Macro Photography & Focus Stacking

This is what happens inside a watch movement when a macro lens is pointed at it — every gear, jewel, and spring rendered in razor-sharp detail across the entire frame. That level of clarity doesn't come from a single exposure. It comes from a technique called focus stacking, and at July's Image Creatives meeting, you're going to learn exactly how it's done.

What We're Covering

Macro photography opens a world most viewers have never seen, but it comes with a fundamental physics problem: the closer you focus, the shallower your depth of field becomes — until even a single gear tooth falls out of focus. Kevin Boller of Insight Image Studio will walk through the complete solution, from lens choice to final export.

Topics include:

• What defines macro photography and why depth of field collapses at close range
• Dedicated macro lenses vs. extension tubes vs. close-up filters — the real tradeoffs
• Camera settings for sharp captures at extreme magnification
• How focus stacking works and when to use it
• Manual vs. automated stack capture techniques
• Helicon Focus rendering methods (Method A, B, and C) — when to use each
• Photoshop stacking workflow for Adobe users
• Live tethered demo — full stack captured and processed in real time

All Image Creatives members welcome. Come hungry — it's Mission BBQ.