Multiple exposures for increased DOF

Leica 50mm f/1.4 Summilux M MF - Chrome

09/24/2008 03:58:20 PM · #1

OK, enough of the Ike business. I want to talk photography and techique! ;-)

My 5th place in the Product challenge was done using 10 exposures at different focus points to get deep depth of field otherwise impoosible with a single exposure.

On the photography side, jewelry photography is pretty tricky all by it self. First I had to make sure there was no glare on the crystal, then I had to deal with the reflective surfaces. Several commenters mentioned they thought the shot was too tight. I don't have a proper setup for jewelry photography, so I used the tight crop to eliminate the reflection issue. Probably suffered a tenth or 2 becuase of it.

Now the DOF issue.

Here is my original shot that I had entered.

[thumb]717196[/thumb]

I liked the shot OK but the shallow DOF bothered me. This was shot at f22. I tried backing away a bit and cropping a smaller image area but still could not get the DOF I wanted. Then I remembered the new Advanded editing rules allowed for multiple exposures to get greater DOF, except I had no idea how to do it. After a few Google searches I came across this little gem

Helicon Focus

This software brings in multiple images (including RAW) and renders an image that uses the in focus elements of the various images.

I took 10 shots at different focus points

As you can see, different parts of the watch are in focus in each shot.

The software compensates for the size shifting as the focus shifts - very cool feature. You can actually see it build the image in the display area as it parses through each image.

The software is Shareware and well worth the $30 price. You can download it and use it fully fumctional for 30 days before it starts to watermark images.

Anyway, that's it on this one. I wanted to post this earlier, but things were a bit windy down here last week
and I am still dealing with the house damage.

signal2noise

Leica M9

09/24/2008 04:11:19 PM · #2

Nice work David... and Helicon. The big question which you failed to answer is - was your score/finish in the challenge worth the price of an A. Lange & Sohne timepiece?

sabphoto

Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+

09/24/2008 04:21:39 PM · #3

Very cool image!

That's a pretty cool idea, kind of like HDR but with DOF. Going to have to try experminting with that sometime. Did you pull the pin to stop the time? Wonder if you could get a cool "time flying" blurred effect if you didn't and just left the hands moving.

bobonacus

Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM

09/24/2008 04:25:07 PM · #4

Wow, that is really cool, thanks for sharing :)

Nuzzer

09/24/2008 05:00:20 PM · #5

Neat stuff, I'll have to try it myself

09/24/2008 06:28:08 PM · #6

Originally posted by signal2noise:

Nice work David... and Helicon. The big question which you failed to answer is - was your score/finish in the challenge worth the price of an A. Lange & Sohne timepiece?

Maybe for a blue ribbon, but for an HM? NAH! ;-)

Nuzzer

09/24/2008 06:34:00 PM · #7

Originally posted by scarbrd:

Originally posted by signal2noise:
Nice work David... and Helicon. The big question which you failed to answer is - was your score/finish in the challenge worth the price of an A. Lange & Sohne timepiece?

Maybe for a blue ribbon, but for an HM? NAH! ;-)

It's funny how some things don't travel well. I've never heard of these watches before. My sister-in-law worked in a Jewelery store until recently when she moved to Gucci and we heard/learnt a lot about watches then - even the ones they didn't sell.

Canon 12x IS USM (S3 IS built-in Lens) -- 36-432mm (35mm EQ)

09/24/2008 09:53:33 PM · #8

Originally posted by Nuzzer:

Originally posted by scarbrd:

Originally posted by signal2noise:
Nice work David... and Helicon. The big question which you failed to answer is - was your score/finish in the challenge worth the price of an A. Lange & Sohne timepiece?

Maybe for a blue ribbon, but for an HM? NAH! ;-)

It's funny how some things don't travel well. I've never heard of these watches before. My sister-in-law worked in a Jewelery store until recently when she moved to Gucci and we heard/learnt a lot about watches then - even the ones they didn't sell.

Most people haven't heard of A. Lange. It's a pretty esoteric watch. Not even Swiss, it's German.

here's their web site

//www.alange-soehne.com/en/home/index.php

Some of their watches go for more than $100,000.

GeneralE

Canon PowerShot S3 IS

09/24/2008 09:56:29 PM · #9

Originally posted by scarbrd:

Some of their watches go for more than $100,000.

Do they fly someone over from Germany once a week to wind it for you?

09/24/2008 10:24:44 PM · #10

Originally posted by GeneralE:

Originally posted by scarbrd:
Some of their watches go for more than $100,000.

Do they fly someone over from Germany once a week to wind it for you?

I wish! That winding thing is so pedestrian! ;-)

pineapple

Canon EOS-5D

Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM

09/24/2008 10:29:18 PM · #11

Thanks for the insight. As for Lang and Sons watches, you people should take a look inside one of those things. Absolutely handmade, heavily jewelled, and very precise. Wonderful, really. I think they make 500 or so a year (perhaps more now).

Nuzzer

Pentax D-FA* 70-200mm f/2.8 ED DC AW

09/24/2008 10:51:57 PM · #12

Originally posted by scarbrd:

Some of their watches go for more than $100,000.

So it pays to buy lottery tickets then :)

AJSullivan

09/25/2008 11:37:46 AM · #13

Definitely a cool technique.

Greg Crewsdon uses this on his shoots I believe....multiple exposures each shot with a different focal point on each "layer" of the photo, and then when combined, you get infinite focus.

K3Master

Pentax K-3

09/25/2008 11:50:46 AM · #14

Obviously SC validated this, but I have a question:

From the rules, create your entry from 1-10 captures of a single scene (defined as a scene whose composition/framing does not change).

Doesn't moving the focal point, technically, result in a framing change? Or does the fact that the software that you used fix that mean that it's basically the same framing?

I'm a little confused about this whole thing.

GeneralE

Canon PowerShot S3 IS

Canon 12x IS USM (S3 IS built-in Lens) -- 36-432mm (35mm EQ)

09/25/2008 11:56:07 AM · #15

Composition/framing refers to the position of the subject(s) within the frame. There is only one image of a watch here.

K3Master

Pentax K-3

Pentax D-FA* 70-200mm f/2.8 ED DC AW

09/25/2008 11:58:43 AM · #16

Originally posted by GeneralE:

Composition/framing refers to the position of the subject(s) within the frame. There is only one image of a watch here.

Ok. So in general terms, it's ok to increase/decrease the area *around* the subject (as would happen during a focal point change), as long as you don't add/subtract/move the subject itself?

Dirt_Diver

Nikon D3s

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED

09/25/2008 12:00:44 PM · #17

Originally posted by K10DGuy:

I think what they mean by that is that you can not pan the camera to make more out of the image than what it can capture in a single image. So yes you can change the DOF.

GeneralE

Canon PowerShot S3 IS

Canon 12x IS USM (S3 IS built-in Lens) -- 36-432mm (35mm EQ)

09/25/2008 12:01:03 PM · #18

Many cameras can change the focal point within the field of view without moving the camera, or you can move the camera, pre-focus, then move the camera back to the original framing.

Mr_Pants

SiPix Blink

09/25/2008 12:01:40 PM · #19

Originally posted by GeneralE:

Many cameras can change the focal point within the field of view without moving the camera, or you can move the camera, pre-focus, then move the camera back to the original framing.

... or manually adjust focus, perhaps.

K3Master

Pentax K-3

Pentax D-FA* 70-200mm f/2.8 ED DC AW

09/25/2008 12:03:08 PM · #20

Originally posted by GeneralE:

Many cameras can change the focal point within the field of view without moving the camera, or you can move the camera, pre-focus, then move the camera back to the original framing.

Right. I was just going by the sequence of photos that the OP showed that looked as though it was zooming in on the subject as he changed the focal point. Which was the original reason I was a little confused.

09/25/2008 12:14:25 PM · #21

Originally posted by K10DGuy:

Originally posted by GeneralE:
Many cameras can change the focal point within the field of view without moving the camera, or you can move the camera, pre-focus, then move the camera back to the original framing.

Right. I was just going by the sequence of photos that the OP showed that looked as though it was zooming in on the subject as he changed the focal point. Which was the original reason I was a little confused.

As I was shooting and noticing the watch getting bigger with each shot, I had little hope that this would work. The watch being round, I was worried that it would become oval. And the scalloped ridges on the face, I thought there was no way this would all match up with 10 images.

The software, if I remember correctly, had a check box to correct foe this. Worked really well. There were little or no issues with the design on the face looking out of whack.

One side effect though, if you have sensor dust, at F18 it is very well defined. And it moves as the focus changes. I had 20+ little trails of dots that I had to clone out. That was dificult due to the detailed watch face.

I wanted to post up an example but it is on my computer in the house that was hit by Ike. I removed the hard drives before the storm and haven't hooked things back up yet..I'll get to that when I can.

DrAchoo

Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5

09/25/2008 12:30:50 PM · #22

From exploring this technique earlier, I think I read the absolute best way to do it is to keep the same focus distance, but to have the camera on a rail which you can move closer or further from the object (to change the area in focus). This eliminates the bigger and smaller subject problem.

Looks like the software could compensate pretty well though without.