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Author Topic: Focus Stacking: Retouching Stacked Photos  (Read 2613 times)

Michael Erlewine

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Focus Stacking: Retouching Stacked Photos
« on: February 17, 2015, 07:07:58 pm »

An in-depth introduction to retouching stacked-photos in Adobe Lightroom, Adobe Photoshop, and Zerene Stacker. Forty pages of text with copious hi-res illustrations and diagrams by well-known photographer Michael Erlewine. PDF is here.

http://spiritgrooves.libsyn.com/retouching-stacked-photos-macro-and-close-up-photography
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Rory

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Re: Focus Stacking: Retouching Stacked Photos
« Reply #1 on: February 17, 2015, 09:19:24 pm »

It is a nice write-up, but the author is not taking full advantage of the workflow from LR to Zerene and back again.  Zerene has an addin for LR that streamlines the process from that described.
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Michael Erlewine

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Re: Focus Stacking: Retouching Stacked Photos
« Reply #2 on: February 18, 2015, 04:15:51 am »

Rory: Thanks for pointing this out. I have added a note about this feature to the PDF. I process files in batches, so I work with Lightroom directly as a stand-alone program, rather than process one stack at a time through Lightroom, and I also process 100-layer stacks, which the plug-in won't handle. I appreciate the comment and have reflected this in my description.
« Last Edit: February 18, 2015, 04:25:43 am by Michael Erlewine »
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Rory

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Re: Focus Stacking: Retouching Stacked Photos
« Reply #3 on: February 18, 2015, 09:44:20 am »

I was not aware of the stack depth limitation for the addin.  I think I recently did a stack of about 70 images.  Anyway, you have a lot of valuable information in your PDF - thanks very much for sharing it!!!
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Michael Erlewine

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Re: Focus Stacking: Retouching Stacked Photos
« Reply #4 on: February 18, 2015, 09:48:38 am »

That limitation is what the author Rik Littlefield states. I have a lot of info on focus stacking, clus-up, and macrophotography at MacroStop.com
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Rory

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Re: Focus Stacking: Retouching Stacked Photos
« Reply #5 on: February 18, 2015, 09:51:29 am »

That limitation is what the author Rik Littlefield states. I have a lot of info on focus stacking, clus-up, and macrophotography at MacroStop.com


I checked out your site - a valuable resource.  Rik is pretty amazing.
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Michael Erlewine

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Re: Focus Stacking: Retouching Stacked Photos
« Reply #6 on: February 18, 2015, 09:54:43 am »

I agree. Littlefield is incredible.
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Rory

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Re: Focus Stacking: Retouching Stacked Photos
« Reply #7 on: February 20, 2015, 04:43:06 pm »

That limitation is what the author Rik Littlefield states. I have a lot of info on focus stacking, clus-up, and macrophotography at MacroStop.com


You should double check the file number limitation as I think you are still a little bit out-of-date.  I believe this file limitation applies to the method of batching to Zerene via the command line.  Since the command line has a limited length, there is a limit to how many file names, especially ones with a long path, can be concatenated.  However, the new LR Plugin for the pro version introduced at Build T201401030945_beta that I am referring to is written in LUA and I do not believe it has a file number limit. I just completed a stack of 153 D800E files...
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Michael Erlewine

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Re: Focus Stacking: Retouching Stacked Photos
« Reply #8 on: February 20, 2015, 05:10:28 pm »

If that is true, it is good news. However, I tend to process many stacks at a time, and while the TIFFs are being calculated, I start stacking. I don't waste any time using my method, but it is good to know.
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Rory

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Re: Focus Stacking: Retouching Stacked Photos
« Reply #9 on: February 20, 2015, 05:29:26 pm »

If that is true, it is good news. However, I tend to process many stacks at a time, and while the TIFFs are being calculated, I start stacking. I don't waste any time using my method, but it is good to know.

You can do that with the new plugin (process many stacks at a time).  Each export from lightroom creates a new instance of Zerene.  I'm just pointing out that you are publishing a PDF "by the well known photographer Michael Erlewine", who turns out to be yourself, if I understand correctly, but you are not completely up-to-date in your knowledge.  Given your purported expertise in the subject I assumed you would want to include all the pertinent info in your otherwise excellent publication.  I have used your published workflow in the past, and I like this one better.  Rik built this plugin for lightroom for a reason.
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Michael Erlewine

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Re: Focus Stacking: Retouching Stacked Photos
« Reply #10 on: February 20, 2015, 05:59:23 pm »

Thanks for the advice. I took it in the first time you pointed it out and I added a comment in the PDF (right away) telling folks about it and where to get it . I also experimented with it, so I am up-to-date. That being said, I like doing it the way I do it, and others are free to do the same. I have a fast computer, and the retouching part of things takes longer than any amount of stacking calculations. If I have two many finished stacks ready at once, I feel pushed. For me focus stacking is a recipe in patience, and I appreciate that about it. Also, giving Lightroom too many tasks slows it down, and I tend to do other things while stacks are being processed. Trust me that I am not wasting any time.
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