THE SETUP TETHERED FOCUS STACKING
Here’s how to prepare your camera and laptop to shoot for a focus stack
01 TRIPOD
We need to shoot a series of shots in perfect alignment, so the camera needs to stay perfectly still. As such, a tripod is crucial. We used a gimbal head, which has a sliding tripod plate, allowing us to shift between sets for a macro panorama.
02 WINDOW LIGHT
This project is best done indoors, as a gust of wind can cause the flower to shift position. Window light is ideal for macro photography, resulting in soft, diffused illumination that gently reveals the textures and details in the flowers.
03 USB CABLE
We need to attach our camera to a computer, or laptop, with a USB cable (or use Wi-fi if your camera can). This way, we can use the Helicon Remote app to control the camera. Most cameras come with a USB cable for this purpose.
04 HELICON FOCUS
You’ll need to install Helicon Focus and Remote (download a free 30 day trial from www.heliconsoft.com/software-downloads). We can use Helicon Remote to set the closest and farthest point of focus, then set it to shift the focus point between frames.
05 FLOWER
A flower makes for a wonderful subject for this kind of project, but you could use this technique on anything you like. Whatever object you choose, make sure it’s fastened in place as subject movement – even tiny vibrations – can spoil the focus stack.
06 CAMERA AND LENS
A macro lens is crucial for proper close-ups. We used the Canon EF 100mm f/2.8l Macro IS to capture subjects at a 1:1 ratio – so the object is projected at life-size on the camera sensor. We shot in Manual mode for consistency, and at 0.6 secs, f/11, ISO200.