

In general, moving subject matter should be avoided.

The number of separate photos ranges from a couple (for two distinct layers of subject matter) to as many as dozens (for expansive scenes).

OVERVIEWįocus stacking works in three general stages: In the second part of this tutorial we'll instead focus on stacking images taken at different f-stops. In this article, we'll focus on a type of image stacking that merges several photos which were taken at different focusing distances - producing a single, extended depth of field composite (aka "focus stacking"). This avoids many of the disadvantages of using too high an f-stop, while also retaining the advantage of a large depth of field. What's the solution? To combine several separate images (aka "image stacking"). Alternatively, one may wish to freeze motion in part of their image (such as with a moving subject), but also to preserve an expansive depth of field in other parts of the photo (without resorting to using a flash). Low-light photography: one may want to avoid a prohibitively long exposure time.Macro photography: one may wish to achieve a greater depth of field than otherwise obtainable using the lens's maximum f-stop (often f/22 or f/32 with SLR cameras).This can enable a much larger and sharper print than otherwise possible. Landscape photography: one may wish to obtain a vast depth of field, while also avoiding softness at the focal plane due to diffraction.
