungi which I thought I had shot OK; then when I saw the background on my computer screen I immediately reached for the delete button.

Far too bright and overly complex background, but it seemed to look reasonable in the viewfinder and display screen.

Never mind; 'The person who has never made a mistake has never made anything'