Have you ever struggled to get a photo sharp from the foreground to the background? Do you ever wonder how professional photographers always get razor sharp images, with perfect focus throughout? In this course you will learn how to focus stack, which is the secret to creating ultra-sharp, professional quality images. Focus stacking is a technique used to enhance the depth of field in an image. It involves capturing a series of shots with varying focus points, and then merging these images using post-processing software like Adobe Photoshop.
With focus stacking, you can create a final photograph where everything, from the closest foreground elements to the farthest background, is extremely sharp.
Join landscape photographer and outdoor educator Meredith Fontana in this course designed to help landscape photographers master this essential skill in a way that is simple and easy to understand.
In this course you will learn:
- How to create incredibly sharp images using a series of exposures with different focus points.
- The basics of focus stacking, including when to do it, the best camera settings, and more.
- The two best ways to export photos from Lightroom to Photoshop for focus stacking – including how to incorporate Adobe Bridge and Adobe Camera RAW.
- The simplest way to focus stack using Photoshop’s auto-blend.
- How to focus stack using layer masks.
- How to make basic edits to a focus stack in Lighrtoom and Adobe Camera Raw.
- Advanced focus stacking techniques, including how to incorporate exposure blends, time blends, and long exposures into a focus stack.
- How to fix and troubleshoot focus stacking errors in Photoshop.
This course is for:
- Landscape photographers and photography enthusiasts of all levels.
- Anyone who wants to improve their photography using post-processing techniques.
- Beginner photographers who want an introduction to focus stacking.
- Intermediate photographers who already understand the basics of Lightroom and Photoshop.
- Advanced photographers who want to deepen their understanding of focus stacking.
What are the requirements for take this course?
- Adobe Lightroom Classic and Photoshop downloaded to your computer.
- A basic understanding of Lightroom Classic – including how to navigate through the workspace and use the develop module.
- A basic understanding of Photoshop and how to work with tools and layers.
- A basic understanding of Photoshop layer masks will be very helpful but is not required.
- Prior knowledge of or experience with focus stacking is NOT required.
- Optional: Adobe Bridge downloaded to your computer.
- Optional: least 2 photos of a single composition (ideally in the RAW file format) that you want to focus stack. If you don’t have photos to use, practice photos will be included in the course resources.
