Variation on Focus Stacking using Gimp and one of our pineapples

[JBW]

I don't have the software to do authentic focus stacking. But the Sony Alpha a58 allows me to place the focus in a few different ways. I went with local focus and took 5 shots that concentrated on 5 distinct area.

Once into Gimp I simply loaded the five shots as layers and then cut out the particularly sharpened areas in 4 of the shots and pasted them into shot #1.

Using F/5.6 supplied the bokeh.

I intentionally left some of the pineapple out of focus for more of a natural look.

[Shadowman]

Nicely done.

[xpatUSA]

Interesting shot(s), Brian.

Do you recall what was the focal length and roughly the shooting distance (from the sensor mark on the body)?

[JBW]

Nicely done.

it was an interesting experiment.

[JBW]

Interesting shot(s), Brian.

Do you recall what was the focal length and roughly the shooting distance (from the sensor mark on the body)?

I don't even have a tattoo on my body let alone a sensor mark! Okay I just learned where my sensor mark is (it is the rings of saturn emblem)

Fl was 55mm / 35mm = 82.

I would guestimate my camera sensor mark was about 20cm from the pineapple.

[xpatUSA]

I don't even have a tattoo on my body let alone a sensor mark! Okay I just learned where my sensor mark is (it is the rings of saturn emblem)

Fl was 55mm / 35mm = 82.

I would guestimate my camera sensor mark was about 20cm from the pineapple.

Ta. You ended up with some serious depth-of-field then, as compared to trying it with a single shot.

I recently bought a program called TuFuse Pro which claims to do a similar thing as one of it's options - haven't tried the focus bit yet.

[JBW]

Ta. You ended up with some serious depth-of-field then, as compared to trying it with a single shot.

I recently bought a program called TuFuse Pro which claims to do a similar thing as one of it's options - haven't tried the focus bit yet.

On my camera there is a 'local' setting for focus. I can put my focus on one of 15 unique spots. I set the camera at a distance that allowed me to get top, bottom, left, right, and center.

You are right about it being a seriously sharper shot. Any of the 5 would at most, have been 30% in sharp focus.

[bnnrcn]

Very interesting method for focus stacking Brian I like the shot , IMO it would be nice to see the top of the pineapple. May be you can try another shot with a different composition

[charzes44]

On my camera there is a 'local' setting for focus. I can put my focus on one of 15 unique spots. I set the camera at a distance that allowed me to get top, bottom, left, right, and center.

You are right about it being a seriously sharper shot. Any of the 5 would at most, have been 30% in sharp focus.

Brian,
Many thanks for the link to your blog. It is superb, and really hits the spot for me. More power to your elbow, as they say! And I like your pineapple shot. You seem to have pretty well got the hang of your Sony now!

[JBW]

Brian,
Many thanks for the link to your blog. It is superb, and really hits the spot for me. More power to your elbow, as they say! And I like your pineapple shot. You seem to have pretty well got the hang of your Sony now!

My pleasure and glad you like it. I am a long way from mastering the Sony but I am beginning to understand it.

[JBW]

Very interesting method for focus stacking Brian I like the shot , IMO it would be nice to see the top of the pineapple. May be you can try another shot with a different composition

The pineapple will be there for another few weeks and one never knows.