Extreme Close-Up Photography and Focus Stacking

This is a very well written and illustrated book on nature closeup photography covering equipment in part and techniques in detail. The how to aspect is the strongest aspect of this book. The author shows how to build pens or staging areas for small creatures for easily photographing them and then returning them unharmed back into their world. He illustrates how to easily do this in the field by the side of a creek or pond or other area. He even included a section on moth traps and other approaches to collecting insects to photograph.Where the book falls short, though is still OK, is with the equipment and setup for macro photography. He provides a great deal of information for someone with a point and shoot camera or what the author refers to as a "bridge" camera, and also on retrofitted or repurposed use of slide duplicators and microscope stands, but too little on the best approach to take with a modern digital SLR or mirrorless camera and the available flash and bellows systems. At this time there are also more options for Canon DSLR shooters than for people shooting with Nikon or other brands of cameras (as with astrophotography).For the DSLR owner there is little information on how to best configure a bellows or provide for using current macro lenses or small flash units for macro photography. There are some with very limited funds but others where the limitation is more one of time available for their hobby and spending cash is preferable if it provides for a shorter learning curve and more time actually taking pictures.The software section that covers focus stacking which is now possible in the digital era and it is very well written and current as of this date and would alone make this book a good buy.I have purchased over one hundred books on photography over the years and cannot recall one that was better written or illustrated or as informative on a specific area of photography as this one. Highly recommended regardless of your level of expertise or amount of experience.

Excellent for those, like me, starting out. Great explanation of lens options, accessories required, how to "make-do," using equipment from film era as well as current macro lens choices. Good discussion about how to progress beyond 1:1 macro using bellows, reversing rings, adapting other lenses including enlarger and microscope. Also good tips on setting up lighting and the many options. Similarly strong section on focus stacking and the software options. The author (wisely) assumes that most people are on limited budgets when starting out so gives very realistic advice. Final section on how to prepare for a shoot is great - specifics are given for plants, insects, animal etc examples. I found this an invaluable and inspiring book that has me clamouring to shoot greater than 1:1 macro. I know I will keep referring back to it on a regular basis. Very engaging and no-nonsense style with plenty of pictures to show set ups and specific gear. Thoroughly recommended.

I'm a total rookie to macro and feelI am off to a good start by benefitting from this writer's extensive experience. All very clear, and lots of references to suppliers of handy tools. Software is also very well covered, with pros and cons of available choices. Work flow suggestions.

This magnificent book, with magnificent photos not only covers macro photography but borders on Microscopy too. The advice on focus stacking is wonderful. And I really appreciated him touching on the mirrorless cameras, which are underrated by the big DSLR manufacturers. Overall, if you love macro and can only afford one book - buy THIS one.

Full of good tips and how-to instructions. Very technical for a beginner like me but has me itching to jump in with both feet using the gear I already have on hand. More lab oriented than studio oriented. Covers microscopy. Requires study, cross-referencing with other sources, thinking, and experimenting to fully understand the material and put it into practice.

Adequate info and detail good read goes deep into the subject all material aspects of the subject covered

Bountiful illustrations CLEARLY prove mastery of focus stacking of myriads of LIVE SUBJECTS.Complete & thorough presentation of isolating subjects and camera set ups using Stackshot.Limited on dead subject preparations.Also limited on use of wireless control of camera focusing for stacking. Zerene Stacker, in its white paper, states that changing focus has less artifacts than changing camera-lens positions (Stackshot)

I initially didn't buy the Kindle book because the sample section Kindle provides is nondescript and does not do justice to the book. I later changed my mind and bought the book anyway and was so very glad that I did. The book is very detailed, well written and does provide the specifics that many books are lacking.

Extreme close-up photography is a real challenge for anyone starting out. I started with a macro lens but I soon realised that natural light was quite limiting with regard to speed and depth of field. Talking to others who take images of insects etc. you realise that this is a whole new field of photography that needs some consideration. I have purchased a few books on the subject but I think this is by far the most comprehensive. It is clearly set out and covers every type of situation that you can imaging. In short this is a terrific book and I doubt that you would need another one.

This wee book gives a very clear review of amateur micro-photomicrography. The description and use of cheap second hand enlarger lenses , on cheap second hand bellows is excellent. High grade micro-photography, mostly on the cheap.The comparisons between the "free" stacking software with the "professional" variety is balanced , and , in my experience accurate. The balance between the excellent , but, often "unstable" and poorly supported "free" software and the excellent, but, overly costly windows programs is excellent. A summary might be, "If you like it, and can live with the occasional work around, use it, If not, pay for it." This is only book to review the free, (and excellent), "Picolay" stacker.The Book does not cover photo-microscopy, leaving the reader to contact the excellent Quekett club for advice. Perhaps the author could produce a version of this book for photo-microscopy.

Superb! An in depth study of macro-photography and techniques of shooting for image stacks. It differs from the run of photo "how to" books in that this written by a specialist in the techniques rather than a general photographer hopping from one area to another, and that really shines through in the range and variety of techniques and the descriptions of cheap equipment that can be put together for use in the field or studio. The description of how to make glass tanks of various sizes and designs to hold minute arthropods is of enormous practical value. The numerous superb photos testify to the success of these techniques and the book easy to read and understand.I think he is wrong on one point - dismissing hand-held shots for stacking. I have seen superb stacked images from a hand-held camera and Cremona's assertion that it's not feasible because all the images need to be aligned fails to take account of Photoshop's "Align stack" command (which may or may not be matched in other stacking programs). While making stacks using a rail is probably ideal, shooting rapid bursts handheld may prove the only practical option for some subjects in the field.I got the electronic version and red it on my computer screen. I'm not sure if the images would display very well on a small kindle reader but they are okay on my screen..

A good book and I have learned a lot from it. Worth buying if you are in to close up photography.

I found this ebook vary informative and enjoyed it very muchAs a beginner to macro photography this was vary helpfulThank you.Will start my adventure soon.Geoff Burch.