I’d love to hear everyone’s thoughts on people using AI to build alternatives to Adobe’s creative apps. What could this mean for photographers, especially those of us shooting macro? Would you trust an app built with AI to edit your images or handle focus stacking? Would your decision come down to how it was created, or the quality of its results? And where do you think the legal boundaries are? Could recreating features lead to lawsuits, or does it depend on whether someone copies code, branding or the interface? I’ve used AI to create a focus-stacking app myself, which got me wondering how far I could take it. Could I build a video-editing app too? What’s stopping more of us from creating tools tailored to our own workflows? Would you try an AI-built alternative, or stick with established software? I’d be interested to hear your thoughts and experiences! 🔍

Because of the high temperatures during the heat wave earlier in the year, this beetle succumbed to the high 40s that we had in the greenhouse and I’d forgotten that I’d kept him until today. I did a couple of stacks with auto function on the Z9 but this was a 40 shot stack done with a focus rail and the 2:1 100mm laowa lens. Obviously in hindsight I should have probably done double that amount but I can do that next time

There were many of them, heading up a tree towards some mushrooms. No chance of getting a stack. This single shot turned out nicely, though. @Peter Boswell (following up your impressive stack of the same species w/ purple highlights).

Weather not too good today so thought I would give focus stacking (focus shift) ago on my Nikon 7ii. Not quite sure why they decided to turn the monitor off during the process. Used a tripod, and stacked in Helicon Focus 8. Highlight of the week was watching the image being built!! Any advice / feedback more than welcome. Nikon 7ii Nikon 105mm lens + Raynox 250 Off camera flash with a softbox. 200 images (probably excessive) iso 64 F4.5 SS 1/60

Lately, the weather has been getting increasingly unpredictable, which made me all the happier when the sun finally broke through the clouds halfway through Sunday, bathing nature in its warm light. The insects took advantage of this brief moment, emerging from their hiding places to enjoy the sunshine, even if only for a little while. For me, it was the perfect opportunity to immerse myself in the world of macro & close-up photography once again and capture a few special moments. It was truly a successful photo session. 📷 Camera: Canon EOS R8 🔎 Lens: Canon RF 100mm F2.8L MACRO IS USM 💡 Lighting: natural Handheld, one shot Camera settings: 1/500s, F/5.6, ISO-1600