Macro photography by definition means extremely shallow depth of field. We are so conditioned to see out of focus backgrounds behind small subjects that it seems natural and correct. In fact, though, shallow DOF is a man-made construct due to the limitations of optics. Our eyes never see out of focus backgrounds. If you were to have a close encounter with this rhinoceros beetle, the background wouldn't be soft at all. I photographed the beetle using focus stacking so the entire insect would be sharp. I then composited a background scene of the Brazilian rainforest to create a look that is very different from what we are used to in the macro realm. I used an f/8 lens aperture for the beetle, and Photoshop combined the 12 frames that comprised the focus stack. To make the precise selection around the insect, I used the pen tool. The beetle was about 2 inches long, but the low angle makes it look a lot bigger.
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