Parsnip Seed 2.5x

[LittleBits]

Hi everyone,
I have been enjoying this site for some time and decided to finally de-lurk.
This is my first post as well as my first crack at focus stacking. A parsnip seed taken with a Nikon D810 and Laowa 25mm f2.8 2.5-5x lens @2.5x. Diffused Nikon SB-800 flash and bounced light off white printing paper.
ISO 160, 1/160 sec. flash output 1/4. I used a 000 black insect pin to gently stick the back of the seed and stuck the other end of the pin in black velvet covered foam.
67 images loaded into Lightroom, tweaked a little, then sent to Zerene Stacker. I ran both Dmap and Pmap, to me the Dmap looked little better.
This was a lot of fun!
Critiques and helpful advice are welcome.

[rjlittlefield]

Welcome aboard!

The seed looks great. This is a perfect sort of subject for DMap because there are no foreground/background overlaps to cause problems.

With such a dark background, you'll find it simpler to set the contrast threshold slider if you change the DMap mask color to something lighter, as discussed HERE.

--Rik

[LittleBits]

Hi Rik,
Thanks so much for your reply and advice on changing the DMap mask color for dark backgrounds, that will definitely be a help. I'm just at the beginning of the learning curve here but it's going to be a fun ride. I found Zerene easy to use and I was very happy my first stack went so smoothly. Lisa

[Sym P. le]

Your lighting is excellent given the raised perimeter of the seed. You've managed to minimize the rim shadow while still allowing the topology of the central region of interest to show up. Great image!

[LittleBits]

Hi Sym P. le,

Thank you so much for your wonderful compliment on the lighting! It turned out pretty close to what I was aiming for - soft and subtle but yet still show the gentle contours. I'm still figuring it all out and it's nice to know I'm on the right track!

Lisa

[Beatsy]

A perfectly competent stack, nicely processed, what's not to like? A pleasing image.

One observation on light direction(s). The lighting looks a smidge "halloween" to me due to a slight emphasis of light from above *and* below. Nothing wrong with that, it's subtle, but just noting it. But if this same image is rotated 90 degrees clockwise so the brighter lighting appears to be from the sides, it looks more "naturally" lit to me. I'm not saying that's a better thing either, but it does change the look-and-feel quite noticeably.

[Sym P. le]

An interesting note on lighting direction Beatsy. In my early days and by necessity, I frequently lit images from one side by deflecting the built in flash.
This seamed most natural while having the effect of exposing surface contours that quickly wash out with multidirectional lighting. I agree that top down lighting somehow lends an eerie tone to the subject.

[LittleBits]

Thanks for your input, Beatsy. Your tip about the direction of the lighting is really helpful. I went back and rotated the image as you suggested, I see exactly what you mean about the side lighting being more natural and pleasing, it really is subtle. I don't think I would have picked up on that if you hadn't pointed it out to me.