Previously The Doc missed some shots but today everything went as expected, confirming he now has good in field technique when using the Post Focus feature on the Panasonic G9, even the hand-held shots worked today. The images are between 30 and 75 frames stacked into one image. Click on the images to see full size.
The Doc has been working on a new way to image stack in the field. He is using the Post focus feature on a Panasonic G9. Here are some of the sample images from recent field testing. Most images have somewhere between 17 and 50 images stacked together. The images are so sharp, that they look fake. The Doc is trying to soften the images in post-processing to make them look more realistic. Click on the images to see full size.
The Doc’s last trip visited Central NSW and Outback Queensland to visit an AWC Sanctuary and visit collections of dinosaur fossils.
Part 1 concerns NSW, the Report is here.
It is been a while since The Doc’s last update, the to-do list was fairly long after the last trip. Sometimes blogging must wait.
One thing The Doc been working on is a quicker way to create focus stacked images in the field. This is primarily aimed at textures like bark, leaves, flowers, etc. The Doc is now using the Post Focus feature in a Panasonic Lumix G9 camera using an Olympus 30mm or 60mm macro lens.
The Post Focus feature can be used for focus stacking. Post Focus is a two-stage process. After placing the camera in Post Focus mode and pressing the shutter release the camera finds all the focus points in the image and then takes a 6K video of all those focus points. The process takes about 2 seconds after pressing the shutter release. The lens must be in autofocus mode.
You can stack images in-camera using the G9’s touch screen or use a program like Helicon Focus. I created some images from a recent visit to Mount Annan Botanic Gardens, The Doc used Helicon Focus in post processing (Helicon imports the 6K video then creates a super sharp focus stack). It was a windy that day limiting my subjects to barks from the Corymbia family. Below are a few images (click on image to see full size). This is a link to a 3D video of the one of the stacks, here.
A few photos from Lorella Spring Station, from places like Snapping Handbag Billabong, Gateway Gorge and Teardrop Gorge. Photos taken in the dry season. At the end of the wet these places are accessible by helicopter only.
The Gulf has very unusual cloud formations, on occasions, The Doc got a few images of where two airstreams met creating an unusual pattern (with some other textures from Lorella). Click to see full size image.
New report of the textures of the Northern Territory has been posted, here.
The trip to The Kimberley also included The Pilbara, where iron ore mining occurs on an industrial scale. At Port Headland, 6 bulk ore carriers are loaded at once (more now as the terminal has expanded) and over 20 ore carriers are moored off the port awaiting their turn. Trains bring the iron ore to the port – trains 495 carriages long!
Port Dampier near Karratha is the other large port. It is not as big as Port Headland but impressive nonetheless.
The Pilbara has amazing textures, heavily influenced by the abundant iron in the rocks. So many things are red, the rocks, the sand, the dust and the visitors. The red is caused by the oxidation of the iron in the rocks. Who said you cannot bend rock?
The Pilbara also had some interesting barks, distinctly different from the Kimberley. Enjoy.
The outstanding textures of Boudii National Park is the sandstone, but the barks aren’t bad either. Enjoy.
The Doc visited North Head (near Manly) today to photograph the wildflowers. Here is a selection.
Another tree from Cocos Islands, the Sea Almond. A rare treat indeed, a tropical plant that is deciduous.
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