I use Helicon Focus. It works directly with raw files and can generate a DNG composite file that can then be edited with raw editors. It has three algorithms with blending variables. On my rather potent workstation, it processes quickly, and I really like the way the editor works. You mouse over the composite and a function key command activates the layer below your cursor for mask editing. When I get the result I want, I generate a DNG and do my editing to the raw composite. Since you can try Helicon free for a month, I'd suggest folks try and compare. Helicon has a remote app and also works well with the Stackshot controller.
Thanks BJ - It has been a while since I used Helicon, but based on your comment there appears to be quite a bit more functionality that I remember. I think it is time for me to give it another try and maybe compare the two in a video. Thanks for this very helpful information!
Allan Walls Photography Please keep sane Allan! We need your calm, clever instruction & wit! It’s a small world, although I live in a more rural part of Essex, a very beautiful part, but sadly not near the sea. I fancy a bracing walk along the seafront, but currently obeying the lockdown rules in the U.K. to the letter! I very much look forward to your next video.
Very informative and reassuring. I have been using Zerene for quite some time and many of your comments resonate with me as things I have discovered over time. I too never really know whether D-Map or P-Max will be best and often stack both. I think the nature of the subject influences this to a large extent. Your steady approach to instruction is great for me, I absorb much more! Thanks for this video, I am beginning to work my way through them all. One thing I discovered early on is that you never stop learning with Photography, whatever your particular specialism is.
Thanks Alan, I found this really useful. One way you can get Lightroom to automatically import the Zerene file is to save it to Lightroom's Watch folder (File > Auto Import > Auto Import Settings…) You'll need to set the Destination Folder to Temporary Macro Stacks.
I recently bought my first digital camera (2 wees ago) and I know nothing about photography, I am so glad I found your videos, great information and techniques. Fantastic work. On another note, the part about the carnitas, you are hilarious. I am originally from Mexico and Carnitas is one of the most emblematic dishes that we have which originated in the state of Michoacan where I am from, and just listening to your story is priceless, I am still laughing, but it is a good laugh.
Thank you, Maria! I am so glad to hear that you are taking up digital photography. It will bring you a lifetime of joy. My carnitas, on the other hand, brought me a night of indigestion (but still delicious!).
I use Helicon but your work flow truly helped me reevaluate how I go about creating my stacks and the clean up afterwards. I still have yet to learn Photoshop and stick with Lightroom for now. You videos have been such an amazing tool thank you!
Allan, it took a while, but I finally got around to watching this Zerene Workflow video. It was VERY helpful! Love the part about retouching using P-Max and D-Map. Awesome! Now I understand what you meant about Zerene's "Tools" making the difference when you compare Stacking software. Thanks for taking the time to put this together. I'll be sending you an image soon! Take care!
A really great tutorial Allan. You seem to see every possible pothole we can step into and somehow guide us through the maze. All of your tutorials are so clear and precise. I am new at Zerene Stacker and now feel so much better. Thank you so much for this and the many other tutorials I have enjoyed and benefited from. Patrick McLean.
Excellent tutorial Allen. I tried one or two stacks after just recently purchasing the program with limited understanding and success. Now I am looking forward to giving it a more educated attempt this go around. Thanks!
Hi Allan...Many thanks for your interesting and inspiring presentations on RUclips (I've watched them all at least once). I've just purchased a Stackshot and have been playing around with it for a few days and would like to see a video on setting up the controller particularly how the various modes work. Many thanks Keith (UK)
Hi Keith - I'm glad you are finding my material helpful! Your suggestion came at the perfect time - I am stacking today and have the Stackshot all set up and ready to go - I will do the requested setup video today and it should be out by the end of the week. Thanks for the great idea!
Ive been studying photography for about a year, first with film, then 4X5 film. I am now into digital and I love it, the amount of flexibility you get is amazing. I am also now interested in macro, the amount of detail in your work is amazing, these are truly visceral images! Can you share your process on how you get so many images from a moving creature? Also what tools do you use, rails, etc? Thank you for your work.
I just wanted to tell you how much I enjoy and learn from your tutorials. You have what seems to be a very comfortable and unique training style. I'm glad to see you are now getting some ad revenue. Looking forward, as always, to the next video!
Thanks Randy. I really enjoy doing the work, which is a good thing, because I haven't made a penny from the ads! I think you have to have a million people watching your stuff to actually generate revenue. Or it might just take time. Either way, I love what I'm doing and that is the most important thing!
Allan Walls Photography it can be less than that. Look into Miles Beckler here on RUclips he really helps people explode their channel and make revenue from RUclips and email marketing which you already have.
I suspect it won't be long before we are all eating insects. Your mantis just spent a little longer in the marinade, that's all. Bon appetit ! Love your work and follow your site more than any other site on macro photography. Thank you very much for all your efforts and instruction. If you should happen to read this, could you please let me know the make and model of the very sturdy looking little tripod that the Manfrotto rail is mounted on. Many thanks.
Thanks David. I appreciate your kind words. I went through the video and can't find the part that shows the Manfrotto rail. Was it in this video? I have a bunch of different tripods so I'm not sure which one you saw. Shoot me an email - contact@allanwallsphotography.com - and tell me what the tripod in question looked like and I'll let you know exactly which one it was. Thanks!
Awesome video! thank you just got Serene stacker can't wait to start stacking. Hopefully it will yield better results than my photoshop/lightroom stacking
For the worms, if you take a blank photo before your stack, you can clean up the dust spots on that one image in LR. Since dust is in the same spot for all images, you then can sync the dust in the Develop module (spot removal). Do this BEFORE exporting to Zerene. That should prevent the worms from showing up in the first place. When I do get worms, rather than fixing them in Photoshop, I fix them in Zerene. Just select one source image and retouch around the worm. It will get all but the bad pixel (or however big the dust spot is). Select a different source image to then remove that one. Now you've fixed it with actual source image data rather than data guessed by Photoshop.
All good points, Victor, but I for one am bad about being lazy and not inspecting my images before getting them over to ZS, so when I do have worm trails it is usually a surprise. I also fix them in Zerene, but only if I am already retouching. If there is no retouching to do, I will do it in photoshop as I will be over there anyway.
Great video, Alan. The finished result was stunning. I will have to check out Zerene Stacker, as I usually stack in Photoshop, which works well, but once I have all of the images stacked, I find it very difficult to edit the individual masks where problems occurred. Seeing your entire workflow really helps me to tweak my own workflow to get the most out of stacking my macro shots. I hope you are doing well and I look forward to more.
Hi Stephen. The more of this you do, the more limiting Photoshop becomes (at least for the stacking part). The PS results aren't always bad, but when they are it is very tedious to fix them. Try Zerene or Helicon - they both give a very robust trial.
Just getting in to "Home" macro, I've built myself a slide rail, big and beefy enough to hold the camera and allow for easy movement. Using photoshop in a similar way to how you did, and as you say it isn't brilliant, it works(ish) ! I've heard of Zerene Stacker, (and the other one) so headed to their website to see how much, and lo and behold there is a free trial... We'll give it a go for free then... O.M.G ! is that good, or what, not a clue how to work it (that's why I'm here) but fumbling through I was so impressed I just bought it, beggar the 30 day free trial ! Another great video Allan, thanks, Loved it, especially the lost Mantis...
@@AllanWallsPhotography Here's a few taken during Corona lockdown. Scroll down until you see the large Bumble bee, that's when the DIY slide rail came in to play, then a bit farther down you'll see another bee on a green background, from there on with ZS...
Hi Ian, that is a very good point. I have to be in the right frame of mind to take on some of these projects. If I'm busy with other things, and feel rushed, I won't even try to get into this stuff.
Great video for beginners to take some of the mystery out of the focus stacking technique. At some point you mentioned the chromatic aberration and I have 2 tips for you that I use in my own stacks of insects. First one is that you use the "remove chromatic aberration" function in either Lightroom or Camera Raw in Photoshop prior to stacking your images, as to prevent Zerene from accumalating it and causeing less of the true details to pop. The second tip is to make a copy of your stacked image as a new layer (Convert to Smart Object is adviced) and set its Blending Mode to Color and then add a Gausain Blur filter to it. Then you can average out the chromatic aberration in your image and use masking as you see fit. I hope that will be useful for you and the people coming across this comment :) PS. which objective did you use for the capturing of the images? I would guess a generic 4x microscope objective but I could be wrong.
Fantastic point. I always apply CA correction in LR before exporting to Zerene. I also use precisely the same technique for cleaning up CA after stacking in Zerene. But I was afraid that this might be a little too advanced to include in a video at this level - I didn't want to lose anyone in blend modes and filters. I will bring up your excellent recommendations in my next macro video, though. I was using a dirt cheap AmScope 4x finite objective. It is almost as sharp as a LOMO 3.7, and a steal for $20. I use this objective to introduce all my students to this kind of photography because of its ease of use and excellent results. Thanks again for the insightful comments!
Wonderful thanks Allan. I'm clearly a newbie asking this question: I had assumed that you create your stacked images by racking the insect (or camera) in and out. The other method is simply to change the camera's focus. But both methods it seems to this novice likely to result in differing image magnification issues. The first method I assume you are using. Correct?
Excellent tutorial! I‘m new to this degree of macro photography and was/ am doing research on stacking programs. Didn‘t take long to come across your great tutorials. One question: would you recommend running the original files through a denoise / sharpening program (I use DxO for my outdoor/ wildlife photos) before stacking them?
Great video Allan, I do pretty much the same workflow with the exception of exporting from Lightroom. I use Adobe Bridge to convert from RAW to TIFF but the results are the same. Having seen your method i will give it a try on my next "model". Keep them coming :-)
Hi Richard. That is a good point. I don't use Bridge, but it could be a useful way to get my temporary macro stacks out of Lightroom. I'll try it and see if it offers any advantages.
@@AllanWallsPhotography When in Bridge select the folders that contains your RAW files then go to Tools/Photoshop/Image Processor then next flash screen is pretty straightforward so you can select the output to be jpeg, RAW etc. Good luck
You are the absolute best!! So much information given I love it. Curious what computer do you use? What is your ram? Looking files a pc to handle all my raw files since my pc finally gave out after a few years
Hi Drew, I use a MacBook Pro 15" that is going on 8-years old. I only have only a measly 16GB of memory and have about 6 multi-TB external drives. It is a very good machine but it is not going to last much longer. I can do everything I need, but it is very slow now. I will replace it with the the best Mac I can afford, when the time comes. I can't believe it has taken this much punishment!
Thank you Allan. I am sharing your video with our Camera Guild here in Sun City AZ. We are all stuck at home and I have been using this time to dig deeper (no pun intended) in Macro. I have a question about Zerene. Would I need to purchase the Prosumer version or would the Personal version give us all the tools you just showed us? Keep safe.
Here are the differences between the Entry-level version and Pro-version. As an amateur macrophotography, the pro-version has a number of benefits - mainly faster processing and allows finer detail work. zerenesystems.com/cms/stacker/docs/faqlist?&#what_are_the_differences_between_personal_prosumer_and_professional
Hi Dan. Check out the link that David put in his post, below. The short answer is, get the prosumer version - everything most of us will ever need with all the functionality of the pro version.
Allan, thanks for your superb tutorials. I am a senior citizen and my eye sight is not what it use to be. I have done focus stacking and have an appropriate rail. My question is. Have you ever used a tethering cable to your computer to get a larger picture of what you are doing. Would it help getting the initial (starting photograph of the stack in focus ). Focus peaking does not work very well on macro using my Panasonic GX8. Thanks again Allan and stay safe. Jim Egerton
Muy bien explicado con mucho detalle si se ve la diferencia del Ziering para procesar las imagenes con mucho detalle, maestro con que lente logro esa captura, muchas gracias
Awsome video. I have 2 questions as a newbie. 1)- Zerene do stacking only jpg file. So I have to shoot in jpg format. How can I proceed to post processing after stacking, if I want? 2)- this second question is stupid. How can you shoot 100 photos to stack if the subject (like insect) is not steady? Thank you for your video. That is a great and excellent job from you. Thank you for answering.
Since PS CS6, I think they leave all the layers in place, but add masking. However, there are plenty of areas left using Photoshop that are out of focus. You have to go through by hand, and fix the masking by hand. That can be tedious.
Should I cook the Pork for 2 hours @ 250c and then add the Praying Mantis for the last 5 minutes or do you suggest I just lob the whole thing in the oven at once? Love the images Allan. Take care. Greg
16k subscribers. 840 thumbs up - ? It does not add up! This is simply a great tutorial. Together with (some) of the comments, it is a complete set of instructions one needs to get started.
Thanks Darek - I do not understand the workings of this platform either, but I suspect it is somehow related to the small size of the extreme macro photography niche.
Very nice video. 👍👍👍 Give a try to affinity. I have very good results. And it is now only 24 bux. I tested Helicon and zerener and there are very good. I was trying with PS but like you saying it is very bad result stacking 50 or more pictures, for 3 or 4 it is ok.
Hi Allan! Thanks for this amazing video but I got a question. 15:50 ( click on all selected images then go to export to Zerene. I cant see this option in the Export option. Why is this happen? It is the same way if I simply export to TIFF then I copy all of them pics to Zerene?
Hi Marcelo, I dropped the ball on that. I should have explained - go to the edit menu in LR and select "Plugin Manager". Hit the + to add a new plug in and follow the directions. From then on, whenever you select "Export", Zerene will be on the list and will automatically move the images to Zerene using the setting you entered in the plugin manager. Hope that helps!
@@AllanWallsPhotography Maybe I have to download an other version of Lr because it doesnt set up (I cant select or choose from the list) the Zerene in the Plugin Maneger. But anyway, thank you your quick reply!!
@@marcellbanda1356 One other idea. Check out the Zerene website and search for "plug-ins". There is a detailed walkthrough of how to trouble shoot the issue.
When editing with the target image on the right - are you brushing on the left image (telling Zstacker what to move to the target), OR, brushing on the target (telling Zstacker what areas you want moved from the left panel). It is hard to tell from the video. Thanks.
That's a good point and I didn't make it clear. The image on the right is the active retouched image while the one on the left is whichever frame or stack output you have chosen for the source. When I find an element that is sharp on the source image but less so on the retouch image, I paint directly onto the image on the right and the corresponding pixels from the left image are cloned over the pixels that are already there. Any time you click on the right image, the pixels from that part of the left image are moved over. A very elegant tool.
Hi Allen , another great tutorial 👍 I myself use helicon and have a lot of trouble with ghosting , do you know of a fix for this. Thank you and keep up the good work 🙌
Yes - absolutely. Just make yourself a new export preset in the export dialogue menu. You can set it up precisely how you want the image to be sent and where you want it to go. I have presets made for every possible situation and many of them are TIFF exports. Email me if you have any problems once you get into it.
A word of warning. If you use 'Bullguard Antivirus' with Zerene and set Zerene to write EXIF data to the stacked image Zerene will tell you the output has failed. This is due to Bullguard thinking Zerene writing to a certain file is actually a virus when it obviously isn't. Despite Rik's best efforts he couldn't resolve this issue as it's a Bullguard problem. This was reported to Bullguard over a month ago and I've had no feedback or acknowledgement. Zerene works fine but I have to disable Bullguard or switch EXIF data off in Zerene. When my licence for Bullguard expires I'll bin it and get a better antivirus programme.
That is good to know, Steve. It is also a creepy coincidence - I just emailed Rik to ask him about a new issue with the latest beta - no save dialogue window when exporting a final output. Still the best stacking program ever!
@@AllanWallsPhotography Interesting. Rik tried very hard to fix my problem over several weeks but Zerene isn't the culprit. I hope I've prevented any other Bullguard users falling into the same trap as me. As for Bullguard they don't seem to give a damn. Most experienced macro photographers seem to agree with you about Zerene Allan. I'll be sticking with Rik and Zerene. His customer care is outstanding as is Zerene.
@@stevemurnan1702 Couldn't agree more. Rik's responsiveness to his customers is second to none in this business. And the "Zerene" problem that I was having, turned out to be a MacOS problem. Go figure!
@@AllanWallsPhotography Well at least you know the cause Allan. Not much Rik can do with the MacOS issues just like he can't with Bullguard. I can work around my problem and hope you can too.
dear Allan,just want ask for help and advice.i have canon 650d,lens ef-s 75-300.just arrived microscope lens from mjkzz plan x0.025 infinity.can i use that lens as tube(in kjkzz is written that this microlens works on 160mm tube) and how to do or use it for macrophotograpfy.thanks in advance.
Hi Kristijan - that is a very loaded question! The setup for using an infinity corrected objective is a little more involved that using a finite objective. You can use the telephoto zoom lens you have, but there are better alternatives. I am going to be putting out a detailed video on this subject very soon. If you still have questions after watching that, let me know and I'll help you any way I can!
I am pretty certain that I used a Nikon D850 DSLR camera with a Nikon CFI plan 10x microscope objective and a Raynox DCR-150 relay lens. This is my standard 10X setup.
Hi Cindy, I only save my outputs as TIFFs with no compression, but if I were saving JPEGs I would use the highest quality compression (12). Leaving the slider (in preferences/input/output) on 0 will yield the lowest quality, smallest images.
@@cindyclark3985 Very much so! The JPEG format removes a lot of data and is a destructive compression. You can never edit and re-save the JPEG without further degrading the quality of the image. As a TIFF, all the data is preserved, so you can take the output images into Photoshop, do what you need to do, and save the image with all the information intact. And you can do that as many times as you need, now and 5 years from now. The only time I use JPEGs is to post images that are final (but I keep the original TIFFs).
Hi Krisijan. Do you mean the camera and lighting setup? If you go to my RUclips channel I have several videos on how to set up the gear and take the images. This one should show you almost everything you need... ruclips.net/video/bVy8EvDx42E/видео.html
Great video Allan - I learned a few tips from your PS section. Have you compared using a mask in LR and doing a similar dodge and burn? Also, are you familiar with Bugslabber plugin for ZS? billeldridge.com/bugslabber/? (freeware). I good friend of mine introduced me to the ZS plugin. I use it for larger stacks where significant defocusing causes problems with stacking. It's very versatile and works well with ZS. I particularly use it for hairs or very fine detail such as with mosses/lichens where parts seems to be crossing into each other. For example, you can make any number of sub-stacks from the original and then stack those to get a tack sharp image. Thanks again for sharing your knowledge and experience - Can't wait to see you next video!
Hi David. I very seldom use LR to dodge and burn. I just find it so much easier to separate the process into individual layers, non-destructively. And I am almost always going to be in PS for the final retouch, so I find it easier to do it there. I have heard about Bugslabber from others but have never used it. I love the concept and I'm very eager to see how it performs. I just downloaded it a moment ago. I'm always excited when I get to try new tools, and this plugin looks awesome! Thanks!
I also use Zerene Stacker and have been extremely happy with it. R Littlefield has also established a web site for macro/micro photography......."photomacrography.com" in which any who become a member(no experience required) can ask questions on all things macro. I tried Helicon Focus(which located in Ukraine) as well but was disappointed with their customer service.
Hey Terry... Yes, RL is the real thing. He is a great asset to the macro community. I have heard a lot of good things about the owner of Helicon, but I have never met him. I have been a member of photomacrography.com for quite some time - it is an excellent site.
I use Helicon Focus. It works directly with raw files and can generate a DNG composite file that can then be edited with raw editors. It has three algorithms with blending variables. On my rather potent workstation, it processes quickly, and I really like the way the editor works. You mouse over the composite and a function key command activates the layer below your cursor for mask editing. When I get the result I want, I generate a DNG and do my editing to the raw composite. Since you can try Helicon free for a month, I'd suggest folks try and compare. Helicon has a remote app and also works well with the Stackshot controller.
Thanks BJ - It has been a while since I used Helicon, but based on your comment there appears to be quite a bit more functionality that I remember. I think it is time for me to give it another try and maybe compare the two in a video. Thanks for this very helpful information!
Allan Walls Photography yes a comparison video would be good!
Where would be without you Allan! Keeping me sane in Essex, UK. Thank you so much, please keep safe and well!
Hi Hilary. I'm glad one of us is keeping sane. My ex-sister-in-law was from Southend - lovely place, that!
Allan Walls Photography Please keep sane Allan! We need your calm, clever instruction & wit! It’s a small world, although I live in a more rural part of Essex, a very beautiful part, but sadly not near the sea. I fancy a bracing walk along the seafront, but currently obeying the lockdown rules in the U.K. to the letter! I very much look forward to your next video.
Love your sense of humor; many times you have made me laugh. Going to start at the beginning of your videos and watch until the most recent. Thanks!
Cheers, Mark!
Very informative and reassuring. I have been using Zerene for quite some time and many of your comments resonate with me as things I have discovered over time. I too never really know whether D-Map or P-Max will be best and often stack both. I think the nature of the subject influences this to a large extent. Your steady approach to instruction is great for me, I absorb much more! Thanks for this video, I am beginning to work my way through them all. One thing I discovered early on is that you never stop learning with Photography, whatever your particular specialism is.
Thanks Barry. So true, this is a lifelong learning process. And that is one of the reasons I love it so much - never a dull moment!
You are not less than a feast to watch n listen... Thaaaaank you for your time and effort. Keep inspiring 🌟🙏
Thank you, Muhammad!
thank you Allan. Just did my first stack in Zerene, and this was an invaluable help to me.
You’re an interesting & excellent teacher Alan. Appreciate your work.
Thanks John - I appreciate you watching!
Excellent tutorial Allan. The best macro channel on RUclips by far.
Thanks Alan, I found this really useful. One way you can get Lightroom to automatically import the Zerene file is to save it to Lightroom's Watch folder (File > Auto Import > Auto Import Settings…) You'll need to set the Destination Folder to Temporary Macro Stacks.
Good info, David. Thanks!
wonderful, hugely helpful video, prior to watching this i didnt know what to do of zerene, this video changed that 😀😀😃😃
I recently bought my first digital camera (2 wees ago) and I know nothing about photography, I am so glad I found your videos, great information and techniques. Fantastic work.
On another note, the part about the carnitas, you are hilarious. I am originally from Mexico and Carnitas is one of the most emblematic dishes that we have which originated in the state of Michoacan where I am from, and just listening to your story is priceless, I am still laughing, but it is a good laugh.
Thank you, Maria! I am so glad to hear that you are taking up digital photography. It will bring you a lifetime of joy. My carnitas, on the other hand, brought me a night of indigestion (but still delicious!).
I use Helicon but your work flow truly helped me reevaluate how I go about creating my stacks and the clean up afterwards. I still have yet to learn Photoshop and stick with Lightroom for now. You videos have been such an amazing tool thank you!
Allan, it took a while, but I finally got around to watching this Zerene Workflow video. It was VERY helpful! Love the part about retouching using P-Max and D-Map. Awesome! Now I understand what you meant about Zerene's "Tools" making the difference when you compare Stacking software. Thanks for taking the time to put this together. I'll be sending you an image soon! Take care!
Great! I was wondering how it was going! ZS is the real deal - I have been working with the 3D imaging and it is pretty awesome too.
Your work is outstanding in detail and your recipe for "carnitas" sounds very appetizing ... Congratulations on both of them !
Thanks Jorge! The carnitas were spectacular!
Fascinating video Alan very informative and extremely helpful, much appreciated. Thank you.
A really great tutorial Allan. You seem to see every possible pothole we can step into and somehow guide us through the maze. All of your tutorials are so clear and precise. I am new at Zerene Stacker and now feel so much better. Thank you so much for this and the many other tutorials I have enjoyed and benefited from.
Patrick McLean.
Thank you so much for the kind words! Glad to have you onboard - lots more videos on the way!
Excellent tutorial Allen. I tried one or two stacks after just recently purchasing the program with limited understanding and success. Now I am looking forward to giving it a more educated attempt this go around. Thanks!
Hi Allan...Many thanks for your interesting and inspiring presentations on RUclips (I've watched them all at least once). I've just purchased a Stackshot and have been playing around with it for a few days and would like to see a video on setting up the controller particularly how the various modes work.
Many thanks
Keith (UK)
Hi Keith - I'm glad you are finding my material helpful! Your suggestion came at the perfect time - I am stacking today and have the Stackshot all set up and ready to go - I will do the requested setup video today and it should be out by the end of the week. Thanks for the great idea!
Ive been studying photography for about a year, first with film, then 4X5 film. I am now into digital and I love it, the amount of flexibility you get is amazing. I am also now interested in macro, the amount of detail in your work is amazing, these are truly visceral images! Can you share your process on how you get so many images from a moving creature? Also what tools do you use, rails, etc? Thank you for your work.
Beautiful capture and finish image, Allan! Thank you for the helpful tutorial.
Thanks Carl!
I just wanted to tell you how much I enjoy and learn from your tutorials. You have what seems to be a very comfortable and unique training style. I'm glad to see you are now getting some ad revenue. Looking forward, as always, to the next video!
Thanks Randy. I really enjoy doing the work, which is a good thing, because I haven't made a penny from the ads! I think you have to have a million people watching your stuff to actually generate revenue. Or it might just take time. Either way, I love what I'm doing and that is the most important thing!
Allan Walls Photography it can be less than that. Look into Miles Beckler here on RUclips he really helps people explode their channel and make revenue from RUclips and email marketing which you already have.
@@renecastanedaonyoutube Thanks Rene - I am not familiar with Miles Beckler but I will check him out. Thank you!
Absolutely brilliant, enjoyed this so much, thank you
I suspect it won't be long before we are all eating insects. Your mantis just spent a little longer in the marinade, that's all. Bon appetit ! Love your work and follow your site more than any other site on macro photography. Thank you very much for all your efforts and instruction. If you should happen to read this, could you please let me know the make and model of the very sturdy looking little tripod that the Manfrotto rail is mounted on. Many thanks.
Thanks David. I appreciate your kind words. I went through the video and can't find the part that shows the Manfrotto rail. Was it in this video? I have a bunch of different tripods so I'm not sure which one you saw. Shoot me an email - contact@allanwallsphotography.com - and tell me what the tripod in question looked like and I'll let you know exactly which one it was. Thanks!
Awesome video! thank you just got Serene stacker can't wait to start stacking. Hopefully it will yield better results than my photoshop/lightroom stacking
It will _ I promise!
wow, phenomenal presentation
I love Zerene, it is so easy and fast! And works so well!
For the worms, if you take a blank photo before your stack, you can clean up the dust spots on that one image in LR. Since dust is in the same spot for all images, you then can sync the dust in the Develop module (spot removal). Do this BEFORE exporting to Zerene. That should prevent the worms from showing up in the first place. When I do get worms, rather than fixing them in Photoshop, I fix them in Zerene. Just select one source image and retouch around the worm. It will get all but the bad pixel (or however big the dust spot is). Select a different source image to then remove that one. Now you've fixed it with actual source image data rather than data guessed by Photoshop.
All good points, Victor, but I for one am bad about being lazy and not inspecting my images before getting them over to ZS, so when I do have worm trails it is usually a surprise. I also fix them in Zerene, but only if I am already retouching. If there is no retouching to do, I will do it in photoshop as I will be over there anyway.
Great video, Alan. The finished result was stunning. I will have to check out Zerene Stacker, as I usually stack in Photoshop, which works well, but once I have all of the images stacked, I find it very difficult to edit the individual masks where problems occurred. Seeing your entire workflow really helps me to tweak my own workflow to get the most out of stacking my macro shots. I hope you are doing well and I look forward to more.
Hi Stephen. The more of this you do, the more limiting Photoshop becomes (at least for the stacking part). The PS results aren't always bad, but when they are it is very tedious to fix them. Try Zerene or Helicon - they both give a very robust trial.
@@AllanWallsPhotography Thanks, Allan. I will do that.
Many thanks for the time and effort to explain your workflow, Allan! Your conversational style and thoughtfulness are much appreciated.
Allan it was time for us to sit grab a beer or coffee and watch this tube. Thanks
Sounds like a plan!
Just getting in to "Home" macro, I've built myself a slide rail, big and beefy enough to hold the camera and allow for easy movement. Using photoshop in a similar way to how you did, and as you say it isn't brilliant, it works(ish) !
I've heard of Zerene Stacker, (and the other one) so headed to their website to see how much, and lo and behold there is a free trial... We'll give it a go for free then...
O.M.G ! is that good, or what, not a clue how to work it (that's why I'm here) but fumbling through I was so impressed I just bought it, beggar the 30 day free trial !
Another great video Allan, thanks, Loved it, especially the lost Mantis...
Thanks Norman - you will not be disappointed with ZS! You'll have to share some of your images!
@@AllanWallsPhotography Here's a few taken during Corona lockdown. Scroll down until you see the large Bumble bee, that's when the DIY slide rail came in to play, then a bit farther down you'll see another bee on a green background, from there on with ZS...
@@normski4ash Hey Norman, I don't think you can post images in the comments - can you shoot them over to contact@allanwallsphotography.com? Thanks!
Spectacular tutorial Sir. Really appreciate it.
Brilliant tutorial! Thank you very much.
Excellent presentation
Great job Allan. I actually wonder if I have the patience to do this.
Hi Ian, that is a very good point. I have to be in the right frame of mind to take on some of these projects. If I'm busy with other things, and feel rushed, I won't even try to get into this stuff.
Great video for beginners to take some of the mystery out of the focus stacking technique.
At some point you mentioned the chromatic aberration and I have 2 tips for you that I use in my own stacks of insects. First one is that you use the "remove chromatic aberration" function in either Lightroom or Camera Raw in Photoshop prior to stacking your images, as to prevent Zerene from accumalating it and causeing less of the true details to pop. The second tip is to make a copy of your stacked image as a new layer (Convert to Smart Object is adviced) and set its Blending Mode to Color and then add a Gausain Blur filter to it. Then you can average out the chromatic aberration in your image and use masking as you see fit.
I hope that will be useful for you and the people coming across this comment :)
PS. which objective did you use for the capturing of the images? I would guess a generic 4x microscope objective but I could be wrong.
Fantastic point. I always apply CA correction in LR before exporting to Zerene. I also use precisely the same technique for cleaning up CA after stacking in Zerene. But I was afraid that this might be a little too advanced to include in a video at this level - I didn't want to lose anyone in blend modes and filters. I will bring up your excellent recommendations in my next macro video, though. I was using a dirt cheap AmScope 4x finite objective. It is almost as sharp as a LOMO 3.7, and a steal for $20. I use this objective to introduce all my students to this kind of photography because of its ease of use and excellent results. Thanks again for the insightful comments!
Perfect Alan that was much needed advice 👍 keep them coming please.
Thanks! More on the way!
Wonderful thanks Allan. I'm clearly a newbie asking this question: I had assumed that you create your stacked images by racking the insect (or camera) in and out. The other method is simply to change the camera's focus. But both methods it seems to this novice likely to result in differing image magnification issues. The first method I assume you are using. Correct?
Thank you very much. Very helpful. I learned a lot
For import and export to LR, you need the Zerene Prosumer edition I presume? You cant do it with the Personal edition I think.
Excellent tutorial! I‘m new to this degree of macro photography and was/ am doing research on stacking programs. Didn‘t take long to come across your great tutorials.
One question: would you recommend running the original files through a denoise / sharpening program (I use DxO for my outdoor/ wildlife photos) before stacking them?
Rock and Roll Allen. Great as always.
Cheers, Monte!
Dr.Allan if you are looking for ultimate macro lens,go for 125 mm F2.5 voightlander APO .You won't be sorry.
@ 37:50 , there is another way to import the new images. From library, select the folder that holds the images, right-click and then sync Folder.
Great video Allan, I do pretty much the same workflow with the exception of exporting from Lightroom. I use Adobe Bridge to convert from RAW to TIFF but the results are the same. Having seen your method i will give it a try on my next "model". Keep them coming :-)
Hi Richard. That is a good point. I don't use Bridge, but it could be a useful way to get my temporary macro stacks out of Lightroom. I'll try it and see if it offers any advantages.
@@AllanWallsPhotography When in Bridge select the folders that contains your RAW files then go to Tools/Photoshop/Image Processor then next flash screen is pretty straightforward so you can select the output to be jpeg, RAW etc. Good luck
Cool Dodge & Burn tip! Thanks :)
You are very welcome - it works great!
Very informative. Thanks
You are the absolute best!! So much information given I love it. Curious what computer do you use? What is your ram? Looking files a pc to handle all my raw files since my pc finally gave out after a few years
Hi Drew, I use a MacBook Pro 15" that is going on 8-years old. I only have only a measly 16GB of memory and have about 6 multi-TB external drives. It is a very good machine but it is not going to last much longer. I can do everything I need, but it is very slow now. I will replace it with the the best Mac I can afford, when the time comes. I can't believe it has taken this much punishment!
Great video,thank you!
Thank you Allan. I am sharing your video with our Camera Guild here in Sun City AZ. We are all stuck at home and I have been using this time to dig deeper (no pun intended) in Macro. I have a question about Zerene. Would I need to purchase the Prosumer version or would the Personal version give us all the tools you just showed us? Keep safe.
Here are the differences between the Entry-level version and Pro-version. As an amateur macrophotography, the pro-version has a number of benefits - mainly faster processing and allows finer detail work.
zerenesystems.com/cms/stacker/docs/faqlist?&#what_are_the_differences_between_personal_prosumer_and_professional
Hi Dan. Check out the link that David put in his post, below. The short answer is, get the prosumer version - everything most of us will ever need with all the functionality of the pro version.
Hello from Downtown Phoenix! Stay safe!
Allan, thanks for your superb tutorials. I am a senior citizen and my eye sight is not what it use to be. I have done focus stacking and have an appropriate rail. My question is. Have you ever used a tethering cable to your computer to get a larger picture of what you are doing. Would it help getting the initial (starting photograph of the stack in focus ). Focus peaking does not work very well on macro using my Panasonic GX8. Thanks again Allan and stay safe. Jim Egerton
Jim, in one of his videos Allan mentioned that he tethers.
How this software compares to Helicon focus? Awesome video
Fantastic content, As always
Thanks Graeme!
Great videos Alan. Regarding the taking of the photos, Raw to Tiff , couldn’t I just take photos as Tiff in camera. Cheers bud and stay safe.
Hi Andy. You absolutely could, if your camera supports that file type. Mine doesn't, which is why I forgot to mention it.
Allan Walls Photography Nice one Alan that should save a bit of waiting time (slow pc ).
Muy bien explicado con mucho detalle si se ve la diferencia del Ziering para procesar las imagenes con mucho detalle, maestro con que lente logro esa captura, muchas gracias
Awsome video. I have 2 questions as a newbie. 1)- Zerene do stacking only jpg file. So I have to shoot in jpg format. How can I proceed to post processing after stacking, if I want? 2)- this second question is stupid. How can you shoot 100 photos to stack if the subject (like insect) is not steady?
Thank you for your video. That is a great and excellent job from you.
Thank you for answering.
Your subject cannot move PERIOD. You will never ever get a good stack from a moving object.
@@sparkeyjames thank you
Since PS CS6, I think they leave all the layers in place, but add masking. However, there are plenty of areas left using Photoshop that are out of focus. You have to go through by hand, and fix the masking by hand. That can be tedious.
Should I cook the Pork for 2 hours @ 250c and then add the Praying Mantis for the last 5 minutes or do you suggest I just lob the whole thing in the oven at once? Love the images Allan. Take care. Greg
What's up Greg... either way works... just resist the temptation to nibble on it during the prep work.
16k subscribers. 840 thumbs up - ? It does not add up! This is simply a great tutorial. Together with (some) of the comments, it is a complete set of instructions one needs to get started.
Thanks Darek - I do not understand the workings of this platform either, but I suspect it is somehow related to the small size of the extreme macro photography niche.
Thank you Allan for your videos. Witch version of Zerene are you using? many thanks.
Hi Ayoub, I am currently using Version 1.04 Build T2020-04-04-1104-beta. Though in this video I was using the 1.03 build
Exporting in Tiff to Zerene,when and where did you tell LR to export them to Zerene in Tiff.? Thanks
Jim Cramer, is that you? lol
What lens are you using? I think the 90mm Macro G doesn't go deep enough.
Very nice video. 👍👍👍
Give a try to affinity. I have very good results. And it is now only 24 bux. I tested Helicon and zerener and there are very good.
I was trying with PS but like you saying it is very bad result stacking 50 or more pictures, for 3 or 4 it is ok.
Definitely agree on the PS experience, Dirk. Thanks.
Hi Allan! Thanks for this amazing video but I got a question. 15:50 ( click on all selected images then go to export to Zerene.
I cant see this option in the Export option. Why is this happen? It is the same way if I simply export to TIFF then I copy all of them pics to Zerene?
Hi Marcelo, I dropped the ball on that. I should have explained - go to the edit menu in LR and select "Plugin Manager". Hit the + to add a new plug in and follow the directions. From then on, whenever you select "Export", Zerene will be on the list and will automatically move the images to Zerene using the setting you entered in the plugin manager. Hope that helps!
@@AllanWallsPhotography Maybe I have to download an other version of Lr because it doesnt set up (I cant select or choose from the list) the Zerene in the Plugin Maneger. But anyway, thank you your quick reply!!
@@marcellbanda1356 One other idea. Check out the Zerene website and search for "plug-ins". There is a detailed walkthrough of how to trouble shoot the issue.
Allan, do you offer the service of personal coaching?
When editing with the target image on the right - are you brushing on the left image (telling Zstacker what to move to the target), OR, brushing on the target (telling Zstacker what areas you want moved from the left panel). It is hard to tell from the video. Thanks.
That's a good point and I didn't make it clear. The image on the right is the active retouched image while the one on the left is whichever frame or stack output you have chosen for the source. When I find an element that is sharp on the source image but less so on the retouch image, I paint directly onto the image on the right and the corresponding pixels from the left image are cloned over the pixels that are already there. Any time you click on the right image, the pixels from that part of the left image are moved over. A very elegant tool.
Hi Allen , another great tutorial 👍 I myself use helicon and have a lot of trouble with ghosting , do you know of a fix for this. Thank you and keep up the good work 🙌
I'm having the same problem and it's soooo frustrating, I feel like I've tried everything! Have you had any luck fixing the issue??
Fantastic video. What I call a daddy long legs is a harvestman.
skip to 6:35 for actual program use.
When you say you can export as jpeg or tiff files. Can you set tiff as the default export file type in LR
Yes - absolutely. Just make yourself a new export preset in the export dialogue menu. You can set it up precisely how you want the image to be sent and where you want it to go. I have presets made for every possible situation and many of them are TIFF exports. Email me if you have any problems once you get into it.
A word of warning. If you use 'Bullguard Antivirus' with Zerene and set Zerene to write EXIF data to the stacked image Zerene will tell you the output has failed. This is due to Bullguard thinking Zerene writing to a certain file is actually a virus when it obviously isn't. Despite Rik's best efforts he couldn't resolve this issue as it's a Bullguard problem. This was reported to Bullguard over a month ago and I've had no feedback or acknowledgement. Zerene works fine but I have to disable Bullguard or switch EXIF data off in Zerene. When my licence for Bullguard expires I'll bin it and get a better antivirus programme.
That is good to know, Steve. It is also a creepy coincidence - I just emailed Rik to ask him about a new issue with the latest beta - no save dialogue window when exporting a final output. Still the best stacking program ever!
@@AllanWallsPhotography Interesting. Rik tried very hard to fix my problem over several weeks but Zerene isn't the culprit. I hope I've prevented any other Bullguard users falling into the same trap as me. As for Bullguard they don't seem to give a damn. Most experienced macro photographers seem to agree with you about Zerene Allan. I'll be sticking with Rik and Zerene. His customer care is outstanding as is Zerene.
@@stevemurnan1702 Couldn't agree more. Rik's responsiveness to his customers is second to none in this business. And the "Zerene" problem that I was having, turned out to be a MacOS problem. Go figure!
@@AllanWallsPhotography Well at least you know the cause Allan. Not much Rik can do with the MacOS issues just like he can't with Bullguard. I can work around my problem and hope you can too.
dear Allan,just want ask for help and advice.i have canon 650d,lens ef-s 75-300.just arrived microscope lens from mjkzz plan x0.025 infinity.can i use that lens as tube(in kjkzz is written that this microlens works on 160mm tube) and how to do or use it for macrophotograpfy.thanks in advance.
Hi Kristijan - that is a very loaded question! The setup for using an infinity corrected objective is a little more involved that using a finite objective. You can use the telephoto zoom lens you have, but there are better alternatives. I am going to be putting out a detailed video on this subject very soon. If you still have questions after watching that, let me know and I'll help you any way I can!
Hello there. What gear did use as in camera etc?.
I am pretty certain that I used a Nikon D850 DSLR camera with a Nikon CFI plan 10x microscope objective and a Raynox DCR-150 relay lens. This is my standard 10X setup.
4:15 Made my soda come out my nose.
When I saved my Output Images with Compression set to 0, they look awful. Should I always set Compression to 12?
Hi Cindy, I only save my outputs as TIFFs with no compression, but if I were saving JPEGs I would use the highest quality compression (12). Leaving the slider (in preferences/input/output) on 0 will yield the lowest quality, smallest images.
@@AllanWallsPhotography If you saved TIFFs with highest quality compression, would that result in higher quality, albeit larger files?
@@cindyclark3985 Very much so! The JPEG format removes a lot of data and is a destructive compression. You can never edit and re-save the JPEG without further degrading the quality of the image. As a TIFF, all the data is preserved, so you can take the output images into Photoshop, do what you need to do, and save the image with all the information intact. And you can do that as many times as you need, now and 5 years from now. The only time I use JPEGs is to post images that are final (but I keep the original TIFFs).
41:00 drops mic !
Greetings from Iran, and a Dentist
And the same to you, my friend!
can You show the set up
Hi Krisijan. Do you mean the camera and lighting setup? If you go to my RUclips channel I have several videos on how to set up the gear and take the images. This one should show you almost everything you need... ruclips.net/video/bVy8EvDx42E/видео.html
@@AllanWallsPhotography yes Allan. That's what I wanted. Ty
☕️👍
Great video Allan - I learned a few tips from your PS section. Have you compared using a mask in LR and doing a similar dodge and burn?
Also, are you familiar with Bugslabber plugin for ZS? billeldridge.com/bugslabber/? (freeware). I good friend of mine introduced me to the ZS plugin.
I use it for larger stacks where significant defocusing causes problems with stacking. It's very versatile and works well with ZS. I particularly use it for hairs or very fine detail such as with mosses/lichens where parts seems to be crossing into each other. For example, you can make any number of sub-stacks from the original and then stack those to get a tack sharp image.
Thanks again for sharing your knowledge and experience - Can't wait to see you next video!
Hi David. I very seldom use LR to dodge and burn. I just find it so much easier to separate the process into individual layers, non-destructively. And I am almost always going to be in PS for the final retouch, so I find it easier to do it there. I have heard about Bugslabber from others but have never used it. I love the concept and I'm very eager to see how it performs. I just downloaded it a moment ago. I'm always excited when I get to try new tools, and this plugin looks awesome! Thanks!
@@AllanWallsPhotography Hope it turns out to be another tool in your macrophotography-toolbox - Enjoy!
Would you do a video on how you use it in macros like this one? Sounds interesting!
@@renecastanedaonyoutube Hi Rene, yes, this is a useful tool and I will cover it in an upcoming video. Thanks for the suggestion!
that was funny...!
I also use Zerene Stacker and have been extremely happy with it. R Littlefield has also established a web site for macro/micro photography......."photomacrography.com" in which any who become a member(no experience required) can ask questions on all things macro. I tried Helicon Focus(which located in Ukraine) as well but was disappointed with their customer service.
Hey Terry... Yes, RL is the real thing. He is a great asset to the macro community. I have heard a lot of good things about the owner of Helicon, but I have never met him. I have been a member of photomacrography.com for quite some time - it is an excellent site.
I like my praying mantis deep fried...
Toluca until you crunch into something lol
Well, obviously! We all love them crispy!
Hi Allan you are a kind of man,I like you.Thanks and hope you don't spread another Wallasalln virus,
Hi Mario! Hope everything is under control in Malta. I'm doing everything I can to stay away from viruses!
@@AllanWallsPhotography Till now we have around 189 only till now which is a good number on what we are seeing in other countries. Take care
A dead insect
I just export from Lightroom as JPEG, then load into Zerene. Very simple!