My Macro Focus Stacking Workflow 2024 (Lightroom, Helicon, Photoshop)
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- Опубликовано: 17 дек 2023
- In this week's tutorial I show how I focus stack my macro images, going from Adobe Lightroom to Helicon Focus to merge the multiple focus points together. I explain why I shoot with a wide aperture for depth of field but blend many images to ensure my subject is sharp.
I also show the file formats I export in for the best quality and how I use retouching tools.
Finally I take the image into Photoshop to apply more creative edits including using the camera raw filter to adjust exposure and colours, layering the image with selective edits using brushes to enhance certain areas.
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Great video Andrew, was nice to see the retouching part in Helicon. I've not used that part of the program much, so it was nice to see how it can be corrected in there rather than in photoshop.
Thanks Greg, much appreciated! Doing the focus blend retouching in Helicon is crucial to fix any errors the program might have made. Then you can just do everything else in ps. Thanks for watching!
Fantastic video Andrew and your timing couldn't have been better! I had literally bought the Pro version yesterday and spent most of the day setting up my workflow in LR. I've definitely taken away some good tips from how you work, I've not even looked at the Retouching tool yet so that was definitely useful 👍I've tried to make good use of folders and smart collections within LR. I have folders in my library for PS and Helicon, that I use to import and export images. The good thing about this is you just right click the folder and select Synchronise and it'll add any new images that have been saved to the folder, so no need to go through the Import procedure. Although Helicon does pass back to LR right if you use the Right Click->Export->Helicon Focus option. As for Smart Collections, Helicon appends the file name with the settings you used to render the image in brackets, but just in case I don't use the same settings I've got it looking for ')' and .TIF. So this collection will have just completed Helicon rendered files only, so you don't have to pinpoint your completed file next to all the images in the stack. Another thing I was trying before sending to Helicon was denoising, but still not settled on a method, whether to use LR or Topaz.
Thank you for demonstrating your workflow. I've been having a really hard time wrapping my head around editing in Lightroom, so seeing you do it in photoshop helps. I'm much more familiar with how photoshop works compared to Lightroom. I think I'm going to have an easier time editing and won't dread doing it now.
Amazing! Another great video to watch, thank you Andrew for sharing and you have put so much effort for it.
Thanks for watching!
Wow, I love what you did and have learnt so much from this video. Thanks ever so much for sharing so much more to learn 🙂
Informative video. Thanks for including a list of your gear as I am contemplating buying to flash equipment so I can upgrade my macro photography.
Thanks for the video. I'm moving from LrC to Lr and wanted to see how you process within Helicon Focus from Lr without the Files/Plug-In Extras/Export facility available in LrC.
Well done!
Some fascinating techniques there Andrew. However, personally speaking I would have reduced the exposure of the background trees as I found their lightness distracting. But hey it's all subjective innit :-)
Thanks Peter! Yep, always down to personal preferences and what feels right at the time. I liked keeping this one quite light and airy feeling. Thanks for watching!
I was thinking the same!! My default style is moody though 👍
That is a very well done and informative video, thanks very much! My main problem with focus stacking (not only mushrooms) is placing the focus points well and not moving the camera while doing it - I have a Canon 5D mk4 and I find it really difficult to place focus points on all relevant parts of the flower or mushroom. Have you any tips on how to handle this problem?
really interesting video - thanks 🙂
I've been using HF for a couple of years now and find it really does an excellent job.
Thank you! Yeah I always find it works really well for these complicated stacks.
I focus stacked some fungi growing on a tree recently. Photoshop did a terrible job. I just recently purchased Luminar Neo and tried their focus stacking and got much better results. I have a Nikon z6 ii which has a focus stacking mode on it. I don't use it often. You have a very shallow depth of field with a macro lens. You can set up how far apart you want the camera to focus from point to point on the menu but I still don't know where to set it. I can't find videos on it on it either. Just general videos that tell what it is and how to use it but I can't find any that go in depth on how to get the best results.
Hi Andrew. This was a great video, thank you. I'm encouraging my gf to follow a similar workflow for her macro sea shells and we're learning Helicon together. One big difference though is that we're stacking the raw files in Helicon and outputting a dng to take into ACR to do lens corrections and CA fixes there instead. Is there a reason why you wouldn't do it this way? Genuinely curious because as a beginner to focus stacking I'm worried I'm missing a trick! Thank you 🙏
Great video. I have been watching your “at home” projects and trying to recreate them. I am missing this piece. I cannot seem to get my camera to allow me to change the focus spot without the entire image moving. I’ve become very frustrated to the point I am considering purchasing the Canon you recently purchased so the camera will do the work for me. The countless hours I have spent trying is immeasurable. But, with that said, I’ve managed to do some learning and image creations that I’ve been willing to share with friends. Today I spent the day photographing fruit 🍋. I did oil and water two weeks ago and bubbles last weekend. I’m going to do them again as winter continues, as it seems we are in for a harsh winter here in Delaware, USA. I’m going to purchase Helicon Focus just to have it. I have two images I can practice with and to start my deeper understanding of photoshop. I’ll be using this video to guide me. Just so you know, whenever anyone compliments any of my work, I ALWAYS credit you and advise just how much I have learned from you. Keep teaching. You’re really great at it. Do another “at home” idea. I enjoy them. Thanks Andrew. And if we do not get another video before the holiday - you enjoy your holiday season.
I wonder if the problem is not with your camera but the lens which major suffers from focus breathing?
Very nice. I rarely invest this much time on all the subtle tone and color adjustments, but clearly it can help. What do you think of the newer point color control in Lightroom?
Hi Andrew, I enjoyed this video, but I was wondering why you feed Helicon TIF files.
Personally, I feed Helicon raw CR3 files directly, and output a DNG file. I thought that was simpler than generating temporary TIF files, and also had the benefit of keeping the whole dynamic range (+ the metadata for lens correction etc... when editing the DNG back in a raw editor).
Is that not the case? What is the benefit to feed Helicon TIF files over the raw files? What am I missing here?
Agree! I follow this same approach and particularly like the ability to edit the DNG as. RAW file.
Nicely done. There's one piece missing; did you use Helicon Remote to create the focus stack or do it manually?
Hi Andrew, I think you are missing a trick. I export the sequence of photos direct from Lightroom to Helicon Focus as dng files. The stacked photo result in Helicon Focus is then exported back to Lightroom as a dng where it can be edited as a dng.
Ha! I just asked the same question. I do it the way you describe so I was worried my workflow was incorrect when I saw this video. I guess both ways work.
Zerene Stacker (64-bit)
Hi, thanks for the video. Why do you edit in LR before stacking? Why don't you just stack the RAW files then edit the stacked dng? Thanks
Nice video, but Im wondering why you don't just send the images via the Helicon Lightroom plugin straight to Helicon....File, Plugin extras, Export to Helicon Focus? Once rendered it sends the rendered image back to Lightroom once you quit from Helicon.
Doesn't have Lightroom a plugin integration for HeliconFocus like CaptureOne has?
I'm surprised about that!
Yes it does.
@@rayzalaf8988 Thanks, I was surprised not to see it done that way and so I was wondering. But I would have expected such integration to exist.
Thanks, Andrew. I have used a much worse video in my Advanced Camera Techniques video. NOT ANYMORE!