Focus Stacking the Right Way using Adobe Photoshop

I can't begin to tell you how many times I've "lost" a shot because I didn't have proper focus throughout the photo, from the foreground all the way through the background. Don't get me wrong... whichever area I decided to focus on at the time was perfectly sharp, but the rest of the image was soft and it ended up ruining the photo.

A big reason for that is because I forgot to focus stack. I think a lot of us who know about focus stacking don't use it because it requires several additional steps both while we're in the field and when we're in front of the computer. It's just as simple as pressing the shutter button and calling it a day. Despite the extra effort, I wholeheartedly believe that focus stacking is an integral tool that every landscape photographer should know about.

And it's not enough to know how to do it. It's as important to know why you should focus stack and when you need to apply the technique. Most focus stacking tutorial videos start you off already in front of your computer, which is helpful to a degree. But, I wanted to take you to the beginning of the process and show you what I do at the composition phase with my camera in the field. I hope you enjoy the video!