Sometimes my clients have a need to shoot very small products or components. This involves macro photography, which is just a fancy way of saying shooting "up close" photographs at high magnification. There are some optical limitations that come into play that can and should be overcome. The most obvious is what we photographers call shallow depth of field. This means that although one part of the photograph is in focus it is nearly impossible to bring the whole product into focus in one shot. As you can see by the side by side photographs displayed on this page, the front edge of the computer chip on the left is in focus, but as you move towards the back edge of the chip the image quickly goes out of focus. By using what is called "focus stacking" it is possible to create a photo with the entire image in sharp focus from front to back (as demonstrated by looking at the image on the right). A series of photographs is taken with each photo focused on a slightly different portion of the subject, from front edge to back edge. These photos (usually anywhere from 4 to 10) are then composted and blended together in Photoshop. It's a great way to produce an image that possesses all the fine details necessary to display your product in all its glory.

So if you find yourself needing a photographic service such as this please don't hesitate to contact Rick Starkman Photography.