Bert Sirkin

Focus Stacking – A Guide to Creating Amazingly Sharp Image

Focus Stacking is a technique which allows you to create the precise depth of field that you want. When you focus-stack, you get extended depth of field in perfect focus and sharpness, while maintaining a blurred background if desired. It is the perfect technique for macro, landscape and product photography.

As a photographer who's been focus stacking for over 15 years, I teach everything a photographer needs to know to start focus stacking, including lighting, how to take the images and how to process your images using Lightroom & Photoshop, Photoshop, or Helicon Focus software. The workshop includes a PowerPoint presentation along with demonstrations showing how to shoot and process stacked images.

Covered topics include:

  • What is focus stacking and why do it?
  • What does focus stacking software do?
  • Sharpness vs Depth of Field
  • Understanding sharpness
  • How diffraction softens images
  • How focus breathing affects images
  • Getting the exposure right
  • What is Helicon Focus?
  • What you need to get started
  • Sample images
  • Macro focus stacking
  • Landscape image focus stacking
  • Product photography focus stacking
  • How to shoot the stacked images
  • Shooting with Helicon Remote
  • Shooting with manual focusing
  • Shooting with automatic focusing
  • Shooting focus-stacked images that have bokeh
  • Stacking the images with Photoshop
  • Stacking the images with Helicon Focus
  • Options with Helicon Focus
  • Resolving issues and retouching
  • Creating 3d images with Helicon Focus
  • Things to consider

THIS MEETING IS PRESENTED ON ZOOM ONLY  NON MEMBERS CAN EMAIL info@churchvillephoto.club if they would like to attend a meeting before joining