If I skip auto-align, auto-blend makes a slightly different image, but if I hadn’t seen the first, I might not have noticed the difference. There’s a little focus breathing with my 85mm, but not much. I tried it without auto-align, just went right to auto-blend. and the article’s focus bracketing method worked fine as it should. (I’m using the latest CC version) Although I did copy and pasting, rather than cutting and pasting. Use the “File > Scripts > Load images into Stack…. Followed the instructions in the article, in Auto-Align-Layers – Photoshop produced a message that said: Warning: Could not detect camera metadata. Photomerge produced an image with but one doll in focus. Camera on tripod, focused on near, middle, far using the 85mm that was on the camera. These presets are used in Adobe Bridge, and the Camera Raw interface of Adobe Photoshop. Our Lightroom Preset System V6 for Adobe Lightroom 5 has been met with incredibly positive response, and now it is finally available for Adobe Bridge and Camera Raw! Like the SLR Lounge Preset System v5.1, these new Camera Raw Presets are compatible with both Adobe Creative Cloud (CC) and CS6, but not CS5 or older. Minor Final Adjustments The SLR Lounge Preset System – For Adobe Bridge and Adobe Lightroom Vivid Base Foundation Preset & Dynamic Range +++ Post-Production: Adobe Bridge CC / Camera Raw, Nikon D750, Rokinon 14mm f/2.8, FotoPro C5C Tripod (Anyone who uses Lightroom exclusively can save in either format, as LR is able to handle both). If you save your files as TIF, you’ll be able to re-edit them a little bit in Adobe Camera Raw, which comes in handy for me personally. Since the process is so easy and automated, once I check the layer masks for errors, (usually on hard edges), I’ll just flatten the image to save space on my computer, and save it as a LZW TIF file, or a PSD file.

Ideally though, your tones should all match perfectly so there shouldn’t be any visible “seams” whatsoever. Sometimes, areas of clear sky will get a little wonky, so zoom in and check those out for telltale errors in alignment. The results should look like this, with layer masks that reveal only the sharpest areas of the image, from the horizon to the foreground. This process has really been perfected in the latest versions of Photoshop CC, and I’m continually impressed with how well it can work! Be sure to select “Seamless Tones and Colors” if it is un-checked. The next step is again to not touch anything, and just go to Edit > Auto-Blend Layers. I did it with it on in the tutorial video, but tried it again with it turned off and I liked the results better! Each scenario can be different, so when in doubt, see what both look like. I usually leave it on “Automatic”, and sometimes I try it with Geometric Distortion turned on, sometimes off. Next, don’t touch anything! Just go to Edit > Auto-Align Layers. I highly recommend performing your own tests with your own favorite landscape lenses!Īfter preliminary post-production on the raw images in Adobe Bridge, we bring them into Photoshop, and layer them all together by simply cutting and pasting the last three images onto the first one. Sometimes you’ll need to create many more than just 3-4 images (especially if your lens is not as wide as 14mm!). The increments that you rack focus at can vary depending on your focal length, aperture, sensor size, and desired result. Shooting Technique For Focus Stackingīy slowly racking focus from infinity to ~10″, I have a set of 4 images that offer me perfect sharpness throughout the entire image area. When focusing to get optimal sharpness on the closest subjects, the horizon gets too blurry.

I could stop down to f/22, and maybe just barely pull it off, but the overall image would start to get a little softer anyway due to diffraction, thus making the point almost moot. Focus Stacking For Maximum Depth of FieldĪs you can see in the 100% crops below, none of the images captured include perfect focus:Įven at f/13 on a 14mm lens, obtaining a sharp horizon / infinity and a sharp anemone at ~6-10″ away is not possible.

Adobe bridge tutorial