Study in Moss & Lichen...Stack VS Unstack

beetleman · Post by **beetleman** » Thu Nov 16, 2006 7:25 pm

This is a picture on a section of tree bark with lots of life on it. There are at least three types of lichen and Some beautiful moss all in this small area...FOV is 2.5"-3". First picture is standard, I focused on the moss in the center and I liked the way it came out, but i wanted it all. The next day I took my tripod to work and decided to do a stack of the same area. Actually the second stacked picture is a little bit closer than the first. A stack of 11 pictures with Helicon Focus. Notice the hairy fungus lower left.

1/40
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Mike B in OKlahoma · Post by **Mike B in OKlahoma** » Thu Nov 16, 2006 8:56 pm

What a riot of colors! I am a blind-butt, but I don't get which is the hairy fungus....

beetleman · Post by **beetleman** » Thu Nov 16, 2006 9:44 pm

Hi Mike. I probably should say fuzzy..not hairy. In the second picture ,you have the moss in the middle, the green lichen to the left of the moss, look at the lichens lower edge and you can see the fuzzy stuff which almost follows the crack in the bark to the bottom of the picture.

rjlittlefield · Post by **rjlittlefield** » Thu Nov 16, 2006 9:53 pm

Just gotta love that stacking technology, don't you?

Your little chunk of ecosystem is pretty cool too!

--Rik

beetleman · Post by **beetleman** » Fri Nov 17, 2006 4:27 am

Thanks guys, why settle for moss when you can have the whole enchalada. I notice the moss has re-hydrated itself with all the rain we are having.

Ken Ramos · Post by **Ken Ramos** » Fri Nov 17, 2006 5:03 am

Nice photograph there Doug. The hairy fungus, that Mike "blind-butt"

cannot see, is sort of obscure, if you don't know what you are looking for but I too eventually found it. I have read that certain fungi are benificial to the plants that they thrive on or around, especially around the roots of the plant but with all those lichens, one has to wonder if that is really a benifical fungi or an ascomycete, a parasite of the algae, which too is probably living there.

Cyclops · Post by **Cyclops** » Fri Nov 17, 2006 9:08 am

I wonder if that fuzziness is an artifact of the stacking process, as it should also show in the first pic if its an actuall fungal growth(mold?)

rjlittlefield · Post by **rjlittlefield** » Fri Nov 17, 2006 9:35 am

Cyclops,

Good eyes, good question! But I'd give very good odds that the fuzz is real. Without getting into gory details, I'll just say that it doesn't have the appearance of any stacking artifact I've ever seen, and that part of the subject doesn't have the structural features that cause problems for stacking. I think the explanation lies in what Doug said about going back the "next day". We're seeing a day's growth in the fuzz. Look at the moss, and you'll see significant change in that too.

--Rik

Cyclops · Post by **Cyclops** » Fri Nov 17, 2006 9:49 am

Either way its a neat pic, and a great way of boosting DOF