Focus Stacking

 This week I wanted to write about a photography technique that I recently started playing with that I learned during my recent View Camera Theory class.

Every seen a photo in a magazine ad for a new watch or other small item and wondered “How do they get the entire item in such sharp focus?” They use a technique called Focus Stacking so that every part of that Rolex is in razor sharp focus, from the numbers and hands on the watch to the band attached to it.

Focus Stacking is where you set your camera up on a tripod so you are nice and stable, then you shoot the product or item, changing your focus point but not moving the camera or changing the focal length.

This is 5 captures of the same scene but with different focus points.

 By shooting multiple captures on the product with a different part in focus each time and them combining them in Photoshop, you end up with a finished image that had every part of the watch in sharp focus with high detail.

Once you have captured your images, import them into Lightroom and then go to the Develop module and activate your Len Profile Correction. Once you have that done then select all of the images in the group that you shot and select the Photo menu item, then go down and select “Open as Layers in Photoshop.”

Once they are opened in Photoshop, select all of the Layers at once, then click the Edit Menu and choose Auto-Align Layers. Then when that has completed, click the Edit menu again and choose Auto-Blend Layers. When the process has completed, you will have a single new image where everything is in sharp focus and with high details.

All 5 shots from above combined into this Stacked image

Now all you have to do is save the new image and you are done. Focus Stacking is a lot of fun and can give you fantastic result so grab your trip, cable release and tripod and give Focus Stacking a try!

Comments/Questions

Using Aperture for Your Sharpest Images

An item that new students that are also new to photography get confused on is how to get the sharpest images. Often times new students believe that getting the widest aperture lens possible if they can afford it will give them the sharpest images, this is NOT true.

If you ask any of your professors or any other professional photographer, they will tell you that your sharpest images happen around 2 stops below your widest aperture. As an example, I have the Canon EF 50mm F/1.4 USM lens, but I never shoot this lens at F/1.4 as it performs much better sharpness-wise at around F/2.8 on a full frame camera or F/2 on a 1.6x crop body.

Shot on EOS 5D Classic with EF 50mm F/1.4 @ F/1.4

When you shoot with this lens wide open you get very strong halation aka dreamy look with some Chromatic Aberration in your images as well. After the dreamy look diminishes at F/2-F/2.8 you get very strong colors and contrast, which in turn will make your images really “pop”. When using a really wide lens, you don’t want your aperture smaller than F/8 because then diffraction starts to soften them again.

This sharpness is how things apply to prime lenses, which have extremely wide apertures. When dealing with zoom lens, it works a little different, on a zoom lens, the optimum sharpness range might be smaller but they are generally sharpest at their widest apertures of F/3.5-F/5.6 or even F/6.3. Now with a zoom lens as I mentioned the sharpness range is usually smaller but you can generally count on sharp images from the starting aperture to around F/8 or maybe F/10, anything past that and again you get diffraction again.

Shot on EOS 5D Classic with EF 50mm F/1.4 @ F/2.8 notice even the bokeh is better

 Now that you are more informed about using aperture to get sharp images, get out there and make some great ones!

Comments/Questions

Much Ado About Lenses

We need it, we are always wanting more, we sometimes drool over the big fancy ones, and sometimes we can be jealous at what other's are carrying around.  Let's face it, it's not about the size of the lens but how you use it.

Today I am going to provide a detailed brief about all of the important things you need to know about lenses: the basic differences, how to choose the right one, and why you might have to sell a kidney to afford some.  

Many of us have that "dream lens" but another equal portion have no idea what's so special about the seemingly infinite number of lenses out there and how to pick one to upgrade to.  (Don't worry, it wasn't that long ago when I had no idea what an article meant when they were discussing "glass.")  "Kit" lenses, the ones that typically come with your DSLR, will get the job done and you may feel that those are really the only lenses you'll ever need, but prepare yourself for: life after the kit lens.

Sure, the old adage about it's not the camera, it's the photographer is true to an extent, but the lens will "control the image that's projected onto your imaging sensor, and ultimately what photos you are taking home. As such, many photographers would prefer to shoot with an okay camera and a great lens, than a great camera with ho-hum glass attached."  So, what is a great lens? 

First, you need to understand how these different lenses might improve your current photos and finally allow you to take ones that you currently can't.  There are three main categories of lenses: normal (50mm-range), wide-angle/short, (10-35mm), and telephoto/long (55+) and all of those have confusing letters and numbers that provide detailed information such as:

Focal length - expressed in "mm", smaller numbers are wider angles and higher numbers are bigger zooms.  (Reference, the human eye has a focal length equivalent to 30-50mm.)  If the lens has a set of focal length numbers, such as 18-135, that means that it can zoom in and out between those focal angles.  If there is one number, such as 50mm, then this is called a prime lens and it will force you to stop being lazy because your feet will be what zooms it in and out; it forces you to think more about composition and perspective.

Maximum aperture - The lens aperture is shown in several ways, but "whether it's f/2.8, F2.8, or 1:2.8, it all means the same thing and refers to the the maximum amount of light which the lens can gather" at its widest maximum aperture.  You will see lenses with very small numbers such as 1.8, 1.4, and I have even seen 1.2, and this just means it is capable of letting in a huge amount of light through the camera aperture so you will likely have to work with a very fast, maximum shutter speeds to get a good exposure when using it.  They differ in low-light capture abilities, weight, size, close-focusing range, and price and give you that incredible selective focus with shallow depth of field called bokeh.  

There is also a variable maximum aperture meaning that it changes depending on the focal length.  Take, for example, an 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 lens.  It would have a maximum aperture of f/3.5 when it is at 18 mm and would be maxed at f/5.6 when zoomed out to 200mm; as you zoom in, less light gets to the sensor.  Variable-aperture zoom lenses lose their ability to transmit a constant volume of light as the lens zooms in and out, which is why a zoom starts off wide at f/3.5, but will max out at f/5.6 as the widest aperture.

Constant-aperture lenses, which maintain a consistent maximum aperture, regardless of the focal length, tend to have the wider maximum apertures.  Constant-aperture zooms lenses also tend to be larger, heavier, and typically more expensive.

Lens mount type - Plain and simple, you can't mount a Canon lens on a Nikon camera and vice versa.  This is because of their mount type.  Yes, you can buy adapters, but for now let's just stick to the basics.  An example of the common lens mount types for DSLRs are the Nikon F-mount, Canon's EF or EF-S, the Pentax K, and the Sony Alpha (A) mount.  This is your camera's special receiving end for the lens you will mount to it.  

Format type - (This is where it tends to get complicated so hang on!)  There are about seven different formats but I will cover the most common two: full frame and crop sensor format types.

Canon:  EF lenses cover both full frame and APS-C sensor DSLRs and EF-S lenses are specifically for APS-C "crop" sensor DLSRs such as the 70D, Rebel 2Ti.  

Nikon:  FX lenses cover the full frame sensor in full frame DSLRs like the D610, D810 and DX lenses cover the APS-C "crop" sensors in DSLRs such as the D90, D3200.  The sensor/format difference can be seen in the image below.

Lens manufactures give a 35 mm-format equivalent on lenses designed for cameras with smaller sensors, therefore, if your camera has that smaller APS-C (DX) sensor, you will need to consider the following calculation when deciding which lens you need:

"If you're using a full frame camera there's no calculation needed, a lens will give you the field of view you'd expect from its number. If your camera has an APS-C sensor it has a crop factor of 1.5 - meaning you multiply the lens focal length by 1.5 to get its equivalent 35 mm-format focal length. For Canon APS-C cameras that number is 1.6." (Wilkinson)

Ok, so how do you choose what's right for you?  Ultimately you need to consider how set you are on your current DSLR.  If you plan to upgrade from an APS-C to a full frame camera body sometime soon you should consider upgrading to a lens that's meant for a full frame camera.  Allan Weitz sums up the difference between choosing a prime and variable lens:

"The down side of fixed focal length lenses is that they are not as versatile when shooting subjects that move quickly toward or away from your camera position . . . When shooting with zoom lenses, it's easy to get lazy. When shooting with a fixed focal length lens, you have to physically approach your subject in order to frame the picture properly. With a zoom lens you see something and you zoom in on it. And while there's nothing wrong about shooting that way, one of the benefits of a zoom lens is that it makes it extremely easy to photograph a subject from a variety of vantage points, distances, and focal lengths without having to pause and switch lenses . . . If there were a downside to shooting with zoom lenses, it would have to be that none of them opens up wider than f/2.8, and if they did, they would be quite hefty."

        

For casual photographers, the slower, least expensive 50mm f/1.8 is sufficient for almost every need. For others, including pros who require even better low-light shooting capabilities, the f/1.4, which is a 1/3-stop faster, may be preferable and even still affordable.  That 85mm f/1.4 seems to be high on the dream-list of "portrait" lenses but it comes with a hefty price tag.  It is the Goldilocks of prime portraits lenses; not too wide, not too long - you don't have to be uncomfortably close to your subject, and it won't compress the depth and make your image look flat.  

"Wide angles lenses should be used when prominent foreground objects are present. The primary mistake made by new photographers is to use wide angles incorrectly - by not being close enough, having no interest in the foreground, or by trying to include too much in the scene. Wide angles are also handy in tight areas, like small rooms, cars, caves, etc. They can give volume to the small area. Wide angles have the potential to drastically change your photography." (Berk)

Standard zoom lenses work well as “walk around” lenses.  They offer versatility between wide or zooming, landscapes and portraits.  These are generally your "kit" lenses: 18-55mm, 18-135mm, 24-105mm for example.  Zooms/telephoto lenses allow you to stand back a little like when the subject is not exactly approachable.  These can also be useful for portraiture, but keep in mind Robert Capa’s words, “If your pictures aren’t good enough, you’re not close enough,” as it is easy to get lazy and let the lens do all the work.  These are also excellent for sports, nature, and wildlife.  With sports though, you need to be able to freeze action sharply which requires a fast shutter speed and faster (larger maximum aperture) zoom lenses are required.  "If sports is one of your primary subjects, a telephoto zoom such as a 70-200 f/2.8 is an excellent choice.  If you really want to shoot like the pros, you’ll want a 300mm f/4, or 300mm f/2.8 or 400mm f/2.8. " (Berk)

Long, even extreme focal lengths and large maximum apertures mean bigger and heavier lenses,

which, along with the bigger price tags, is why they are typically used by professionals who can ultimately justify purchasing them.  Build up to these lenses as you grow as a professional so you don't have to sell an organ on the black market just to add one to your collection.  If you think it is a necessary business expense then that is always a justification too.

This post just covers the basics; I could go on for days about lenses.  There are a variety of other special lenses on the market like a macro lens if you like shooting tiny things or a tilt-shift or perspective correction lens for architecture.  There is a lens to suit every purpose so I hope I have been able to provide some good direction when contemplating purchasing a new tool for your photography endeavors.

Works Cited

"85mm Portrait Philosophy." photo. NameMedia, Inc., 21 May 2011. Web. 23 Sept. 2014. <http://photo.net/nikon-camera-forum/00YlSn>

 Berk, Rick. "Choosing Lenses: When to Use Which Lens and Why." digital-photography-school. Digital Photography School, n.d. Web. 23 Sept. 2014. <http://digital-photography-school.com/choosing-lenses-when-to-use-which-lens-and-why/ >

"Black Market." Photograph. Encyclopædia Britannica ImageQuest. Web. 23 Sep 2014. 

<http://quest.eb.com/#/search/115_2729832/1/115_2729832/cite>

"Hispanic boy thinking at school desk." Photograph. Encyclopædia Britannica ImageQuest. Web. 23 Sep 2014. 

http://quest.eb.com/#/search/154_2899196/1/154_2899196/cite

"Hungary, Budapest, Jealousy, 1892." Photopgraph. Encyclopædia Britannica ImageQuest. Web. 23 Sep 2014. <http://quest.eb.com/#/search/126_3739316/1/126_3739316/cite>

"Monarch Butterfly." Photograph. Encyclopædia Britannica ImageQuest. Web. 23 Sep 2014. 

http://quest.eb.com/#/search/149_2081893/1/149_2081893/cite

Weitz, Allan. "The Canon Lens Experience: Everything You Need to Know about Canon Lenses." bhphotovideo.  B & H Foto & Electronics Corp., Aug, 2014. Web. 23 Sept. 2014. <http://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/photography/tips-and-solution/canon-lens-experience-everything-you-need-know-about-canon-lenses>

Wilkinson, David. "The DX/FX distinction." Photograph. switchbacktravel. Switchback Travel, n.d. Web. 23 Sept. 2014. <http://www.switchbacktravel.com/camera>

So Fresh and So Clean!

Keeping your DSLR clean. Source: MyDigitalCamera.us.

The investments we make in our gear are vast. We spend time researching to choose just the right camera and lenses, money to make the purchases, and more time to learn our gear inside and out. If you're not sure of the best ways to maintain and clean your valuable items, read on for some easy methods you can incorporate into your routine.

Lenses - Glass

A microfiber cloth (or disposable lens cleaning cloths) and optical cleaner are must-haves for your camera bag. I also keep a lens pen in mine, which has two ends: one to brush away dust, and one with a flat surface to buff out smudges. An air blower is a big more bulky, so I just keep one at home for between-shoot cleanings.

Lenses and Camera Bodies - Focus Rings

The focus connection points on your lenses and camera body need attention. You can give them a cosmetic cleaning with a microfiber cloth, but for a deeper clean you can dampen a cotton swab with Purosol and gently clean out any grit.

Camera Sensor

Far and away the most intimidating part of the camera to clean, many people choose to send their cameras out for sensor cleaning. This can be very costly, though, and it's relatively easy to do it yourself. The first step is to use your camera's self-cleaning option, but that doesn't always do the trick. For tougher dust specks, I like to use the sensor gel stick by Photography Life. I find it so much better and less likely to do damage than the cleaning kits that require swabbing across the sensor. Again, though, if the idea of exposing your sensor scares you, take your camera to the shop.

When you're not shooting, make sure your gear is stored sealed in bags or cases to avoid dust getting into crevices. Taking regular measures to maintain your gear will make it last much longer. If you have other tips on maintaining and cleaning your camera and lenses, leave a comment!

-Friday Ambassador

Work Cited:

"How to Clean DSLR Camera Sensor." My Digital Camera. MyDigitalCamera.us, 14 July 2011. Web. 10 Apr. 2014.

"Optical Lens Cleaner." Purosol. Purosol, 2011. Web. 10 Apr. 2014.

Invest in the camera or the lens-What to do? What to do?

Recently I asked the question here about upgrading from a Nikon D90 to the newest and coolest camera. Once Canon or Nikon releases their newest camera and I see the stunning images that those cameras can create, I am in such shock and awe instantly want that camera! But what happens when we spend a ton of money for that camera along with a basic lens and the images are not what we expected? I mean if I spend $3000 on a camera I want to create images that are award-winning quality. In a perfect world I’m sure that would happen, but this is not a perfect world.

A great camera is an investment, but a great lens can take you even further. After all it is the lens that sees your subject. Having the top of the line camera body is something that I dream of, but if the lens is not of good quality, Photoshop cannot really help me out. One of my Instructors told me that having a top of the line camera body with a cheap lens is like putting four spare tires on a Mercedes Benz. At the time I just wanted a camera that I can pull out in front of clients and they could take me serious. But in the end the client had no idea what type of camera I was even shooting with.  A few years ago I was invited to photograph a football game alongside my mentor, and I brought along my D90. When my mentor saw the camera that I was using he told me that he had the same camera. At this moment I was confused because he had sold numerous images, been in magazines and was locally recognized. How could he shoot with this outdated camera? It was then that he pulled out his Nikon 70-200mm f2.8 lens that tied it all together. Let’s just say that when he let me use the lens, I did not want to give it back! 

If I had not asked that question on PSPN, I would still be sitting at my computer thinking about purchasing the Nikon D800 instead of another lens. 

Here is a video link also with a bit of humor about having that high-end camera with a cheap lens and a high-end lens with a cheap camera.

http://petapixel.com/2011/08/30/pro-dslr-with-cheapo-glass-versus-cheapo-dslr-with-pro-glass/

I am your Sunday Funday Ambassador Comments/Questions