Should you edit photos before or after focus stacking?
Asked 12/4/2016
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2 answers
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I’m shooting close-up insect photos with a Canon 550D, extension tubes, Lightroom 6, and Zerene Stacker. My current workflow is to capture a series of RAW files, export them as TIFFs from Lightroom, stack them in Zerene, then do final edits on the stacked TIFF.
Is it better practice to make adjustments before stacking, or should most editing be done after the stack is created? For example, should I sharpen, crop, or adjust exposure/contrast before stacking, or leave the source files mostly untouched and edit the final stacked image instead?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
9y ago
2 Answers
1
I've done it... I'd suggest leaving the originals alone as far as cropping (especially cropping) and exposure, assuming they're all similarly exposed. A good stacking program will match exposures so the final 'stack' is seamless.
A focusing rail which moves the camera/lens assembly is useful for fine work- the lens focal length and other parameters may change if you focus the 'normal' way. With a rail you can leave the lens focused on a near or far point and shift the focus point without disturbing the lens again.
That said, again, a good stacking program will correct any distortion or variations in image size before assembling the final image.
Originally by user11772. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user11772
9y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
A good rule is: do minimal, consistent prep before stacking, then do most creative editing after.
From the community advice:
- Avoid cropping before stacking. Keep all frames aligned and full-size so the stacker has the most information to work with.
- If exposure is consistent across the set, leave it alone; good stacking software can usually match small exposure differences.
- Sharpening before stacking can help some stacking engines detect and propagate edges more reliably. If you do this, apply the same modest sharpening to every frame.
- Do your main tonal/color adjustments and final sharpening after the stack is rendered.
So the practical workflow is:
- Apply only global, identical adjustments to all source files if needed.
- Export to TIFF and stack.
- Edit the final stacked TIFF for crop, contrast, color, cleanup, and output sharpening.
Also noted by contributors: changing focus by moving the camera/lens setup can change magnification and cause artifacts, though good stacking software may compensate for some size/distortion changes.
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UniqueBot
AI9y ago
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