Mastering Focus Stacking in Photoshop — My 2012 Article

Multiple images taken at different focus distances to give a resulting image is called the Focus Stacking (bracketing) technique.

Focus Stacking is shooting several shots of one subject thn combine thm together … but the difference between each shot is where we have focus point on the object .. why we need it … u know in product photography .. in jewelery photography .. its very important to get the whole subject in focus .. usually we just close the aperture .. close it down to increase depths of field but its not possible sometime to get whole thing focussed plus defraction works against us … depends on the lens .. there is a limit v can close aperture but still getting nice quality images .. after tht limit the thing get blurry, losing the contrast and lose details so thts where focus stacking can help us

there r two ways to move focus through the object .. one which is not right
1. to change focusing point by adjusting the lens focus

but the correct way to do it
2. to move camera towards the subject or backward depends upon the focuses to move focusing point … but for tht one need a ‘macro focussing rail’ which helps smal adjustments moving through the camera with the subject.

Adobe PS .. FILE – AUTOMATE – PHOTOMERGE – browse ur files –
unselect ‘blend images together’ then let all the pics get assimilated into one .. OK

after some 20 to 30 mnts a file will be generated …

thn select all .. go to edit and Auto blend images … then select ‘stack images’
PS stiches them and makes one single pic where every area of the subject is crisp and sharp …

As per how many photos u hv clicked and u want to stack .. stackiing will accordingly takes its own sweet time .. in some cases .. it takes around 4 to 5 hours .. grt danger of PS even crashing down if ur machine is not sturdy enough to takes immence stacking pressures.

I have MAC and maximum stacking I have done is of 89 images.

Koch Messer/Schinken Messer Knives Multiple images (89 images for this photograph) taken at different focus distances to give this resulting image using the Focus Stacking (bracketing) technique. Focus Stacking is shooting several shots of one subject thn combine thm together … but the difference between each shot is where we have focus point on the object .. why we need it … in product photography .. in jewelery photography .. its very important to get the whole subject in focus .. usually we just close the aperture .. close it down to increase depths of field but its not possible sometime to get whole thing focussed plus defraction works against us … depends on the lens .. there is a limit v can close aperture but still getting nice quality images .. after tht limit the thing get blurry, losing the contrast and lose details so thts where focus stacking can help us there r two ways to move focus through the object .. one which is not right 1. to change focusing point by adjusting the lens focus but the correct way to do it 2. to move camera towards the subject or backward depends upon the focuses to move focusing point … but for tht one need a ‘macro focussing rail’ which helps smal adjustments moving through the camera with the subject at this point dont hv the ‘macro focusing rail’ so i use the first option so in the pic above i shot 89 frames of the knives and sharpner focussing on each area of the objects .. then took all the pic on Adobe Bridge .. select all .. thn to tools in PS .. click photo emerge … and thn select all layers .. click Auto … unselect ‘blend images together’ then all the pics get assimilated into one .. select all .. go to edit and Auto blend images … then select ‘stack images’ PS stiches them and makes one single pic where every area of the object ie knives and sharpner is crisp and sharp … I shot 89 shots to get xtra details and resolutions by which every tiny details is in focus. Exif data: CameraNikon D90 Exposure: 0.033 sec (1/30) Aperture: f/3.0 Focal Length: 100 mm ISO Speed: 100 Disclaimer: This shot is part of my test/experiments with product photography/table top photography. This is not any endorsement of any product(s). I wasn’t commissioned by the company which owns this product or by any agency to shoot. This should not be used for any commercial / non-commercial use. This is purely for my portfolio.

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YOU ME

the above pic is Focus stacked image where 42 images have been stacked together to make this one photograph

(but without the High Pass Process … sharpness .. cleaning and the post card texture …. totally raw single image focus stacked from 42 images)

every single image from the above 42 images went through this setting
Exposure 0.01 sec (1/100)
Aperture f/3.8
Focal Length 100 mm
ISO Speed 100

and they were all shot in a Soft Box Tent @ SB 600 bare @ 24 mm @ camera next/left hitting the ceiling @ roughly around 6 feet @ Triggered with on-camera Pocket Wizard MiniTT1 and a FlexTT5 on each flash with Shot with Nikon D90/Tokina 100mm Macro f2.8 lens.

Now if u see just one pic below … which is RAW Single image shot on F11 …

U will see the DIFFERENCE – focus point being the nib of the blue ball ballpoint … u can see see tht even on F11 not only the down part blue ballpoint has gone blur but also ‘you’ ‘me’ and the red pen have gone blur

Exposure 3
Aperture f/11.0
Focal Length 100 mm
ISO Speed 100

the Final Image with high pass process, cleaning, sharpening and post card texture @ Focus stacking of 42 images resulting in one final image.

Shot in a Soft Box Tent @ SB 600 bare @ 24 mm @ camera next/left hitting the ceiling @ roughly around 6 feet @ Triggered with on-camera Pocket Wizard MiniTT1 and a FlexTT5 on each flash. Shot with Nikon D90/Tokina 100mm Macro f2.8 lens.

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I LOVE YOU
totally RAW unprocessed single file … shot on F11 …. focus point being the Alpha ‘I’ …. compare this pic with the one which is below and which is focus stacked …. here the focus being on letter ‘I’ and all the other areas hv become blur ….. unlike in the final pic which is focus stacked with 31 pics .. aperture being the same F11 but series of 31 pics where each each area of of the caps, alphas, nibs and the body of the pen being focussed .. when merged it gives the final image which is below

Focus stacking of 31 images resulting in one final image
SB 600 @ 24mm @ right of camera @ hitting the wall @ Triggered with on-camera Pocket Wizard MiniTT1 and a FlexTT5 on each flash.
Shot with Nikon D90/Tokina 100mm Macro f2.8 lens.

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