Focus stacking post treatment

[PMO38]

Hi everyone,
last week, OLYMPUS updated EM1 software, providing a "focus bracketing" menu (up to 999 pictures, step from 1 to 10). It works quite well, in silence and suprisingly very quickly. Something magic
If the OLYMPUS body can provide the final "stacked image" in JPEG, you have to proceed by post-treatment if you would like to stay in RAW.
Unfortunately I started to have issues in the matter: I made for macro photos some series of 21 images step 1mm. To merge them I tried 2 methods:
1 -Lightroom (CC 2015) using the stacking HDR module
2- Photomerge/Photoshop (CC 2015)
But the results (very similar regardless the method) are not good. If the first images of the series are well focused, the final (merged) image shows lack of focus in the foreground.
I also tried to merge step by step (2 photos, then the result + 3 photos; again the result + 3 more) at this step I got blur on the frontground.
Could somebody help me?
Thank a lot for your help,
Regards
Pierre-Marie

[DanK]

it sounds as though you are not successfully stacking. HDR is the wrong tool. That is for combining images with the same focus but different exposure.

If you google "focus stack with photoshop" (without the quotes), you will find many postings with instructions. You load all the images as layers. You can find the rest of the steps here, among other places. I would follow those steps exactly and then post your results.

I never stack that way, although there are people on this site who do. I do all of my stacking with Zerene Stacker.

There is no reason to use intermediate results. The software can stack as many images as you need to stack.

I normally start with the closest part and gradually move the focus back. If you move in the other direction, you may end up with too tight a framing.

Without more information, it's hard to know if your steps are the right size (1mm).

[victor]

Pierre-Marie,

This tutorial may assist you for photoshop


http://www.digitalcameraworld.com/20...-in-photoshop/

I searched for focus stacking photoshop in google.

Dank post is more detailed. Must have typing mine ..

regards

David

[PMO38]

it sounds as though you are not successfully stacking. HDR is the wrong tool. That is for combining images with the same focus but different exposure.

If you google "focus stack with photoshop" (without the quotes), you will find many postings with instructions. You load all the images as layers. You can find the rest of the steps here, among other places. I would follow those steps exactly and then post your results.

I never stack that way, although there are people on this site who do. I do all of my stacking with Zerene Stacker.

There is no reason to use intermediate results. The software can stack as many images as you need to stack.

I normally start with the closest part and gradually move the focus back. If you move in the other direction, you may end up with too tight a framing.

Without more information, it's hard to know if your steps are the right size (1mm).

Hi Dan,

Many thanks for the tip and for your quick answer. It works quite well!
OLYMPUS provided a very effective feature!
Best regerds
Pierre-Marie

[PMO38]

Pierre-Marie,

This tutorial may assist you for photoshop


http://www.digitalcameraworld.com/20...-in-photoshop/

I searched for focus stacking photoshop in google.

Dank post is more detailed. Must have typing mine ..

regards

David

[PMO38]

Thanks David for your quick answer and your concern.
I successfully applied the tip given bt Dan.
Best regards
Pierre-Marie