Author Topic: Sea urchin skeleton  (Read 4876 times)

Ace

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Sea urchin skeleton
« on: March 23, 2016, 14:13:27 »
Hi everybody.
Thi is my very first exeperiment with focus stacking.
It is a sea urchin skeleton (spaerechinus granularis), shot with D800, PB4 bellows, Micro Nikkor 55 f2.8 and SB 800 strobe.
It's a stack of 40 images processed with Zerene. Then I processed the image with aperture.
Every comment is welcome.

Thank you

Andrea

Erik Lund

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Re: Sea urchin skeleton
« Reply #1 on: March 23, 2016, 14:19:35 »
Bold and striking image ;) Very nice I see no problems for stacking so well done IMHO ;)
Erik Lund

Bjørn Rørslett

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Re: Sea urchin skeleton
« Reply #2 on: March 23, 2016, 14:28:43 »
Very nice specimen and the stacking appears to have worked its magic without any additional issues.

Well done.

You might pull down a little on the cyan as some small areas in the upper part of the frame apparently have blown highlights rendered in cyan. We have to resort to nitpicking when everything else is so good :D

Ace

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Re: Sea urchin skeleton
« Reply #3 on: March 23, 2016, 14:56:12 »
Thank you very much for you comments.
Honestly I was amazed by the stacking software. It is the very first time I use it.
As regards the magenta issue, Bjorn is surely right....I'm very bad in postprocessing....tonight I will try to adjust it!

Thanks again

Andrea

Jakov Minić

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Re: Sea urchin skeleton
« Reply #4 on: March 23, 2016, 15:54:59 »
You aced the colors, I love them, Andrea :)
Free your mind and your ass will follow. - George Clinton
Before I jump like monkey give me banana. - Fela Kuti
Confidence is what you have before you understand the problem. - Woody Allen

BW

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Re: Sea urchin skeleton
« Reply #5 on: March 23, 2016, 16:06:17 »
A very nice rendition of the rounded shape of the sea urchin. Personally I never done stacking, because I dont have the patience to fiddle with all that goes into it ::) Kudos to those who does!

Frank Fremerey

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Re: Sea urchin skeleton
« Reply #6 on: March 23, 2016, 16:48:37 »
I never seen this wonderful creature, so now I think it natually looks the way you showed it to us here ... yet I am aware that it is your artistic rendition, your special perspective and mixdown that shows me the creature in the way you see it ... photography is sure a kind of magic, isn't it?

PS: I like the way you used the flash. unitrusive, undisturbing.
You are out there. You and your camera. You can shoot or not shoot as you please. Discover the world, Your world. Show it to us. Or we might never see it.

Me: https://youpic.com/photographer/frankfremerey/

rosko

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Re: Sea urchin skeleton
« Reply #7 on: March 23, 2016, 16:58:20 »
That's good job !

For first experiment, it is quite successful. Even lighting is well done : I like the shady area, giving some relief like the edge of the moon... ;)

How did you manage the different shots ?

# Turning the focus ring;

# Moving the bellows;

# Or using a focusing rail ?
Francis Devrainne

Anirban Halder

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Re: Sea urchin skeleton
« Reply #8 on: March 23, 2016, 17:59:06 »
Beautiful photo. I like the gradual transition of darkness to light. I agree with Frank; very subtle use of flash.
Anirban Halder

Ace

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Re: Sea urchin skeleton
« Reply #9 on: March 23, 2016, 18:50:58 »
Thanks everybody for the comments.
Frank, this is just the skeleton of a quite common mediterranean sea urchin...and it is really violet/pink. Sometimes the most beautiful things in nature are just hidden "in the back yard"!
Rosko, I focused on the target (closer part of the subject), closed the diaphragm to f11 and the just moved the whole bellows with its own rail. I took around 40 shots. Of course I used mirror lock up and cable release.
BW, it was my first stacking, and it took me roughly 40 minutes from zero to the stacked photo....and I enjoyed every minute!!
By the way the RR is around 1,7:1

HCS

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Re: Sea urchin skeleton
« Reply #10 on: March 23, 2016, 21:33:11 »
That's good job !

For first experiment, it is quite successful. Even lighting is well done : I like the shady area, giving some relief like the edge of the moon... ;)

+1 on the good job!

On the lighting, perhaps playing with a reflector on the shadow side may "lighten up" that side. It's a matter of taste, but i find it a bit on the heavy side. I'm with Bjørn R., just nitpicking on an otherwise great picture.
Hans Cremers

Erik Lund

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Re: Sea urchin skeleton
« Reply #11 on: March 23, 2016, 21:56:36 »
For me that's what makes it stand out ;)
Erik Lund

HCS

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Re: Sea urchin skeleton
« Reply #12 on: March 23, 2016, 22:06:18 »
I get that Erik, hence ...

... It's a matter of taste ...

 :)
Hans Cremers

Ron Scubadiver

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Re: Sea urchin skeleton
« Reply #13 on: March 25, 2016, 22:55:26 »
I don't know a thing about close up/macro photography, but I enjoy images that take on an abstract character as this one does.

Jørgen Ramskov

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Re: Sea urchin skeleton
« Reply #14 on: April 05, 2016, 10:37:44 »
That's a wonderful shot, especially for a first try.

Ps. Welcome to the site.
Jørgen Ramskov