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| Simple but elegant. Trying out the new Focus Bracketing feature on my Fujifilm X-T2 (click to enlarge) 16-55mm f/2.8 lens @ 55mm; 1/15th sec. @ f/11; ISO 200; 10 images merged |
The other day Fujifilm released another new major firmware update, v4.0, and one of the new features included was Focus Bracketing. For those who may not be familiar with this feature, Focus Bracketing allows you to make a final composite image with extreme depth of field.
Focus Bracketing allows you to set the camera to automatically make a series of images at increasingly farther focusing distances. You focus on the nearest thing in the frame you want in focus and the camera will change focusing distance between each shot. Ideally, the last exposure you will have the farthest thing in the frame in focus. The end result is that you will have several images focused at different distances that can be later merged so your final image has everything in focus. Extreme depth of field.
There are three parameters you can set in the Fujifilm version of this feature (I also have had this feature on my Olympus cameras for some time). You can set a) the total number of images you want to make, b) how much focus distance change between each image and c) how much time to allow in-between each exposure. In my little experiment, I set the camera to make 10 images, distance set to 5 (on a scale from 1 to 10) and have them made 1 second apart so as to allow the camera to settle down from any potential vibration in-between exposures.
I'm hoping I've been clear and those of you who may not be familiar with this feature now have a bit of understanding.
For my experiment, I wanted to find out how well the new Focus Bracketing feature worked so I picked this peony blossom from my backyard and set up a very easy and rudimentary scene in which to photograph it. Here is what I did:
1) I used a desk chair and placed a piece of cardboard on the seat for stability and to ensure the base was level. I moved the chair next to a window (south facing but it was a fully overcast day; If it were sunny, I would have used a north window) so diffused, even light would fall upon the subject from the side to give the blossom some texture.
2) I threw a piece of black velvet cloth I've been using for about 40 years over the chair back and seat.
3) I then set the vase and flower about 6 inches from the back of the chair.
4) I set my camera on a tripod, composed, manually set my exposure according to my histogram.
5) I set the parameters for focus bracketing with a 2-second initial delay. I would experiment with different numbers of exposures and different focus changes.
6) I then made several series of images trying to determine how many images would be required to cover the depth of field needed and what focus distance changes (1-10) would be appropriate to cover the depth of the flower.
7) One other thing. In regards to that little bud on the left of the blossom? In my initial series of images, it could not be seen. I thought I would add a little fill light so it could "just" be present. I wanted both options. Later I would decide which version I liked better. What sophisticated fill light did I use? A piece of white printer paper that I would hold up to the left side at a short distance to reflect a little light on the bud.
Also, to achieve proper white balance in editing, I merely set this same piece of white paper against the black velvet and made an exposure as a reference then used that frame to set my white balance in Lightroom.
8) During editing, I examined the first and last image in each series to find out if the entire blossom was in focus. I took the one I liked the best, sent the files to Helicon Focus 6 to merge the 10 images together, then Lightroom and Photoshop to further edit them.
The whole thing took about 15 minutes to set up and photograph and another 20 minutes to edit and produce a final result. I guess I had less than 30 minutes invested in the entire process.
The image at the top is one of the results. Several series of focus bracketed images did not quite achieve the desired result as the far portions of the blossom were not in sharp focus. I would make a series, then change focus bracketing parameters, then make another series so I could better understand what each change would do. Experimentation is necessary.
Over the past many years, I have used Focus Bracketing many times mostly in a manual way since my cameras didn't have any automated function. I used it manually mostly for landscape photography. My recent automated use was mostly for macro or close-up photography.
Focus bracketing is a very helpful function—when you need it. The hard part is understanding the changes in focusing distance and how that correlates to the 1-10 scale you are given. Of course, the reason that you can't set a specific distance as macro distances and how they relate to depth of field are so much different than landscape differences and needed depth of field. You just have to experiment and take notes for future reference.
Hope this was helpful.
Thanks for looking. Enjoy!
Dennis A. Mook
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