Using a Stack in Photoshop for Landscape Photography

[Darren McLoughlin]

Stacks can help to create landscape images for when shooting conditions aren't ideal

It happens sometimes; usually for landscape photography the photographer will carry a polariser, tripod and ND filter - but on occasions, for some reason, we might be found with only a camera.

In such a case, it is possible to create something of a long exposure image with a sequence of shots, preferably taken on a tripod or with the camera perched on something solid.

Here was one such occasion from the days before lockdown in Ireland back in March, when I didn't even have a tripod with me.

I took a sequence of images, with a high ISO of 1000, at f11 with 1/15th on the shutter. With a tripod I would have been able to get a longer exposure by using a lower ISO and a smaller aperture of f16 or f22.

I knew that I could combine these images, if held relatively steady between frames, into a stack in Photoshop.

So here is the method:

❶ Select the images in Lightroom

• I have one or two extra but clicking between them shows too much movement so I pick those that are most similar. In this case there are seven so processing shouldn't take too long or be too taxing on the system.

• Right click on the selected images and choose Edit In>Edit in Adobe Photoshop 2020...

❷ Load images into a stack in Photoshop

• Once in Photoshop go to File>Scripts>Load Files into Stack...

• Choose Add Open Files to add all of those open.

• Check Attempt to Automatically Align Source Images and Create Smart Object after Loading Layers

• There is no need to align source images if you have used a tripod but because I took these handheld I know there will be movement, and flicking through the images in Lightroom does show that there is a slight variation in the sequence.
• Then OK, wait for the Progress bar to finish then close the original seven files.

❸ Set Stack Mode

• On the Smart Object file go to Layer>Smart Objects>Stack Mode and choose from one of the options.

• Usually here Mean will work best, but play around with the options to see what effects you get.
• Here is how Median looks, it is closer to a single image from the sequence, there is less softening of the white water.

• And here is a comparison of the Mean stack vs one of the original seven images.

❹ Finish with usual edits - crop, saturation etc.

• I have finished up with some edits to the Mean Stack, including cropping - (important to check if aligning images has taken place), contrast, saturation.

Using stacks can be a good option to gain a little from not ideal conditions. As long as you have more than one image and these are closely aligned then using stacks in Photoshop can deliver a finished image that is more than just a snapshot. 

[D Fosse]

Actually Lightroom "Open in Photoshop as layers" will cut one step from the procedure 🙂

[Trevor.Dennis]

Or Bridge if you don't use no stinkin' Lightroom.

[bichonmaltestoy]

Yes i use it too. it easy thanks

[JohanElzenga]

Except that this also adds two steps again: first you'll have to select all layers and then choose 'Auto-align Layers', because you do not get that option when you load images as layers from Lightroom or Bridge. And then you'll have to create a smart object from the layers, because that is also not an option.

[steffon5FEE]

Hi, I find it really nice thanks for sharing.

SHAREit MX Player

[Kirk Hammet]

Thanks)

[Alo GiupViec]

And then you'll have to create a smart object from the layers, because that is also not an option....alo giupviec