Another attempt :)

Just bought that first macro lens? Post here to get helpful feedback and answers to any questions you might have.

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MedicineMan4040
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Another attempt :)

Post by MedicineMan4040 »

Well it wasn't the Tpulse setting, it's at 500msec and each capture is still taking 10-12 seconds :(
But that's OK, at least I'm imaging! This fly was brought to me by one of my interns...who know how long it had been dead. I tried all week to catch/trap a fly with no luck--used many types of bait. So I gave up an ordered 200 Blue Bottle Fly pupae :) But in the mean time this sad deceased specimen will have to do. Of interest, the pic I directly uploaded to this site does not look as good as the one on my Flickr page, the colors are far more muted here, what is up with that? Here is a link to the Flickr image for comparison
https://www.flickr.com/photos/medicinem ... ed-public/
Image

rjlittlefield
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Re: Another attempt :)

Post by rjlittlefield »

MedicineMan4040 wrote:Well it wasn't the Tpulse setting, it's at 500msec and each capture is still taking 10-12 seconds :(
To debug this problem, try disconnecting your camera from the StackShot, then running the StackShot through the process of "shooting" a stack. My guess is that it will take the same amount of time, in which case you'll know that the camera doesn't have anything to do with the timing, so you can concentrate on stepping through the StackShot's settings. Or if it takes a different amount of time, then that will mean there's some sort of feedback from camera to StackShot, and that will be very interesting!

If it is the StackShot, then try resetting the StackShot controller to factory settings. That can be done by following the procedure described on page 45 of the StackShot owner's manual, version 1.4:
With StackShot powered off, hold down the DOWN button, and apply power. Once the splash screen shows up, release the DOWN button. This will load the factory defaults. It will NOT erase your saved settings.
By the way, I'm assuming that you have the basic StackShot, not the StackShot 3X. I'm also assuming that you're controlling the StackShot with its own physical buttons, and not over USB from a computer using software.
Of interest, the pic I directly uploaded to this site does not look as good as the one on my Flickr page, the colors are far more muted here, what is up with that?
The image posted at photomacrography.net does not contain a color profile. My guess is that the image was originally in Adobe RGB or ProPhoto RGB or some other wide-gamut profile, and somehow in preparing the image for posting, the profile got stripped without converting the pixel values to sRGB. That might happen (I'm not sure) if an oversized image were uploaded to photomacrography.net, and the forum software automatically downsized it to 1024 pixels for you.

By the way, the image at Flickr is very orangish, not at all natural color for any fly I know. Did you happen to shoot it with tungsten-balanced illumination, but have the camera still set on daylight or flash?

--Rik

Pau
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Post by Pau »

Of interest, the pic I directly uploaded to this site does not look as good as the one on my Flickr page, the colors are far more muted here, what is up with that?
If I open your posted image in PS its color looks like at the Flickr's one, so this must be a color profile issue. Likely your image has been saved in a profile other than the internet default SRGB. To avoid this issue save the jpg image as SRGB. About sharpness, a good downsizing method (like PS bicubic) and some unsharp mask will help to show it closer to the original.
Pau

rjlittlefield
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Post by rjlittlefield »

Pau wrote:If I open your posted image in PS its color looks like at the Flickr's one, so this must be a color profile issue.
I am interested in this observation. When I do a File > Open on http://www.photomacrography.net/forum/u ... dace_1.jpg in my Photoshop CC 2014.2.2, the image comes in looking washed out like it does in my browser. At that point, Edit > Assign Profile reports "Don't Color Manage This Document", which I interpret to mean that the image does not contain a profile at all. If I change the setting to "Profile: ProPhoto RGB" then I can reproduce the appearance at Flickr. Setting it to Adobe RGB does not reproduce the appearance.

I'm wondering why you are seeing different behavior.

Is it possible that your PS is set to assume ProPhoto RGB if no profile is specified? (Check at Edit > Color Settings..., and see what is selected for RGB working space.)

--Rik

Pau
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Post by Pau »

Rik, thanks for asking, this has leaded me to redo and investigate it more slowly... and the conclusion is simple: I was mostly wrong :oops:

There is still some difference, at PS6 the colors look a bit more reddish and saturated (I had Adobe RGB as default profile) than at Firefox if I open the image without color management, but still much less satured and more washed than at Flickr.
If I set as you say ProPhoto RGB the image more closely matchs the Flickr's (but less sharp and the histogram doesn't full match).
Pau

MedicineMan4040
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Post by MedicineMan4040 »

Again thank you all for the assistance. I can see that every time I post up a learning spree will ensue....and in many areas; such as resizing in CS6, WB, and several tools for saturation.
Next stack I run will be following the directions you suggested. But until then here is 'Candace' resized and with an adjusted white balance. The image was still 'huge' as it is presented here on Photomacrography.net so I resized to 50%, appropriate? And I'm hoping the colors are more normal ?? Also now I notice my fly is 'dirty', in that I wish I could groom the bits of detritus away, thoughts on that?-

Image

MedicineMan4040
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Huge news !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Post by MedicineMan4040 »

Thank you R.Littlefield, your suggestions/directions on the resetting of the StackShot worked brilliantly. I just re-ran the stack and it took less than 4 minutes !!!!!!!!!!!
I also remembered this time to turn off my'focus' light and a lot of the orange glow was removed.
This is such an advance for my stacking frustration or lack thereof, in you debt.

MedicineMan4040
Posts: 30
Joined: Wed Jun 17, 2015 4:09 pm

Final image on Flickr

Post by MedicineMan4040 »

I won't waste bandwith here but the final image is on Flickr-
https://www.flickr.com/photos/medicinem ... ed-public/
It still has the 'orange' glow but I like the final outcome post some editing in CS6.
Thanks again for the assist.

rjlittlefield
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Post by rjlittlefield »

I'm glad to hear that the StackShot problem is now fixed.

As for cleaning, the simplest and only very effective way to get a clean fly is to catch a live fly, put it into a clean container, and let it groom itself. Then dispatch the specimen by freezing or chemicals, and be very careful to not contaminate it afterward. The mass of bristles found on most flies makes cleaning them with our crude tools almost impossible.

I very much like the image shown on Flickr.

The reason is completely unexpected: the shift to horizontal orientation, combined with the orange glow, combined with the out-of-focus lines in the background, work together to give me the impression of a vanquished warrier lying on the battlefield with a setting sun.

The image in this orientation strikes me as powerful and carefully composed, even though I know that in reality it's mostly just an early test shot.

Interesting!

--Rik

MedicineMan4040
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Thanks so much

Post by MedicineMan4040 »

No need to reply back but the difference in the stack is night and day! I wasn't frustrated before but for almost an hour we'd start the stack and run out of the room before it began (footsteps translating to vibration and camera shake) and only return when we sure it was over.
Now off looking for another insect to immortalize!

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