Here’s another way to extend your focus range without special gear or software: shoot the scene from a distance using a telephoto lens. And then crop in. This works best when using a camera with sufficient MP that you can have a usable resolution after the crop.
This was shot from around 8′ away at around 180 mm.[img]
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Tom, what’s the f/stop on that shot?
f5.6 I didn’t want a high (numerical) f stop so that the background would be blurred.
There’s no denying that your technique has a list of advantages.
1) You don’t have to haul a laptop, cable, and stand around outside to set up the shot.
2) Your technique works even if there happens to be an occasional puff of wind. Whereas with the focus stack it has to be completely calm. Otherwise the shot comes out blurred.
3) You can work with the raw file. Focus stack works much much faster with jpegs.
I also have done a lot of macro work, product photography sort of stuff. Depth of field definitely has to be worked around.
Here’s a macro of a fairly high value Mexican proof coin called an Azteca Calandario.
I sold one of my shots to a publisher of Mexican Elementary Math text books. The coin was Numeracion Maya, i.e., Mayan Counting.
These shots were taken with my old A850 using a Minolta 100 mm f2.8 macro lens.
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I love the detail on the calendar. Macro is a fantastic opportunity for technical fun. Maybe one day I’ll get someone to pay me for some photos I take. That would be a home run.