#Photostack macro how to#
#Photostack macro full#

So combining shots made with flash freezing the images sharply are more likely to be successful than shots which use handheld long exposures creating pixel blurry shots. For a successful stack, you need sharp images to begin with. Sharpness - Focus stacking is not a magic bullet that converts 10 unsharp images into one sharp image. One thing to observe is that for many not so great stacks, all the factors need to be explored and relying just on buying a more expensive lens is no guarantee of success if all the other factors are not in good shape. Regardless of the software or hardware you're using to create a focus stack, there are certain standout factors that will affect the quality of your final focus stack.

#Photostack macro full#

Learn Focus Stacking!Īs of March 2017 I'm now doing full and half day workshops covering everything macro, which of course includes focus stacking! If you want to try out Stackshot, WeMacro or MJKZZ stages, or want to learn Zerene and/or Helicon Focus, and spend some time getting to grips with the whole stacking process from a to z, you could do a lot worse than to spend a day doing macro, learning insect praparation techniques and learning to stack. Like anything, there's a workflow and certain amount of preparation that's done before shooting a focus stack. Focus stacking, also known as macro stacking, focal plane merging, z-stacking and focus blending, can be done inside on the kitchen table during winter and is fun to learn, opening new worlds and opportunities for photography.

#Photostack macro how to#

Focus Stacking Walkthrough 1 ➤ The focus stacking workflow 2 ➤ How to prepare a focus stack 3 ➤ How to shoot a focus stack 4 ➤ Software tools for focus stacks 5 ➤ Postprocessing tools for focus stackingįocus stacking is done by amateurs, professionals and part-timers, has applications in entomology, science and astronomy and there's even a camera that focus stacks on the Mars Rover. All you need to start focus stacking is a digital camera, a stage, a flash, your tripod, the right software for stacking and a good sprinkling of patience. Starting out with focus stacking isn't hard, can be done at any time and doesn't need to be expensive.

Stacking overcomes this by combining the sharpest parts of several images focused at different points and combining them into one very sharp composite image. Focus stacking is a photography term used to describe the process of combining photographs to obtain images with a much larger depth of field that would be possible in a single photo.įocus stacking as a photography technique is especially useful for macro photography of small objects, because regardless of the f/stop used, the unavoidably small depth of field shooting small objects means that much of your subject will actually be unsharp and out of focus.