Focus stacking is one of those techniques that separates technically sharp landscape images from truly exceptional ones. If you've ever come home from a shoot with a stunning composition only to find the foreground is soft or the distant peaks are slightly blurry, this guide is for you
WHAT IS FOCUS STACKING?
Focus stacking is a technique to capture a series of images of the same scene, each focused at a slightly different distance, and then blend those frames together in post-processing to create a single image with far greater depth of field than any one shot could deliver on its own.
Every lens has a physical limit to how much of a scene it can render sharply in a single exposure. No matter how narrow your aperture, there will always be parts of a scene — typically the closest foreground or the far background — that fall outside that sharp zone. Focus stacking bypasses this limitation entirely by ensuring every plane of the scene is captured sharply in at least one of your frames, then combining the sharpest pixels from each into one final image.
The number of frames required depends on your focal length and the depth of your scene. A wide-angle lens at 16mm shooting a moderately deep scene might need just two or three images. A telephoto at 200mm, with its dramatically compressed depth of field, could require ten or more frames to achieve complete front-to-back sharpness.
Focus stacking is a technique to capture a series of images of the same scene, each focused at a slightly different distance, and then blend those frames together in post-processing to create a single image with far greater depth of field than any one shot could deliver on its own.
Every lens has a physical limit to how much of a scene it can render sharply in a single exposure. No matter how narrow your aperture, there will always be parts of a scene — typically the closest foreground or the far background — that fall outside that sharp zone. Focus stacking bypasses this limitation entirely by ensuring every plane of the scene is captured sharply in at least one of your frames, then combining the sharpest pixels from each into one final image.
The number of frames required depends on your focal length and the depth of your scene. A wide-angle lens at 16mm shooting a moderately deep scene might need just two or three images. A telephoto at 200mm, with its dramatically compressed depth of field, could require ten or more frames to achieve complete front-to-back sharpness.
WHAT FOCUS STACKING ACHIEVES IN YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY
Focus stacking delivers several meaningful improvements to the technical quality — and creative potential — of your landscape images.
Focus stacking delivers several meaningful improvements to the technical quality — and creative potential — of your landscape images.
- True front-to-back sharpness. This is the most obvious gain. Whether your scene includes close foreground rocks, a river in the middle ground, and a mountain range on the horizon, every element is rendered with maximum clarity. This is simply not achievable in a single frame across many shooting scenarios, regardless of how small you stop your aperture down.
- Preserved image quality at your lens's sweet spot. Every lens performs best at a particular aperture — typically somewhere between f/8 and f/11 — where optical sharpness across the frame is maximised. Stopping down further to f/16 or f/22 to chase depth of field introduces a phenomenon called diffraction, where light waves spreading through the small aperture opening interfere with each other and soften detail across the whole image. Focus stacking lets you stay at f/8–f/11 for each individual frame, preserving the best optical quality throughout.
- Confidence over hyperfocal guesswork. Hyperfocal distance — the point at which you focus to get the farthest background acceptably sharp while keeping as much foreground as possible in focus — is a useful concept but an approximation. Even a small error in your focus placement can leave the very front or back of your image slightly soft. Focus stacking eliminates this uncertainty entirely. You know with certainty that every part of the scene is captured sharply somewhere in your stack.
- Greater compositional freedom. When you know you can stack, you're free to compose more boldly. You can place interesting elements very close to your lens, shoot with a wider aperture to achieve a specific quality of light, or zoom in with a telephoto for compression — all without worrying about whether a single frame can hold everything sharp.
- Print-ready sharpness at large sizes. Soft focus areas that are barely noticeable at screen resolution become very obvious at print sizes of 60cm and above. A focus-stacked image holds crisp detail across the frame at any print size, making for a far more impressive final product.
MORNING WELCOME Lake Alexandrina.
3-image In-camera focus stack | 24mm, f/8, 1/8th sec, ISO 100
3-image In-camera focus stack | 24mm, f/8, 1/8th sec, ISO 100
SILENT PEACE Lake Alexandrina.
5-image In-camera focus stack | 24mm, f/8, 4 sec, ISO 100
5-image In-camera focus stack | 24mm, f/8, 4 sec, ISO 100
DRAWBACKS OF FOCUS STACKING
Focus stacking is a powerful tool, but it isn't without its challenges. Understanding where it falls short will help you decide when to use it — and when to leave it for another day.
Focus stacking is a powerful tool, but it isn't without its challenges. Understanding where it falls short will help you decide when to use it — and when to leave it for another day.
- It takes time. Shooting a focus stack means carefully adjusting your focus point between frames while keeping everything else identical. Back at the desk, processing a set of stacked files takes considerably longer than editing a single image. During rapidly changing light at sunrise or sunset, this added commitment can be a real constraint.
- Moving elements cause blending problems. Leaves, grass, ocean waves, and clouds all shift between frames. When Photoshop tries to blend a stack containing moving elements, you can end up with ghosting, duplication, or odd halos around those areas. Scenes with significant movement are genuinely challenging and sometimes not suitable for focus stacking at all. Always assess the scene before committing to the technique.
- Camera stability is critical. Even a very slight shift in camera position between frames can cause misalignment that software struggles to correct perfectly. A sturdy tripod and a remote shutter release or self-timer are strongly recommended. Handheld focus stacking is possible at fast shutter speeds but you will almost certainly lose pixels at the edges during alignment, and the risk of failure increases significantly.
- Rapidly changing light is a problem. At sunrise and sunset, the light can shift dramatically in seconds. A beam of sunlight lighting up a foreground rock in frame one may have disappeared by frame three. These tonal inconsistencies make blending look unnatural and difficult to fix convincingly.
- File sizes grow quickly. Multiple RAW files eat through memory cards and hard drives. The merged TIFF file produced by Photoshop can easily reach 500MB to 1GB or more on a high-resolution sensor. If you shoot this way regularly, storage and backup costs are real considerations.
- Post-processing skills are required. Automatic blending in Photoshop works well in many situations but is not perfect. Complex scenes often require manual masking — painting sharpness in from individual layers by hand — which demands a working knowledge of Photoshop's layer tools and some patience.
HOW TO FOCUS STACK: THE MANUAL METHOD
The manual method works on any camera system and gives you complete control over how many frames you capture and exactly where each focus point sits.
Step 1 — Assess the scene before you commit. Take a single test shot focused roughly a third of the way into the scene. Zoom into the playback at 100% and check the nearest foreground element and the farthest background. Decide whether the depth of the scene warrants focus stacking, and consider whether moving elements — water, foliage, clouds — are likely to cause problems.
Step 2 — Mount your camera securely on a tripod. Stability is everything. Lock off your composition and use a remote shutter release or a 2-second self-timer to eliminate vibration from pressing the shutter button. Do not adjust zoom, reframe, or change any exposure setting once you begin shooting.
Step 3 — Lock in your exposure settings. Set your aperture to your lens's sweet spot — typically f/8 to f/11. Set your shutter speed and ISO, and switch to manual exposure mode to ensure every frame in the stack is exposed identically.
Step 4 — Focus on the nearest foreground element and take your first shot. Use manual focus or tap-to-focus on the closest element in your frame that needs to be sharp.
Step 5 — Step focus toward the background and shoot at each distinct plane. Move your focus point to the next meaningful element — a mid-ground rock, a line of trees, a distant ridgeline — and take another frame. Each focus zone should slightly overlap the previous one to avoid any gap in sharpness. Continue until you reach the farthest background element.
Step 6 — Mark the stack so you can find it later. Develop a consistent system for flagging where a stack begins and ends in your image library. Some photographers hold up fingers in front of the lens; others use a custom button to create a small marker JPEG between stacks. Whatever works for you — use it every time.
The manual method works on any camera system and gives you complete control over how many frames you capture and exactly where each focus point sits.
Step 1 — Assess the scene before you commit. Take a single test shot focused roughly a third of the way into the scene. Zoom into the playback at 100% and check the nearest foreground element and the farthest background. Decide whether the depth of the scene warrants focus stacking, and consider whether moving elements — water, foliage, clouds — are likely to cause problems.
Step 2 — Mount your camera securely on a tripod. Stability is everything. Lock off your composition and use a remote shutter release or a 2-second self-timer to eliminate vibration from pressing the shutter button. Do not adjust zoom, reframe, or change any exposure setting once you begin shooting.
Step 3 — Lock in your exposure settings. Set your aperture to your lens's sweet spot — typically f/8 to f/11. Set your shutter speed and ISO, and switch to manual exposure mode to ensure every frame in the stack is exposed identically.
Step 4 — Focus on the nearest foreground element and take your first shot. Use manual focus or tap-to-focus on the closest element in your frame that needs to be sharp.
Step 5 — Step focus toward the background and shoot at each distinct plane. Move your focus point to the next meaningful element — a mid-ground rock, a line of trees, a distant ridgeline — and take another frame. Each focus zone should slightly overlap the previous one to avoid any gap in sharpness. Continue until you reach the farthest background element.
Step 6 — Mark the stack so you can find it later. Develop a consistent system for flagging where a stack begins and ends in your image library. Some photographers hold up fingers in front of the lens; others use a custom button to create a small marker JPEG between stacks. Whatever works for you — use it every time.
Sony Full Frame - Custom Image Divider
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Pro tip: If your scene includes a body of water in the mid-ground, don't bother focusing on the water itself. Water is always in motion and won't benefit from focus stacking. Jump your focus from the foreground directly to whatever solid element sits behind the water.
RESTING DINGHYS Lake Alexandrina.
5-image In-camera focus stack | 24mm, f/8, 1/10th sec, ISO 100
5-image In-camera focus stack | 24mm, f/8, 1/10th sec, ISO 100
HOW TO FOCUS STACK: THE IN-CAMERA AUTOMATIC METHOD
Several modern mirrorless cameras — including models from Sony, Nikon, OM System, and others — include a built-in focus stacking or focus bracketing mode. This automates the process of stepping focus through the scene, taking the guesswork out of how many frames to capture and how far apart to space each focus point.
Step 1 — Locate your camera's focus stacking or focus bracketing mode. The exact menu location varies by manufacturer. On Sony cameras look for it within the Bracket Settings or Drive Mode. On Nikon Z bodies it appears as "Focus shift shooting" in the Photo Shooting Menu. On OM System cameras look for Focus Stacking or Focus Bracketing in the Shooting Menu.
Step 2 — Set your focus step width. This controls how far focus shifts between each frame. A narrower step means more images but more thorough coverage. For wide-angle landscapes a medium setting usually works well; for telephoto or close-focus work, a narrower step is generally needed. Consult your camera's manual for the specific scale used.
Step 3 — Set the number of shots. If unsure, set the number higher than you think you'll need. The camera will stop automatically when focus reaches infinity, so extra frames cost very little. Some cameras can determine the required number automatically based on your aperture and focal length — if yours has this feature, use it.
Step 4 — Position your starting focus point at the nearest foreground element. Tap the touchscreen (if available) or use the joystick to place the AF point on the closest element in your composition that needs to be sharp. The camera will step focus outward from this point automatically.
Step 5 — Trip the shutter and let the camera do the work. Press the shutter button or use your remote release and the camera will capture all the frames in the sequence, advancing focus toward infinity with each shot.
Step 6 — Review the first and last frames. Check that the foreground is sharp in the first frame and the background is sharp in the last. If anything looks off, reshoot before moving on.
Tip: If your camera allows you to save focus-stacked sets into a dedicated folder, set this up. Hunting through thousands of images for a matching set of nine frames is nobody's idea of a good time.
Note on handheld focus stacking: At fast shutter speeds and using in-camera steady shot — 1/500s or faster — handheld focus stacking using the automatic in-camera method is achievable. You will likely lose some edge pixels during the alignment step in Photoshop, so allow for a slightly loose composition. It is not ideal but is far preferable to missing the shot.
Several modern mirrorless cameras — including models from Sony, Nikon, OM System, and others — include a built-in focus stacking or focus bracketing mode. This automates the process of stepping focus through the scene, taking the guesswork out of how many frames to capture and how far apart to space each focus point.
Step 1 — Locate your camera's focus stacking or focus bracketing mode. The exact menu location varies by manufacturer. On Sony cameras look for it within the Bracket Settings or Drive Mode. On Nikon Z bodies it appears as "Focus shift shooting" in the Photo Shooting Menu. On OM System cameras look for Focus Stacking or Focus Bracketing in the Shooting Menu.
Step 2 — Set your focus step width. This controls how far focus shifts between each frame. A narrower step means more images but more thorough coverage. For wide-angle landscapes a medium setting usually works well; for telephoto or close-focus work, a narrower step is generally needed. Consult your camera's manual for the specific scale used.
Step 3 — Set the number of shots. If unsure, set the number higher than you think you'll need. The camera will stop automatically when focus reaches infinity, so extra frames cost very little. Some cameras can determine the required number automatically based on your aperture and focal length — if yours has this feature, use it.
Step 4 — Position your starting focus point at the nearest foreground element. Tap the touchscreen (if available) or use the joystick to place the AF point on the closest element in your composition that needs to be sharp. The camera will step focus outward from this point automatically.
Step 5 — Trip the shutter and let the camera do the work. Press the shutter button or use your remote release and the camera will capture all the frames in the sequence, advancing focus toward infinity with each shot.
Step 6 — Review the first and last frames. Check that the foreground is sharp in the first frame and the background is sharp in the last. If anything looks off, reshoot before moving on.
Tip: If your camera allows you to save focus-stacked sets into a dedicated folder, set this up. Hunting through thousands of images for a matching set of nine frames is nobody's idea of a good time.
Note on handheld focus stacking: At fast shutter speeds and using in-camera steady shot — 1/500s or faster — handheld focus stacking using the automatic in-camera method is achievable. You will likely lose some edge pixels during the alignment step in Photoshop, so allow for a slightly loose composition. It is not ideal but is far preferable to missing the shot.
PROCESSING FOCUS STACKED IMAGES IN LIGHTROOM CLASSIC AND PHOTOSHOP
Once you're back at the desk, the workflow splits into two phases: global editing in Lightroom Classic, then the actual blending work in Photoshop.
Phase 1: Lightroom Classic
Import your focus stack frames as normal and locate your set of images. Select the most representative frame — usually the one focused on the mid-ground — and edit it to your taste: exposure, white balance, highlights, shadows, tone curve, colour grading. Once satisfied, select all remaining frames in the stack and click Sync to synchronise development settings across all the selected images. Every frame should now share identical colour and tonal treatment.
Phase 2: Photoshop
With all frames in the stack selected in Lightroom, click on Photo in the main menu - Edit In > Open as Layers in Photoshop. Lightroom will export each image as a separate layer in a single Photoshop document.
Once the images have loaded, hold Shift and click all layers in the Layers panel to select them all.
Go to Edit > Auto-Align Layers and choose Auto Projection. Click OK. This corrects for focus breathing — the slight changes in framing that occur as the lens refocuses between shots — and any tiny shifts in camera position. You will notice the image edges develop some transparent blank strips after alignment. This is normal.
With all layers still selected, go to Edit > Auto-Blend Layers and choose Stack Images. Make sure Seamless Tones and Colours is ticked. Click OK. Photoshop will analyse each layer, identify the sharpest pixels across every region of the frame, and create layer masks on each layer to build the final composite. The result should be sharp throughout the entire scene.
Examine the result carefully at 100% zoom, scrolling across the entire image. Look for any blending artefacts — ghosting around moving elements, odd halos, or bands of unexpected softness.
Once satisfied, flatten all layers via Layer > Flatten Image. Crop away the blank edge strips left over from the alignment step. Save the file — Photoshop will save it as a TIFF, which will appear back in your Lightroom library alongside the original RAW files. Apply any final targeted adjustments in Lightroom from here.
Once you're back at the desk, the workflow splits into two phases: global editing in Lightroom Classic, then the actual blending work in Photoshop.
Phase 1: Lightroom Classic
Import your focus stack frames as normal and locate your set of images. Select the most representative frame — usually the one focused on the mid-ground — and edit it to your taste: exposure, white balance, highlights, shadows, tone curve, colour grading. Once satisfied, select all remaining frames in the stack and click Sync to synchronise development settings across all the selected images. Every frame should now share identical colour and tonal treatment.
Phase 2: Photoshop
With all frames in the stack selected in Lightroom, click on Photo in the main menu - Edit In > Open as Layers in Photoshop. Lightroom will export each image as a separate layer in a single Photoshop document.
Once the images have loaded, hold Shift and click all layers in the Layers panel to select them all.
Go to Edit > Auto-Align Layers and choose Auto Projection. Click OK. This corrects for focus breathing — the slight changes in framing that occur as the lens refocuses between shots — and any tiny shifts in camera position. You will notice the image edges develop some transparent blank strips after alignment. This is normal.
With all layers still selected, go to Edit > Auto-Blend Layers and choose Stack Images. Make sure Seamless Tones and Colours is ticked. Click OK. Photoshop will analyse each layer, identify the sharpest pixels across every region of the frame, and create layer masks on each layer to build the final composite. The result should be sharp throughout the entire scene.
Examine the result carefully at 100% zoom, scrolling across the entire image. Look for any blending artefacts — ghosting around moving elements, odd halos, or bands of unexpected softness.
Once satisfied, flatten all layers via Layer > Flatten Image. Crop away the blank edge strips left over from the alignment step. Save the file — Photoshop will save it as a TIFF, which will appear back in your Lightroom library alongside the original RAW files. Apply any final targeted adjustments in Lightroom from here.
CALM Lake Alexandrina.
5-image In-camera focus stack | 24mm, f/8, 4 sec, ISO 100
5-image In-camera focus stack | 24mm, f/8, 4 sec, ISO 100
SUMMARY
Focus stacking is one of those techniques that can feel daunting when you first encounter it, but becomes second nature quickly with a handful of outings in the field and a few processing sessions at the desk.
The principle is simple: shoot multiple frames at different focus distances, then combine them in post to produce a composite that is sharp throughout. The payoff — genuine front-to-back sharpness, maximum optical quality at your lens's sweet spot, and images that hold up beautifully at large print sizes — is well worth the extra effort.
Yes, there are challenges. Moving elements, rapidly changing light, and large file sizes are real considerations. But approached thoughtfully, with a solid understanding of when focus stacking will and won't work, it becomes an invaluable part of your landscape photography craft.
Next time you're set up at sunrise with compelling foreground detail, try shooting a two- or three-frame stack. Work through the Lightroom and Photoshop process above and see the difference it makes. Once you start focus stacking, it's very hard to go back.
Focus stacking is one of those techniques that can feel daunting when you first encounter it, but becomes second nature quickly with a handful of outings in the field and a few processing sessions at the desk.
The principle is simple: shoot multiple frames at different focus distances, then combine them in post to produce a composite that is sharp throughout. The payoff — genuine front-to-back sharpness, maximum optical quality at your lens's sweet spot, and images that hold up beautifully at large print sizes — is well worth the extra effort.
Yes, there are challenges. Moving elements, rapidly changing light, and large file sizes are real considerations. But approached thoughtfully, with a solid understanding of when focus stacking will and won't work, it becomes an invaluable part of your landscape photography craft.
Next time you're set up at sunrise with compelling foreground detail, try shooting a two- or three-frame stack. Work through the Lightroom and Photoshop process above and see the difference it makes. Once you start focus stacking, it's very hard to go back.
If you are interested in prints of any of the Landscape Photography images on my site, please browse my Photography Gallery, and check the images in my Online Print Store, or get in touch to purchase images from this post.
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