Sometimes, as landscape photographers, we find ourselves in situations where the ideal gear isn’t at hand. Typically, for capturing stunning landscape images, photographers rely on tools like polarizers, tripods, and neutral density (ND) filters. However, there are moments when we might be caught with just our camera and the desire to capture a scene beautifully, despite less-than-perfect conditions.
Imagine a scene with moving water or clouds where you’d love to achieve that smooth, long exposure effect, but you’ve left your tripod and filters at home. This was precisely the scenario I faced in Ireland before lockdown in March. Without a tripod available, I needed to find a way to capture the motion of the river.
To overcome this limitation, I opted for a technique known as photo stacking. I captured a series of images handheld, using a higher ISO of 1000, an aperture of f/11, and a shutter speed of 1/15th of a second. Under normal circumstances, with a tripod, I would have aimed for a longer exposure by utilizing a lower ISO and a narrower aperture like f/16 or f/22. However, knowing the power of Photoshop, I was confident I could combine these sequentially captured images into a stack to simulate a long exposure effect.
This guide will walk you through the process of How To Photo Stack In Photoshop, allowing you to create impressive long exposure-like images even when shooting conditions aren’t ideal.
Step 1: Selecting Your Images in Lightroom
Begin by selecting the series of images you’ve captured for your photo stack in Adobe Lightroom. It’s crucial to choose images that are as consistent as possible in terms of composition and minimal camera movement between shots.
In Lightroom, review your sequence of shots. Click through them to identify any images with excessive movement or inconsistencies. For this example, I started with a few extra shots but narrowed it down to seven images that showed the most minor variations. A smaller, more consistent set of images will lead to faster processing and a cleaner final result.
Once you’ve selected your optimal image sequence, right-click on them. In the context menu, navigate to Edit In > Edit in Adobe Photoshop 2020… (or your preferred Photoshop version). This action will prepare your selected images for the next step in Photoshop.
Step 2: Loading Images into a Photoshop Stack
With your images now open in Photoshop, the next step is to load them into a stack. This is where Photoshop’s scripting capabilities come into play to organize your images as layers within a single document.
In Photoshop, go to the top menu and select File > Scripts > Load Files into Stack… This will open the “Load Layers” dialog box, specifically designed for stacking images.
In the Load Layers dialog, ensure that “Add Open Files” is selected. This option will automatically include all the images you’ve just opened from Lightroom into your stack.
Below the file selection options, you’ll find two crucial checkboxes: “Attempt to Automatically Align Source Images” and “Create Smart Object after Loading Layers.” It’s highly recommended to check both of these.
While “Attempt to Automatically Align Source Images” might seem unnecessary if you used a tripod, it’s invaluable, especially for handheld shots or situations where even slight movement might have occurred. Photoshop will analyze your images and attempt to align them, correcting minor shifts and ensuring a seamless stack. “Create Smart Object after Loading Layers” is also essential as it allows for non-destructive editing and enables you to utilize stack modes effectively.
Click “OK” and allow Photoshop to process and load your images. The progress bar will indicate the loading and alignment process. Once completed, you can close the original seven individual image files, as they are now combined within your stacked Smart Object.
Step 3: Setting the Stack Mode for Long Exposure Effect
Now that your images are stacked as a Smart Object, the magic of creating a long exposure effect happens through Stack Modes. Photoshop offers various stack modes, each producing different results.
To access these modes, navigate to Layer > Smart Objects > Stack Mode. Here you’ll find a list of options. For simulating long exposure, “Mean” and “Median” are particularly effective.
In many cases, “Mean” stack mode yields the best results for smoothing out motion, like water or clouds, mimicking a traditional long exposure. However, experimenting with other modes like “Median” can also produce interesting effects.
“Median” mode, for instance, tends to retain more sharpness and detail, resulting in less softening of moving elements compared to the “Mean” mode. It often appears closer to a single exposure from the sequence, while still reducing noise and unwanted elements.
The best approach is to try out different stack modes to see which one best achieves the desired effect for your specific image set. Each mode offers a unique way of blending the stacked images, so experimentation is key to mastering this technique.
Step 4: Final Edits and Refinements
After applying a Stack Mode, your image is nearly complete. The final step involves standard post-processing adjustments to enhance your photo stacked image.
Begin by assessing if the automatic alignment has introduced any unwanted transparent edges. If so, use the crop tool to refine your composition and remove these borders. Next, adjust contrast and saturation to bring out the best in your image. You might also want to fine-tune levels, curves, or apply other adjustments to achieve your desired look.
Photo stacking is a powerful technique to have in your photography toolkit. It offers a creative solution when you don’t have access to ideal equipment or when conditions are less than perfect. By capturing a sequence of images and utilizing Photoshop’s stack modes, you can transform ordinary shots into captivating images with a beautiful long exposure feel. Practice this technique, and you’ll find it greatly expands your creative possibilities in various shooting scenarios.
