A Peek Inside the Bell

When photographing nature, I always look to find “different” ways of photographing something. In this case, I found a Virginia Bluebell wildflower with a clump of flower buds and a single bell open. I was wondering what it would look like, grabbing a capture looking down the bell of the flower. I captured 20 images, varying the point of focus slightly, then combined them in Helicon Focus to get this focus-stacked image:

Virginia Bluebells

The result was interesting, but I’m not totally satisfied with it. The wind was very annoying and is one of the most difficult things to work with when capturing images for focus-stacking. I still like the look, down the bell, but plan on trying this little experiment again on my next outing. And maybe capturing even more images, giving me more to choose from when stacking them. I’m also considering fabricating a plexiglass “shield” that I can carry with me to help block the wind.  :o)

Have you captured focus-stacked images? What have your experiences been?

Photographic Equipment Used:

  • Canon 5D Mark III body
  • Canon 180mm, f/3.5 macro lens
  • Bogen 3021 tripod with ball head
  • ISO 800
  • Aperture f/3.5
  • Shutter 1/800 sec.

 

 

Posted in Focus Stacking, Macro Photography, Nature Photography, Wildflowers
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