CombineZM

Ah - as I explained you still have the problem that the refracted images will be in focus in front of the droplets so you will probably still have to focus stack but it is possible you may be able to only have to use one shot. It really depends on what magnification you are shooting at.

Brian v.

This is so hard..I thought it would be something I could do, but boy, I'm not thinking I have the right equipment or maybe it's just me. I am going to attach another of my attempts at it, and was wondering if you could tell me what these green things are. I have circled them, quite badly I might add, but circled nevertheless. I think this was a stack of only about 4 or 5. Could it be that I maybe need a focusing rail? I am just sitting my camera on my tripod and turning the lens ever so gently from front to back for the focusing. I have worked on this all day and I just don't seem to be getting it...hmmmmm

pasknucklehead wrote in post #17702969
This is so hard..I thought it would be something I could do, but boy, I'm not thinking I have the right equipment or maybe it's just me. I am going to attach another of my attempts at it, and was wondering if you could tell me what these green things are. I have circled them, quite badly I might add, but circled nevertheless. I think this was a stack of only about 4 or 5. Could it be that I maybe need a focusing rail? I am just sitting my camera on my tripod and turning the lens ever so gently from front to back for the focusing. I have worked on this all day and I just don't seem to be getting it...hmmmmm

Hosted photo: posted by pasknucklehead in
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forum: Macro

Well the result looks pretty good. Not sure what the light source is (flash or natural light?) but the patches look like reflections of the light source. You will sometimes get a dull patch with a bright patch in the center where the stacking software has included the OOF light reflections as well as the in focus one. Again you can get rid of the bright patch by editing from the shot where the flower is in good focus but the reflection is blurred back onto the stack.

BTW it might be worth trying Combine zp - think it is supposed to be better than zm version

Brian V.

Okay, I will look into the combinezp and see what it has to offer. I was using off camera flash to the side of the drops and I do know how to clone out unwanted things so I will just keep trying and see what I come up with again...It's a little frustrating I guess. I just saw so many folks with the refraction drop photos that look totally awesome and my tries have been really poor. But practice makes perfect, so I'll keep plugging along. thanks Brian.