Post Focus & Focus Stacking
Just posted my latest YouTube episode on Post Focus and Focus Stacking
Kingfishers of Keoladeo National Park
On this very short visit to India, my wife and I spent three days in Bharatpur, Rajasthan at the Keoladeo National Park to photograph wildlife. These three images are of the three species of Kingfisher that can be found in the region this time of year. The Stork-billed and Black-capped are known to be around but I have not been lucky to ever see or photograph them. Of the three, the Common Kingfisher is the most elusive and least common. The White-throated is easy to find and easy to photograph. The Pied kingfisher can be seen at many locations but is very elusive for photography. It hovers with a very rapid wing beat so requires high very shutter speed.For these three days, I used the Panasonic Lumix G9 with the Leica 100 - 400mm lens and the Leica 200 mm f/2.8 and the 1.4X tele-extender. I can not say enough about how much I enjoyed this kit and its performance truly excels.
Space Coast Wildlife & Birding Festival 2018 - last post
This Roseate was in good light and I liked it as a square crop. The image of the Pin-tail pair was another digiscope image that has been cropped for composition. 
The Luna Moth - albeit not in a natural environment the moth stayed on the gymnasium wall at Eastern Florida State College for hours. Used the 30mm macro on the G9 handheld and I continue to be impressed with the IBIS. The 30mm macro is currently discounted and available for under $300.
Panasonic Lumix Post Focus Stack vs. Racked Focus Stacking
This comparison was done using the in camera "Post Focus" feature of the Lumix GX85 for one image and an automated focus rack of the same number of images (40 total) as RAW files. The "Post Focus" video was rendered into an image sequence using Photoshop and the output files were generated as TIFF. Both sequences were stacked using Helicon Focus using the Depth Map option for stacking. Each stack was saved as a TIFF file. The images were cropped to proportion and exported using Lightroom. Both stacks are excellent, further validating the viability of the "Post Focus" capability of Lumix cameras. The lens used was the Lumix H-HS030 30mm f/2.8 macro at f/4.0, ISO 200, 1/100 sec.Please click on the images for a larger view.
Winter Storm Nika Forces Indoor Photography
We have about 10 inches of snow, but with the rain the snow is is getting packed down and getting heavier by the minute. It's just not conducive for any outdoor winter photography so decided to play with some water drops. Using a TriggerTrap V1 hooked up to a Nissen 866 flash head, Rogue gels, a dropper and a pan of water. Flash set at 1/64 power backlighting the water drop through an acrylic panel. Camera at ISO 100, aperture f/10 in Bulb mode.
Comments from this weekend's Macro and Close-up workshop participants
I would like to express my sincerest thanks to all the participants who attended the workshop this weekend. Most of all thanks for your wonderful comments - I am glad you all came away with something of value from the session.Comments from the participants:Shiv is a very knowledgeable photography instructor. He presents his material so that everyone can understand the concepts. He was very thorough and open to answering students' questions. He gave out a lot of useful, practical information that was well worth the price of the course.This workshop was fantastic. I would recommend it to anyone that wants to learn about Macro or Micro Photography.Nothing beats this small group format for a workshop. It really provides a one on one feeling in addition to getting to practice what you learned with your peers. All this plus having someone there with Shiv's expertise to answer and questions, which he encourages you to ask, makes for a great learning experience. I would do this again in a heartbeat. -MattThis workshop was very informative from the presentation right through to the hands on. Shiv's skill as a workshop leader comes with his ability to articulate difficult concepts in a way for the lay person to understand. I highly recommend!!The information flowed well-the presentation was easy to follow. hands on with instructor assistance was outstanding. I would attend another seminar/workshop by Shiv any time. Bob B.Your work lead me to believe that I could learn something from you. Just didn't realize how much. You packed a lot into this workshop....well worth the price.Really enjoyed this and would do it again in a heartbeat.After attending many workshops, this is one of the best. Concepts around macro shooting are difficult to understand and your examples were clear and helped me immensely! I truly appreciate your ability to articulate a concept clearly and concisely. Thanks for a great day...inviting house, lunch and lots of things to work on!I particularly like how other participants more experienced help out those with less. I felt people were not intimated at all and were free to acknowledge their weaknesses and learn...you helped a great deal with that by announcing that no question was weak...everyone learns something.Depending on one's own level of experience...more experienced photographer will get more and those with less, get less but everyone comes away with something...a sign of success in my book. No presenter can meet everyone's needs but can make an impact even in a small way.The presentation included a lot more detail and information than I expected.
Macro and Close-up Workshop on March 11 is now full.
The March Macro and Close-up workshop is now full. I may consider another one in the spring. If you are interested please let me know via email s.verma@me.com.
Looking Back at 2011
2011 was an interesting year in a lot of respects. Most important and foremost I would like to thank all of you who participated in my photo tours, educational workshops and one-on-one lessons. I would also like to thank all my photography clients both individuals and corporations and my sponsors, you have all been fantastic and I look forward to your continued support in the coming years.I truly enjoyed meeting and making new friends and the process of learning from each other. The incredible experiences in Florida, Alaska, Colorado, Cape Cod, Maine, and New Hampshire and all the one day trips in and around Massachusetts will never be forgotten.After many months of planning the 2012 schedule is about ready to be published. Most significant are the photo tours and workshops to India in February, Florida for another great bird photograpy workshop in March, Smokeys in the Spring - this starts the year. Keep an eye out for details and more information as we post it in the workshop pages on this blog.Also planned are a number of one and two day sessions for macro, lighting, composition, Lightroom and Photoshop training. As always, customized one-on-one programs are also available.None of this would have been possible without the incredible amount of planning and organizing by my photograpy partner and loving wife - thank you M.
My Halloween Pennant wins a Tamron 90mm F2.8 Macro
I submitted my Halloween Pennant image to a macro image competition conducted by Mike Moats a professional photographer who also presented at the PSA conference this year and sponsored by Tamron. The image won and Tamron will be shipping me the lens soon I hope. Feeling good..........Here is the image:
Macro and Close-up Photography Workshop - Update
The August 20th workshop was a small group and provided the attendees a lot of personalized attention. The use of focus stacking was a great hit. Next is a one-on-one all day session with one of my worship attendees from last month. Looking forward to that.
Rose - A 24 Image Focus Stack at f 2.8
Here is a survey comment from one of my participants:
"Shiv is an excellent instructor, knows how to make concepts understandable, and is extremely knowledgeable. No matter what level of photography you are at, he will make sure you you grasp what he is presenting. He uses simple exercises to illustrate the effects he presents so you fully see the reasoning behind his instruction."
Back in Massachusetts after a great Alaskan Photo Tour
What an absolutely awesome trip - the weather was not the best but then that is what one has to expect this time of year. The Costal Brown Bears, Grizzlies, Whales and Wild Flowers were phenomenal as were many species of sea birds and sea mammals. Just started looking through a few images.
ALASKA 2011 Photo Tour
Will be leaving for Alaska tomorrow June 23 for a 20 day photo tour to ALASKA. Keep your eye out for images and announcements for two Alaska workshops/tours in 2012.