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How do you do photostacking
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Mar 26, 2020 22:44:07   #
Gabyto
 
I saw this picture of an eagle going down the lake and picking up a fish. The picture showed 11 pictures combined in one. It looked great, but how do you this an what software is used for this. Any help will be very helpful.

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Mar 26, 2020 23:13:20   #
SMPhotography Loc: Pawleys Island, SC
 
I am not sure what this photo you spoke about looked like but "photostacking" must be done on a non-moving subject. It is used to extend depth of field without having to stop way down and lose IQ due to diffraction. I do my focusing manually, starting with just in front of the subject at around f/8-11 depending on the subject size. I then incrementally focus from front to back, finishing up just behind the subject. There are many software programs out there to do it, but I stick with Photoshop using the "automate" menu. I have had great success with it. Always make sure you check the "auto-align" box!

Below is an image I took a couple of years ago of a tiny jumping spider that was only about 5mm long. I used a 35mm f/2 AIS Nikkor reversed on a D700 and focused using a macro focusing rail. Lighting was accomplished by 2 strobes bounced into umbrellas. All told, there were 12 exposures.


(Download)

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Mar 26, 2020 23:18:42   #
MoT Loc: Barrington, IL
 
My camera will do up to 15 exposures for Photo stacking if that is enough for your particular image. LR will photos tack images too. I believe that that you can search for this on this site (top of page search) as I have read a number of posts on this subject. There are stand alone software that will also do this too. By going to search and entering photo stacking, you should get more information that you will need.

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Mar 26, 2020 23:42:15   #
Gabyto
 
SMPhotography wrote:
I am not sure what this photo you spoke about looked like but "photostacking" must be done on a non-moving subject. It is used to extend depth of field without having to stop way down and lose IQ due to diffraction. I do my focusing manually, starting with just in front of the subject at around f/8-11 depending on the subject size. I then incrementally focus from front to back, finishing up just behind the subject. There are many software programs out there to do it, but I stick with Photoshop using the "automate" menu. I have had great success with it. Always make sure you check the "auto-align" box!

Below is an image I took a couple of years ago of a tiny jumping spider that was only about 5mm long. I used a 35mm f/2 AIS Nikkor reversed on a D700 and focused using a macro focusing rail. Lighting was accomplished by 2 strobes bounced into umbrellas. All told, there were 12 exposures.
I am not sure what this photo you spoke about look... (show quote)



Here's the picture.



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Mar 26, 2020 23:46:25   #
Gabyto
 
MoT wrote:
My camera will do up to 15 exposures for Photo stacking if that is enough for your particular image. LR will photos tack images too. I believe that that you can search for this on this site (top of page search) as I have read a number of posts on this subject. There are stand alone software that will also do this too. By going to search and entering photo stacking, you should get more information that you will need.


Which camera is this ?.

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Mar 26, 2020 23:46:42   #
jwreed50 Loc: Manassas, VA
 
There is specialized software that processes focus-stacked images. I use Helicon software, which does a great job and is pretty user-friendly. There is another software package out there does much the same thing, but the name of that one escapes me at the moment.

The Nikon D850 (and think the new D780) has a feature allowing you to take a series of focus stacked images that can then be combined in the software. Avoids the need for a focus rail. It’s actually a pretty neat feature — works well and there’s a lot you can do with it.

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Mar 27, 2020 01:12:04   #
bleirer
 
I can think of one way to do it but it is layers, not really stacking, any program that does layers. You start with ten or whatever number consecutive shots taken on a tripod of the bird flying left to right. You have the bottom layer either no bird or the one with the bird leftmost on the lake. The layer above is the shot of the bird further right that has a layer mask with only the bird revealed. Each one above has the bird in a layer mask with only the bird revealed but in a different position in its flight. Select all layers and go to edit: auto align layers.

https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/how-to/layer-mask.html

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Mar 27, 2020 02:42:32   #
SMPhotography Loc: Pawleys Island, SC
 
Gabyto wrote:
Here's the picture.


This was most likely done with layers, with each bird assigned to a different layer. This is not focus stacking.

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Mar 27, 2020 03:35:01   #
rook2c4 Loc: Philadelphia, PA USA
 
bleirer wrote:
I can think of one way to do it but it is layers, not really stacking, any program that does layers. You start with ten or whatever number consecutive shots taken on a tripod of the bird flying left to right. You have the bottom layer either no bird or the one with the bird leftmost on the lake. The layer above is the shot of the bird further right that has a layer mask with only the bird revealed. Each one above has the bird in a layer mask with only the bird revealed but in a different position in its flight. Select all layers and go to edit: auto align layers.
I can think of one way to do it but it is layers, ... (show quote)


Well explained!

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Mar 27, 2020 04:04:18   #
R.G. Loc: Scotland
 
bleirer wrote:
........The layer above is the shot of the bird further right that has a layer mask with only the bird revealed......


Not forgetting the reflection (shadow?) of the bird on the water (needs to be done each time).

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Mar 27, 2020 05:04:19   #
Rongnongno Loc: FL
 
Gabyto wrote:
Which camera is this ?.


Any camera using burst mode.
Process:
Ideal setup: Use a tripod
Set camera to burst mode to capture the scene
Manual settings to avoid variations between captures.
Post processing:
Select the images you need
Load one image per layer
Align the images
Using a mask define the area needed for a particular position
Blend image
If you do this yourself (see note bellow) you can shoot raw
Done.

You can also do the same thing, handheld. The align issue may not work all that well.

Note that some cameras and phones will do this automatically and give you a decent result if not too small to print. The result will be a JPG format.

Note that this not 'stacking' but 'compositing', making a single image out several other for other purpose than DOF. This can be used to add things to an image or remove them as needed. While still a 'stack' its use is different and all the camera setting usually stay the same.

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Mar 27, 2020 06:11:48   #
Delderby Loc: Derby UK
 
SMPhotography wrote:
I am not sure what this photo you spoke about looked like but "photostacking" must be done on a non-moving subject. It is used to extend depth of field without having to stop way down and lose IQ due to diffraction. I do my focusing manually, starting with just in front of the subject at around f/8-11 depending on the subject size. I then incrementally focus from front to back, finishing up just behind the subject. There are many software programs out there to do it, but I stick with Photoshop using the "automate" menu. I have had great success with it. Always make sure you check the "auto-align" box!

Below is an image I took a couple of years ago of a tiny jumping spider that was only about 5mm long. I used a 35mm f/2 AIS Nikkor reversed on a D700 and focused using a macro focusing rail. Lighting was accomplished by 2 strobes bounced into umbrellas. All told, there were 12 exposures.
I am not sure what this photo you spoke about look... (show quote)


Thanks for your tutorial and modus operandi. I think that is a great picture, which I will hang on to for a day or two. Spiders do fascinate me. I use Affinity and have noticed a "stack" tab which I shall investigate.

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Mar 27, 2020 06:59:29   #
obsidian
 
Thank you for your technical explanation. I have been using photoshop since PS4 but has no formal training. It's nice to learn and apply bits and pieces of info.

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Mar 27, 2020 07:07:48   #
mborn Loc: Massachusetts
 
Gabyto wrote:
Here's the picture.


This is a composite picture made with layers in PS. George Lepp has an old article in Outdoor Photography describing the technique.

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Mar 27, 2020 07:32:26   #
distill Loc: Huthwaite, Nottinghamshire UK
 
Have a look at microsofts ICE as I think they have a exsample similar to the birds photo

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