May, 2017 - David Mathre Photography

Saturday (13-May-2017) — New Jersey

Photography Techniques — Focus Stacking.

I have been using Helicon Focus to make composite focus stacked images for several years. It is great for doing macro images with much more depth of field than can be done with single images. I spent the day doing some focus stacked images on some small cactus flowers. The images were taken with a Nikon Df camera and 105 mm f/2.8 VR macro lens. The camera was set up on a tripod on with a linear tracking head. The first set was with 13 images, in 5 mm intervals — which wasn’t enough. The second set was 24 images over 9 cm. That one looked better. I then added a TCE-3 III teleconverter (converting the focal length to 210 mm). The camera was set closer and did 33 images over 9 cm. The slide-show below shows all of the images. It includes one image from each set at a single distance. To see the individual images check here

Friday (12-May-2017) — New Jersey

Backyard Springtime Nature in New Jersey.

After several days of cold, cloudy skies, and rain things cleared up for a bit. The clouds turned pink at dawn (only for an instant). Later on I saw a robin hunting in my backyard. It found a caterpillar for breakfast. One less butterfly this year… (check out a similar image from three years ago 03-May-2014). I took a cluster of rhododendron flowers inside to practice focus stacking. It was too difficult outside with the wind moving the flowers. I used a 9-cm focus rack. For the first two, the images were taken after adjusting the camera in 0.5 cm increments. For the third one, the camera was adjusted 6 cm in 1 mm increments. The images were processed using Helicon Focus (ver. 5.3) software. Let me know if you like method A (weighted average), B (depth map), or C (pyramid) for processing the images

Pink clouds at dawn from my back door. Spring in New Jersey. Image taken with a Leica T camera and 11-23 mm lens (ISO 100, 11 mm, f/3.5, 1/50 sec). (David J Mathre) — Pink clouds at dawn from my back door. Image taken with a Leica T camera and 11-23 mm lens (ISO 100, 11 mm, f/3.5, 1/50 sec). (David J Mathre)

Robin with a caterpillar. One less butterfly this year. Spring in New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon N1 V3 camera and 70-300 mm VR lens (ISO 160, 300 mm, f/5.6, 1/500 sec). (David J Mathre) — Robin with a caterpillar. One less butterfly this year. Image taken with a Nikon N1 V3 camera and 70-300 mm VR lens (ISO 160, 300 mm, f/5.6, 1/500 sec). (David J Mathre)

Individual images from the slideshow can be viewed here.

Four-Years Ago (12-May-2013) — France

Gone to See Europe. Semester at Sea Spring 2013 Enrichment Voyage on the MV Explorer. Ultimate Travel Photography Workshop IV with Michael Mariant. Day 16: Paris, France.

The day started at the Versailles Palace where it was way too crowded inside the Palace so I spent my time in the outdoor garden. Then back to the Paris to tour the Opera House. I ended the day with an impromptu Photowalk with the Photographer Thomas Paris who I have known since Patagonia at Parc de Bercy where we saw a Young Girl on a Kick-Scooter, and a Capoeria Performance.

Gilded Gold Fence at the Versailles Palace. Image taken with a Nikon N1 V2 camera at 6.7-13 mm VR lens (ISO 160, 6.7 mm, f/7, 1/1600 sec). (David J. Mathre)

Statue and Sunburst in the Palace of Versailles Gardens. Image taken with a Leica X2 camera (ISO 100, 24 mm, f/16, 1/320 sec). NIK Silver Efex Pro. (© 2013 David J Mathre) — Statue and Sunburst in the Palace of Versailles Gardens. Image taken with a Leica X2 camera (ISO 100, 24 mm, f/16, 1/320 sec). NIK Silver Efex Pro. (David J Mathre)

Bronze Statue Feet, Stairway at the Paris Opera House. Image taken with a Leica X2 camera (ISO 800, 24 mm, f/2.8, 1/30 sec). In camera conversion to B&W. (Photographer) — Bronze Statue Feet, Stairway at the Paris Opera House. Image taken with a Leica X2 camera (ISO 800, 24 mm, f/2.8, 1/30 sec). In camera conversion to B&W. (David J Mathre)

Bronze Foot of the Stairway. Paris Opera House. Image taken with a Leica X2 camera (ISO 800, 24 mm, f/2.8, 1/30 sec). Capture One Pro 7 conversion to B&W. (Photographer) — Bronze Foot of the Stairway. Paris Opera House. Image taken with a Leica X2 camera (ISO 800, 24 mm, f/2.8, 1/30 sec). Capture One Pro 7 conversion to B&W. (David J Mathre)

Young Girl on a Kick-Scooter in Parc de Bercy. Late Spring Photowalk in Paris. Image taken with a Leica X2 camera (ISO 100, 24 mm, f/11, 1/15 sec). Semester at Sea Spring 2013 Enrichment Voyage. (David J. Mathre)

Click on the above image to access the individual images in the slideshow.

Today (11-May-2017) — New Jersey

Spring flowers in my backyard. I am not sure of the identification of the white, yellow, orange, blue, and purple ones. Any help with the ID is appreciated. The red flower is an Italian or crimson clover (Trifolium incarnatum), a perennial from the wildflower mix that I planted last year. I remember it was one of the first to show up at that time.

Italian Clover, crimson clover (Trifolium incarnatum). Backyard spring nature in New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon Df camera and 105 mm f/2.8 VR macro lens (ISO 100, 105 mm, f/8, 1/125 sec). (David J Mathre)

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One-Year Ago (11-May-2016) — New Jersey

Backyard Springtime Nature in New Jersey.

Flowers, some are native wildflowers, some are seeded wildflowers. The mushrooms are native and some of them are being guarded by one of my trolls.

Wasp in a white flower. Backyard spring nature in New Jersey. Image taken with a Fuji X-T1 camera and 60 mm f/2.4 macro lens (ISO 200, 60 mm, f/11, 1/320 sec). (David J Mathre)

Troll guarding mushrooms. Backyard spring nature in New Jersey. Image taken with a Fuji X-T1 camera and 60 mm f/2.4 macro lens (ISO 200, 60 mm, f/2.4, 1/2000 sec). (David J Mathre)