How long does it take to make the stack series for one of these intriguing stack photos you make? IIRC, you do this 'by hand' and do not use any kind of automated stack shooter.
ANSWER: I don't use automated stackers, so I do it by hand. One reason is that I don't stack by even increments. If an object is at all spherical, we have to shorten the increments and if it is "all the same" we can stretch out a bit. Now that the winds are up in flatland Michigan every morning, I am moving inside to my tiny studio, so things can be more controlled there. As for how long, of course it depends on how many layers. What it takes is for everything to be still, vibrations of any kind. Otherwise a stacked image gets out of focus at the microcontrast level, which is not good. And I have to move the helicoid, wait, and shoot. This can take quite some time if there are a hundred or more layers, but as I have written in my book on the spiritual aspects of photography, I have mixed my meditation and my photo techniques, so it takes like.... no time.
Is there a focal length you have found most suitable for such stacking? It may be that focal length is the irrelevant factor and a lens close focus capability is the more important factor.
ANSWER: I use all kinds of focal lengths. Right now, the way I am shooting is with fast (or not) lenses, wide-open, that are very well corrected. I am not a macro photographer (usually), so I go for the APO lenses (like the Otus series) and try to get the most out of them with short extensions (K-1, etc.) and so on.
