In this lesson, you will learn how to process evening and night photographs taken with an ordinary inexpensive digital camera. Well, photos taken with a SLR camera in this way can almost completely eliminate noise.

The effectiveness of this method is superior to all known noise reduction plugins. The only condition: you need to shoot still objects, for portraits this method is not very suitable. Although ... maybe there are enthusiasts, because at the dawn of photography portraits were shot with excerpts in a few minutes!
  So let's get started.

Step 1.  We make a few frames of the object we need. In this case, it is best to use the burst mode in the camera (read the instructions for the camera). I made 10 frames, you can shoot more.

Used an inexpensive Canon Powershot A580 camera. The shooting was carried out with hands, the maximum sensitivity of ISO 1600 was specially set. Noise at this value literally flooded the entire image. One of the frames is shown below.

Step 2  Go to the menu File - Scripts - Upload files to the stack  (File - Scripts - Load files into stack).

A dialog box will appear.

Click Overview  to select the desired files, select your captured images and click OK. Check the box Automatically align images  (Attempt to automatically Align Source Images).

Now each image will open as a layer in one file.

The image turned out to be of this kind, with transparent areas at the edges, since the shooting was carried out from the hands and not from a tripod (for the purity of the experiment). These areas appeared as a result of automatic layer alignment.

Step 3  Now right-click on the name of the top layer and in the drop-down list, click Select similar layers..

You will now have all the layers selected.

Step 4  Right-click on the layer palette and select Convert to Smart Object  (Convert to smart-object)

Now we have only a smart object in the palette of layers. All layers will be inside it.

Since the noise of the camera’s matrix is \u200b\u200brandom, that is, different pixels make noise from frame to frame, it is quite logical that by averaging the values \u200b\u200bof a sample of pixels from several images, noise can be reduced, with a slight loss of image detail. What we observe in the final picture. Further correction is at your discretion. Do not forget to rasterize the smart object, otherwise many tools will become inaccessible. This is also done by clicking RMB in the layer palette and selecting a command Rasterize the layer.

To compare the effectiveness of this method, I give a picture that was processed by the Noise Ninja plugin (one of the best plugins for fighting noise).

I think, having studied this lesson, you will discover not only the new features of Adobe Photoshop, but also your camera.

I wish you every success!
  Evgeny Kartashov.

  It is desirable that the frame is static.
  We mount the camera on a tripod, continuous shooting mode, take several identical pictures. The more shots, the better the effect will be noticeable.

Processing in Photoshop:

  Step 1. In Photoshop, through the main menu, select File -\u003e Scripts -\u003e Upload file to stack ... In the menu "Load Layers", either select individual files or upload a folder with files. Set the checkbox in the checkbox “Try to automatically align the original image”, click the “OK” button.
At the end of this operation, all selected files will be loaded into separate layers.

Step 2. Convert the layers to a smart object. To do this, select all the layers in the palette of layers by holding down the Shift key. Without moving the cursor from the selected layers, press the right mouse button and select the menu item “Convert to Smart Object”. At the same time, one smart object should be formed from all layers.

Step 4. Upon completion of averaging, the smart object must be converted to a bitmap image. To do this, select through the main menu: “Layer -\u003e Smart - object -\u003e Rasterize”

As a result of this operation, we received an image with minimal noise and maximum information about details, now it remains to increase the image sharpness by methods known to us (for example, select “Filter -\u003e Sharpness -\u003e and then any of the items” from the main menu. For comparison, you can increase at the same level of sharpness in any of the original image and make sure that the noise level in it is much higher.

What this wonderful program does not know how to do. This is the rare case when a mega-harvester copes well with a thousand tasks. For this, we pay with some glitches and freezes during the work and sometimes with unstable versions.
  For example, version Adobe Photoshop CS6  In terms of stacking, it works absolutely correctly. And in the Photoshop version Adobe Photoshop CC 2014  From time to time, the stacking function does not work as it should.

An example of using Adobe Photoshop for stacking

So, we have two camera images Canonwhich we did in the previous article. In one frame, focus is on the lens, and in the other on the “carcass” of the camera itself. Why did we do this, I explained again in a previous article.
  Now we will sew these images.
  Both images were shot in RAW format, but this is not so important. Open both in Adobe Photoshop  without horizon correction and so on. in a RAW converter (this can cause problems when stitching, so shoot right away). White balance can be set.

Go to the menu File-\u003e Scripts-\u003e Load files into stack

If you just opened the files and immediately went to the menu, then you can move on. If you have made any manipulations in Photoshop, but Photoshop will offer you to save the files.

Here we choose "Add opened files"so that Photoshop populates the stacking list with open files (I assume that you only have images that you will use for stitching). Your 2 images appear in the list.
  Put a tick in paragraph "Attempt to automatically align source images". This checkbox tells Photoshop that in the process of connecting files with one, you need to try to align them in size and in other distortions.
  If you took pictures carefully, did not shake the tripod and did not change the angle during the shooting, then, as a rule, Adobe Photoshop  Perfectly aligns images.
  You click “OK”, Photoshop “thinks” for a short while, creates a separate file, uploads two of your images there, aligns them in all respects and gives you control back.

Be sure to click the layers, disconnecting the top and connecting. Make sure the object and its more blurred copy are correctly aligned. They should be the same in size and shape. In real stacking, there can be a lot of layers.

If everything is fine, then you select all the layers and go to the menu: Edit-\u003e Auto-blend layers-\u003e stack

This is directly the process of stacking itself (image stitching).

As you can see, there are two options for stitching images. One is a panorama, i.e. stitching in one long shot. And the second is stacking, focus stitching.
  Somehow, we will discuss with you the possibilities of the first paragraph that are unknown to the general public, and now about stacking.

Click "OK" and depending on the size of the files and their number we get the result quickly or wait for some time.

As a result of the “Auto-blend” function, we got masks for our layers that show the places where it’s sharp in this layer and hide the places where it’s unsharp. This is ideal, and the program may incorrectly identify these places.
  Accordingly, those places where sharply in the mask are left white to open this part of the layer, and those places where it is unsharp, are painted over in black, i.e. are hidden. As a result of hiding some unsharp parts of the upper layer, sharp parts of the lower layer appear under them and we see a general picture where everything is sharp.

Here's a mask created by Photoshop for my example.

In this case, the mask reveals the front lens of the lens and hides the unsharp camera body. The bottom layer mask does the opposite.
  Please note that the mask is somewhat “clumsy” and does not exactly repeat the shape of the front lens of the lens.
  Your task is to analyze what should really be sharp and correct the mask, if necessary, by painting on it with a black and white brush.
  Black - completely hides the site
  White - completely opens the site
  Gray - partially hides. Brush transparency can be adjusted.

Well, the resulting frame, which I have already laid out.

And also here is an example from my practice of subject photo.

Damask steel rings with a complex small pattern, which is worked out only by focusing in all possible places and then stitching into a single frame.

Helicon Focus Image Stacking Software

On our list, this will be the first specialized software product for stacking (focus image stitching).

Since I am not an affiliate of Helicon focus, then I can freely write about it.

Firstly, the network is fully operational version Helicon Focus 5.3which, if desired, you can try. When the question arose and the stacking program is the first thing I did. First I wanted to decide what suits me better: Helicon focus  or his competitor Zerene stacker.
  I will first talk about the version that is online, and then about the latest version Helicon focusI purchased, realizing that this is a good product.

First of all, you shoot several frames of one object with focus in different places. Open the folder with frames in Helicon focus.

First comes a storm of joy - on the right there is a list of directories and files where you can conveniently mark the files that you select for stitching.
Helicon Focus 5.3  already understands RAW  files.
  But here is just some disappointment - Helicon focus  it doesn’t make it possible to set the white balance, and without this archi-useful function the ability to read RAW  the files are completely useless for the reason that it is no longer possible to correct the white balance as a result of stitching by the non-destructive method. the result of stitching is tiff at best, not RAW.

Nevertheless, if you transfer files to JPG with the correct white balance, then you can correctly process them in Helicon Focus 5.3.

There are three stacking options in the program (different mathematical methods that can produce different quality results depending on the plot):

Method A - Weighted Average
  Method B - Depth Map
  Method C - Pyramidal

All three methods are the best that exists today and usually is enough. Choose, try and if the result does not suit you - switch to another method. The program works pretty fast.

The program is able to create a 3D model of your object, where you will see how your object on the plane rotates at a given angle in different axes. An interesting feature.

An extremely useful feature implemented in the program is image retouching. This is not retouching in the traditional sense, but hiding and opening various parts of the selected image as a result of stitching. Those. if the program somewhere incorrectly chose a sharp section, you can restore justice in one motion and take a sharp section from the image in which it seems to you better.

On the right, in the list of images, you switch between the original donor images, and on the left you have two windows, in one - the donor image, and in the other the result of stitching.
  By adjusting the stiffness with a brush, you work through the problem areas, visually controlling which areas in the donor image are better than the result of stitching.

The principle itself remains as in Adobe Photoshop  when using masks, but visually more and more clearly.

In the next tab “text / ruler” you can add some text to the stitching result, for example, your copyright or ruler picture, which will allow the viewer to evaluate the image scale. It is very convenient when shooting especially small insects and details.

Now let's talk about the latest version Helicon Focus 6.2.2.

She meets us even more friendly. We are invited to simply drag the source images into the window.

The built-in example gives a good idea of \u200b\u200bhow the process is organized.

In fact, little has changed in the organization of the process itself (in the demonstration, the program hints to us that it is good for photographing minerals).
  But in a companion program Helicon remote  added a useful feature such as: "Disable live view during shooting", which allows you to shoot with a flash. Otherwise, in the LiveView mode, the studio flash on the radio synchronizer did not start.

In addition, it became possible to save projects and return to their retouching later.

Some RAW conversion settings appeared, but I still did not understand where to set the white balance. There are only two options: 1) from the camera, 2) automatically.

Both BB installation options do not suit me. I want to set the color temperature manually. Maybe he missed something and the developers will correct me.

Helicon remote

The supplement is attached to the program - the program Helicon remote, which allows you to shoot directly to the computer.

A word to the developer (Alexander Zubritsky):

The program implements two shooting algorithms with stacking, namely:

1) the shift of the focus plane by rotating the focus ring of the macro lens (works only with autofocus lenses),

2) the shift of the focus plane by linear movement of the carriage of the automated macrorails Stack shot  (manufacturer - company Cognisys) or carriages of improvised rails (a stepper motor of production is used as a drive Trinamic).

First way  it has those preferences that you don’t need to buy anything else, just have any SLR camera (though production only Canon  or Nikon) supporting the function Liveview, and autofocus lens. In addition, this method allows stacking not only for macro photography, but also for landscape. The main disadvantage of this method is that it is impossible to practically realize the shift of the plane of sharpness by sufficiently small and equal distances (displacement step).

Second way  (most often used in real macro photography - here you can very clearly and very accurately implement a linear shift of the plane of sharpness) has the advantages that it allows you to use not only autofocus macro lenses, but also any circuitry - manual focus lenses, inverted lenses, microscopic lenses, etc. .P.). Moreover, in the case of macro rail control Stack shot all the specified settings in the standard (included with the rails) control unit are blocked, and instead of them in the program itself Helicon remote  the most important settings are set - the point of beginning and end of sharpness, the size of the stacking step (in mm) and the pause after the shooting step (in seconds). The same settings are set when connecting a stepper motor. Trinamic.

Switching between these modes (first and second) in the program occurs semi-automatically - when connecting macro rails Stack shot  in the program interface appears - Stack shot  and in addition, you need to check the box opposite the window "StackShot"  (only in the latest version of the program)

I’ll add from myself that I liked that Liveview  in a programme Helicon remote  placed on the full screen, which at 27 "gives a very good overview.

Helicon Focus Program Summary

Program Helicon focus  very nimble, stable and ergonomically thought out. In order to start working in it, you do not even need to read the instructions. The program produces a good stacking result.
  There are a couple of minuses - this is the inability to set the white balance for RAW  Files that makes their use pointless.
  Second - the program can work in conjunction with the satellite program Helicon remote, which allows you to control the process of shooting images for the stack, but for some reason does not use information about the position of the carriage of the electric focusing rails with which it works (the rails are connected via USB).

The potential of the program is very large, I hope it will be realized in the future.

At the moment, it turns out quite well too.

Zenere Stacker Image Stacking Software

Zenere stacker  is an analog Helicon focus  and the principle of work is the same.

I put the latest version on March 12, 2015 Zenere stacker  1.04 Build T201411272115. It's easy to get confused with such version numbering ...

It is worth noting that both Helicon focusso and Zerene stacker  offer a free trial mode.
  Those. You can deliver your product and try it within 30 days. If you like it, then buy it.

Menu in Zerene stacker  organized classically. “File”, “Edit”, “Stack”, “Tools” ... Needless to say, the option Helicon focus  It seems more modern where you can simply drag and drop files into the window.

By the way, it is worth noting one important detail. Helicon focus  is developed in Ukraine by a group of programmers, and Zerene stacker  in the USA, by one person recognized in the USA as a guru, the “macrushnick” Rik Littlefield. You can look for his work in the forum, where he is constantly present.
Perhaps Rick lacks the strength to make a modern interface besides the part of the program directly responsible for stacking. Well, yes, this is not the main thing in such programs, if there is an advantage in the quality of stacking. Let's see if it is ...

I stacked my stack in several ways (PMax and DMap with different parameters).

IN Zerene stacker  you need to pay attention to the bottom window during the retouching process.

Here you will see a stack assembled by two different methods. PMax  (pyramidal method, is in Helicon focus) and DMap  (depth map also available in Helicon focus) One collects better smooth gradients, and the other - small contrasting details. Both of these images can be used as donor images when retouching the resulting image. This allows you to process small fibers on insects and so on. fine contrasting details.

IN Helicon focus  You can also use the resulting image, constructed by different methods as the source. To do this, select them in the "Use Result" menu.

In the process of retouching in Zenere stacker  you can navigate through the source images by holding down the key Shift  and look for the most suitable donor image.

In addition, through the menu, in the tab Preferences  there are settings for the method DMap, which allow you to better work out the contrasting boundaries of objects (you can create several resulting images and use all of them in the retouching process).

Retouching is organized similarly. Helicon focus. The donor image is selected on the right in the list and its sections can be applied with a brush to the resulting image.
  There are brush adjustments. Only in Zerene stacker  additional brushes are hidden under the “Pro” label and using the “Pro” brush, the 30-day trial of the brush begins in the regular version of the program. Then the function is disabled.

Here is a similar menu from Helicon focus.

The program also allows you to control Stackshot electric rails, but I could not verify this function, because It refers to the Pro version, but I have the usual one.

Summary of Zerene Stacker

1. The program works very well. Collects the stack efficiently
  2. I did not find any noticeable advantages in stack assembly compared to Helicon focus.
  3. The programs implemented are so similar that it is clearly visible that someone was doing it with an eye on another. For us, this is important only in terms of the convenience of moving from one program to another, if it is necessary to combine the results. And it is in this regard that makes me happy that the programs are similar.

Surprised that not in Zerene stackernor in Helicon focus  image reduction / enlargement by Ctrl + "+" is not implemented. In my opinion, it made sense to adopt the "hot keys" of Photoshop. Especially since Zerene-so adopted the increase / decrease of the brush in square brackets.

Program interface Combine zp  as follows:

After that, the image of the first file appears in the empty field below.

2) Alignment of downloaded files
  Select in the taskbar window Align and Balance Used Frames  (usually it is already installed by default) and press the green key GO:

3) Stitch aligned files Select in the taskbar window Do stack  and press the green key GO:

4) Saving stitched files
  To save the received file with stitched images, press the key SAVE.

In general, the program produces a good result.

But with some artifacts. The program is also not spared from "glitches". Crashed in the process several times.
  If we talk only about stacking, the artifacts of the subject itself are the same as commercial programs.

But the retouching function is not here.

Combine ZP Supplement by Clapautius Blog Reader

A few comments about CombineZP, maybe novice users will help, because the program is not the most convenient to use.
  She has two alignment modes (Align and Balance Used Frames), Quick (and Thorough. Fast is selected by default, but gives the worst result.

There are several stacking algorithms in it - five, if I'm not mistaken. In principle, the default Do Stack gives the best result in most cases, but sometimes others are worth a try. You can run everything at once (the All Methods item) and select the best one from the results.

In general, there are quite a lot of subtle settings and modes. For example, alignment can be done manually by setting control points yourself. Etc. But all the users I know use only the basic automatic modes. I'm not an exception

A couple of unobvious minuses. The main thing is that you cannot change the assembly sequence of a bundle, it is specified only in the alphabetical order of the names of the input files. The situation when they shot a series, looked at it, found that in the middle there is not enough layer (or just a marriage got caught), and just finished missing frame - it does not work. You have to rename the files in such a way as to restore the order of focus. On long episodes this is depressing.

The second, less sad - stacking can be started only once. Theoretically, then you can download and process the next pack, but in practice - the program always crashes. So after each build you need to exit the program and run it again.

A Brief Summary of Combine ZP

I am glad that such free programs exist and give fans the opportunity to try the possibilities of stitching images, even with advanced methods. With due diligence, you can get results no worse than on commercial programs (though with Adobe Photoshop for retouching pictures). On the other hand, if you look at this program from the point of view of a professional, it is more profitable to buy a commercial one right away. It is not so expensive and working in it is much more convenient.

Summary of Software Image Stitching Techniques

All three methods allow you to achieve high results. Adobe Photoshop  is the cheapest, clear, but also the most inconvenient stacking method.

Helicon focus  and Zerene stacker  give similar tools for working with the stack. The quality of the crosslinking for them seemed close to me and more dependent on the experience of the crosslinker, what parameters it would set.

Helicon focus  definitely more convenient in terms of work.

Both programs lack the implementation of the ruler function. IN Zenere stacker  it’s just not there, but in Helicon focus  her presence is rather formal. I would like to be able to put the start and end point of an object in order to drive in its size, and subsequently the program could give dimensions to all other objects in the frame simply by a straight line, as in medical programs.

But in general, we have more than enough tools to create and create ...

Let your imagination not limit you. The stacking method can be used not only in macro photography, but also in the landscape, expanding the boundaries of the possible!

here I shot the grass in the foreground separately and “stitched” it with rocks in the background. This is Cliffs of Moher

I decided to split the post about the big and budget macro into two parts. The first will be devoted to actually shooting the stack, and the second to its assembly. These are, in general, two processes independent from each other, so there is no point in dumping them together. You can shoot in different ways, and you can collect in different ways. For those who are now clapping their eyes and trying to read the previous sentences again, I described a little theory under the cut.

So what is stacking, and why is it needed?

The laws of optics are arranged in such a way that the larger the magnification when shooting you get, the shorter the field of sharpness in the photo. Scientifically, it is called DOF - depth of field of the image. Everything that doesn’t fall into this area will be blurred, and the same “chic boke” will appear that will lead to the indescribable delight of yesterday’s owners of soap dishes, who have just sat in the mirror. The larger the size of the camera’s matrix, the wider the aperture of the lens and the larger its increase, the shallow the depth of field and the greater the blur. It is clear that according to these parameters, DSLRs are seriously doing soap dishes. For portraiture, this is good, but for macro with high magnification, it’s not very much. Depth of field drops to tenths, and sometimes to hundredths of a millimeter, and becomes “razor-sharp”. Only the narrow strip on the model remains sharp, and everything else is blurry.

It’s impossible to transfer back to soap dishes; they have weak optics with much smaller increase, and matrices that leave much to be desired. To twist the diaphragm to the maximum also does not work. The diffraction limit of the optics will work, and the quality of images will begin to decline rapidly. You can read more about this little-known effect in an article by Vladimir Medvedev, and see its destructive power during macro photography in mine.

And what to do? Anyone who starts to shoot a “large” macro quickly gets the bright idea: take a bunch of frames by shifting the focus every time so that the sharpness strips gradually pass through the whole model, and then make one of the images where only these sharp strips and will be. So there was stacking, or focus bracketing. The first part of this process is called stack stacking, and the second is called stack stacking.

When shooting a stack, you can “focus” the focus on the model in two ways, either by moving the camera toward the model by a fraction of a millimeter with each frame, or by turning the focus ring a little while the camera is stationary.

The first method is potentially much more accurate, but it requires special macro rails. At the same time, it’s hard to get even the bad rails, while the good ones also cost horse money. The second method is notable for its relatively low accuracy and will not allow you to shoot with microscopic magnification, but you will not need any additional devices, except for a camera with a lens.

The stack assembly does not depend on the method of shooting the stack, and is done almost automatically in special programs. The most famous of them are Helicon Focus and Zerene Stacker. I prefer the latter, because, roughly speaking, it has only one button “Try to make a masterpiece”, and it works out pretty well. And if the masterpiece came out with jambs, then there is a fairly simple and powerful tool for retouching.

In the first part of the article about a large and budget macro, I will describe how to remove the stack by rotating the focus ring of a reversely connected whale lens, and in the second, how to assemble the resulting stack in Zerene Stacker and bring it to mind in Photoshop.

Stay with us. It will be interesting.

During macro photography, the depth of field can be so small that you cannot get enough of the subject in focus. Even with a closed aperture, macro photography significantly limits the depth of field. Today we will consider the combination of photography with the special Photoshop technique to increase the depth of field beyond what can be obtained in a single photograph.

Training

What we do today is called stacking. This technique consists in shooting several frames at different focusing distances with their further combination. That is, we will take several photos focused on different parts of the subject, and then combine these areas in one frame. The result will be a photograph in which the focus will be much more than could be done in one shot.

We chose an Olympus OM-D Micro 4: 3 camera with a 55mm Nikon lens. Micro-NIKKOR connected using an adapter. This lens has an effective focal length of 110 mm. taking into account the crop factor 2x. Creating a frame in which the clock is fully in focus will require the use of the stacking technique that we are considering.

This technique is especially useful when using macro lenses. I chose an old Nikon 55mm lens. Micro-NIKKOR f / 3.5 and Olympus OM-D camera. This kit makes incredibly sharp macro photos. I used the adapter to mount the Nikon lens on the OM-D. The only thing that should be noted: OM-D is a Micro 4: 3 standard camera with a 2x crop factor, doubling the effective focal length of our lens to 110 mm. This long focal length also reduces the depth of field, so the stacking technique is especially useful in this situation.

I chose a watch to illustrate the possibilities of increasing depth of field using stacking. Since the clock is on the table, the scene has some depth. From the closest point of the bracelet to the farthest part of it, we cannot put all the watches in one zone in the sharpness zone. Let's get acquainted with the possibilities of stacking.

I wanted to highlight the clock and used inexpensive spotlights (instead of flashes) for this, carefully placing them around the set. I used a blue cloth for maximum contrast between the subject and the background, and a small piece of Velcro tape (Velcro) to keep the watch in a good position. These are inexpensive watches, but they are quite suitable for our lesson.

This photo shows that our depth of field is too small. At the end of the lesson, we will demonstrate how the stacking technique allows you to get more than it fits into focus.

After some consultation and trial, I decided that six photographs would be needed to correctly capture the depth of field I wanted to achieve. My task was to make separate frames with different parts of the clock in focus, and then combine them in the post-processing process.

In the end, I was convinced that I would take six frames with different parts of the watch in focus. Using stacking in Photoshop will give me one merged file with all the clocks in focus.

Making the frames necessary for combining, I started by focusing on the front edge of the watch, gradually moving the focus to the back of it. I made two frames of the front fragment of the bracelet, two frames of the dial, and then two frames of the back of the bracelet.

The first frame taken also shows that each frame does not include all the clocks in focus. Here we see in sharpness only the front fragment of the bracelet.

Once again, the idea is that each frame separately does not provide sufficient depth of field, but six combined frames can give us reproduction of unlimited depth of field. Obtaining a sufficient number of frames during the shooting process is a prerequisite for successful post-processing. Photos were taken with an f / 5.6 aperture to add sharpness and a bit of depth of field to the original shots, but even using large aperture values \u200b\u200bin macro photography is often not enough to increase the depth of field to an acceptable level.

You must use a tripod and strive to minimize camera movement when shooting a series of frames. Photoshop has great potential for matching our images, but you should always strive to get the source pictures of the highest quality and consistency already during the shooting.

Post processing

In addition to many other vital options, Photoshop has great stacking capabilities. In just a few minutes, we can collect the final image with increased depth of field.

First of all, make sure that all the necessary photos are on the computer and are in the same folder. I put each series of photos to combine in my own separate folder.

Next, run Photoshop and we can start the stacking process. From the File menu, go to the Automate section, and then select Photomerge. This team will open all our photos in one document in Photoshop.

In the Photo Montage menu, select the "Auto" option for layout, and make sure that none of the squares below are checked.

When the Photomontage menu appears, specify the folder where your photos are stored. Leave the checkbox in the "Auto" value in the left menu, and then uncheck the boxes from the bottom squares if checked. After clicking the “OK” button, Photoshop will do the work, coordinate and reduce the images in one document.

It may take several minutes for Photoshop to work, but after processing is complete, you will receive a new document in which all your source images will be located in separate layers. There is only one step left until you get the combined image.

First select all the layers. You can select any layer, and then press the Ctrl + A buttons to select them all (on the Mac, instead of Ctrl + A, press Command + A, in both cases the English “A” is meant), or you can click on the Ctrl button each layer to select them all. After all layers are selected, go to the "Edit" menu and select "Auto Blend Layers".

After making sure all of our layers are selected, use Edit\u003e Auto Blend Layers to open the stacking menu. We leave a mark on “Stack Images” and it automatically carries out the stacking process.

From the Auto Blend Layers menu, select Stack Images. Click “OK” again and Photoshop will do all the necessary stacking work for us. After the processing is completed, you will see its results both in the form of the final image, and in the form of layers on the right in the Photoshop window. You will see that the masks are automatically aligned and Photoshop intelligently selected which parts of the layers to mask in the final image.

The resulting image is a good example of stacking capabilities. Compared to previous images, all the watches are in focus here, not small fragments. Stacking allows us to increase the depth of field using computer processing.

Photoshop relies on masks to highlight the focused parts of each image. Automatic processing perfectly prepared image layers with drawn masks. Photoshop intelligently selected the focused parts in the original photos, and then combined them.

Photoshop does almost all the work related to the stacking process. The only drawback is that if you are unhappy with the result, it is difficult to set up the automatic evaluation that it performs. However, I think that the built-in features are extremely powerful and perhaps this is the best way to increase the depth of field using computer processing.

Conclusion

Stacking is a unique technology that allows us to obtain a seemingly incredible depth of field. With a series of photos and a little post-processing magic in Photoshop, achieving extra depth of field is easily accomplished with just a few clicks. Photoshop is an advanced application that can intelligently combine our images and automatically create and apply masks.