Jim_In_Plymouth Loc: Plymouth MN

I am using:
1 - Olympus OM-D EM-1 lvl 4 software with photo stacking.
2 - Helicon software for focus stacking (used 20 images)

This is one of my first attempts with focus stacking with a new camera and software.
I am happy with the image with on major exception; a large spot on the vase is all muddy. It is not just out of focus but it is smudged.

At first I thought it was because I did not start the focus close enough to the camera but the smudged are is not closest to the camera; the sheepskin that is closer is sharp.

What caused the smudge and what can I do to fix it?

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

Water drop or finger print smeared on lens?

Might be easier to reshoot. Taking a sharp image of that area and PSing it in would be a major project in itself.

Rongnongno Loc: FL

DO post the original.

When I look at the other side I see the same featureless area, just in the shade.

Not an error, just the result of stacking light on a semi flat area.

R.G. Loc: Scotland

Is the plain area on the facet left of centre supposed to be ribbed like the other facets? Or are you talking about the small soft area on the ribbed facet at the front?

speters Loc: Grangeville/Idaho

That is a part of the image, were the masking obviously had trouble to align just right. What software are you using? Ooops just saw you're using helicon. I don't have experience with it, but I have with Zerene Stacker and noticed it doing the same in certain images. Now I always do this in Photoshop and if this happens there, I can go in manually and correct it as I can work on that specific layer (which shows in the layer panel) by working on the masking!