I couldn't use my usual macro set up as this was far too large to get the whole thing in frame so I changed to a Sigma 28-80mm macro zoom lens used on the macro setting. That turned out to be just right. The stalk was held on a retort stand and clamp in the kitchen. Lighting was part daylight from the window on the left and an LED lamp above and to the right. ISO was wound down to 100 and five focus stacked photos taken.
These were processed in Zerene Stacker to produce:
It was quite a problem to stop the lighter parts being blown out so the above photo had the highlights reduced and the darker areas lightened a bit:
All that was left to do was to get a smoother background. I was going to use Photo Scissors to cut out the subject but it looked like taking well over an hour to tidy things up by hand round all the fiddly bits so I plonked it in Serif Affinity Photo and used a clone brush to copy various bits of the background over the parts I wanted to hide. A quick crop left me with a result I am fairly pleased with. One head of Wheat (I hope):
Another crop grown widely in Lincolnshire is oilseed rape. I was just reading about a local farmer who has beaten the world oilseed rape yield record. I found it an interesting read and the article can be found on the Farmers Weekly site.
Yes it's wheat and very good it looks. Rye and Barley are the hard ones to tell apart as they both have long whiskers.
ReplyDeleteAdrian: Looking good especially as that came from the edge of the field amongst the weeds.
DeleteNice result, John. Sounds like you've become a whiz with all th photo editing software. Very time consuming as you say but always a challenge I'm sure. I'm familiar with the clone stamp one and find it useful but that's about as far as I go ;-)
ReplyDeleteShirley. Thank you. Sometimes it's nice to show something as a specimen.
DeleteMy Finepix JX200 my sister gave me to try out is hopeless! Just like my mobile phone, it can't focus.
ReplyDeleteSimon. I tend to feel like that with a change of camera. They take some practice to get used to them.
DeleteThat wheat ear is very beautiful - I would hand that picture on my wall any day John. We have little or no wheat round here.
ReplyDeleteWeaver: Wheat and oilseed rape seem to be the main crops round here. At one time peas were favourite which was great for a bit of gleaning when they had finished cropping.
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