Focus stacking is a technique that allows photographers to achieve a greater depth of field in their images, by combining multiple photos taken at different focus points. This technique is particularly useful in landscape photography, where photographers often want to capture sharpness from the foreground to the background.

How to use focus stacking

The process of focus stacking in Photoshop involves taking multiple photos of the same scene at different focus points, and then using the software to combine them into a single image with a greater depth of field. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to use focus stacking in Photoshop:

1. Take multiple photos of the same scene at different focus points. This can be achieved by using a tripod and adjusting the focus point of the lens between each shot.

2. Open Photoshop and go to File > Scripts > Load Files into Stack. This will allow you to select the multiple photos that you took in step 1.

3. Once you have loaded the photos into a stack, go to Edit > Auto-Align Layers. This will align the photos so that they are perfectly aligned with each other.

4. Next, go to Edit > Auto-Blend Layers. This will automatically blend the layers together, creating a single image with a greater depth of field.

5. Once the layers are blended, you can use the Clone Stamp tool or the Healing Brush tool to remove any visible seams or artifacts.

6. Finally, you can use the adjustment layers and masks to fine-tune the final image, such as adjusting the brightness, contrast, or color balance.

Focus stacking is a powerful technique that can help you to achieve a greater depth of field in your landscape photos. It does require a bit of extra work and attention to detail, but the results are well worth it. With practice, you will be able to master this technique and create stunning landscape photos with a greater depth of field.

Other software you can use for focus stacking

It's worth noting that there are other software that can be used for focus stacking, such as Helicon Focus, Zerene Stacker, and others. Each of them has its own features and capabilities, and some of them have more advanced features such as masking and precise selection of the images to stack.