# Focus Stacking



## amoore00357 (Aug 28, 2013)

I am new to this form but I have been reading it for a year or so but now I needed an account.

I have just learned about Focus Stacking and how it is used for Macro work.
I'm going to try it out this weekend but I was also wondering do you use it for Landscape work also?


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## neuroanatomist (Aug 28, 2013)

Depends on the landscape, but usually there's something out there moving (breeze, water), making focus stacking impractical. Plus, it's much easier to get the DoF you need with a more distant subject than at macro distances.


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## Pi (Aug 28, 2013)

You can try manual blending of two shots.


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## awinphoto (Aug 28, 2013)

The rule of Depth of Field, or DOF is that the closer you are to the subject of focus, the shallower the DOF will be. So if you are shooting a macro shot inches away from the camera and at F16, you still will have shallower DOF than a landscape at F2.8. So, for all practical purposes, F11 or F16 for landscapes is all you really need for 35mm cameras for great DOF. The only real exception maybe is if you have something in the near foreground that you want in crisp focus , then you can get away with shooting 2 shots, one at the subject, one for the background, but otherwise, I wouldn't sweat it.


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## sama (Aug 28, 2013)

watch this 10 minutes tutorial to learn Stack Focus in landscape shooting. From shooting to photoshop by Gavin Hoey.

Focus Stacking Ep 107: Take & Make Great Photography with Gavin Hoey: Adorama Photography TV


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## Joynt Inspirations (Aug 28, 2013)

For landscapes why make extra work for yourself? Why not dial in an accurate hyperfocal distance calculation and take one photo that is in ideal focus. That video is a nice tutorial on how to stack images in post, but using such a small aperture can be detrimental to your overall sharpness.

I'd recommend you try out hyperfocal distances first, it's a single shot that requires minimal post processing.

Just my 2¢


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## Mt Spokane Photography (Aug 28, 2013)

sama said:


> watch this 10 minutes tutorial to learn Stack Focus in landscape shooting. From shooting to photoshop by Gavin Hoey.
> 
> Focus Stacking Ep 107: Take & Make Great Photography with Gavin Hoey: Adorama Photography TV


Good example of a poor job of stacking. The beautiful breaking surf is replaced with a flat ugly view of the waters edge in the final image.

The problem is the timing of the shots, the focus points, and letting the computer select the sharpest but not the visually most interesting areas of the shots.

Stacking landscapes when objects are moving is difficult and a formula for ruining a image.


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## amoore00357 (Aug 28, 2013)

Thanks sama for that video 
That is what I wanted to try and also needed that tutorial on Photoshop for when it comes down to the macro stuff.


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## BL (Aug 28, 2013)

focus stacking is great for macro, not so much for landscapes

like others have said, there is too much subtle movement in happening landscapes that wrecks the process.

save yourself the headache and get it right in camera, use live view DOF preview, hyperfocal distance, etc.


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