I decided to try something new yesterday so I broke out the macro lens and had a shot at focus stacking. This is a technique used to generate sharp, close-up images with depth of field far larger than you could get with a single shot. You take multiple images of the subject focusing a different distance from the lens in each one then use software to blend the pictures together and pick only the sharpest pieces. The result is a single image which is sharp from front to back.
My subject here was a wilted sunflower and this image was built from 8 original exposures. I didn’t get it quite right but the final result is definitely heading in the right direction. I did learn why a focus rail would be a good addition to my collection of gear, though!
For the technically inclined...