Step-by-step, how to create Focus Stacked HDR landscape images. How to use Lightroom and Helicon Focus to create HDR Focus Stacked images. Link to ebook Razor-Sharp (copy and paste) bit.ly/3L7nP3M
Thanks Terry. Very helpful. I always wondered how one would do an HDR with focus stacked images. You explained the process very nicely. I also loved the idea of creating a Smart Collection to capture the HDR and TIFF images. I''m always hunting around for my HDR and TIFF images when I use HDR processes and Helicon Focus. Great solution! Thank you!
Great video Terry! I was wonder if you ever run into issues with lens focus breathing using the Z9 stacking function on close work. Do you have preferred lens or just a specific method of avoiding it?
Thank you for a great job on explaining stacking on the Z9 and doing HDR. I am a sports & nature photographer expanding into landscapes and your videos were extremely helpful. I did a test run using LR & PS to stack the images. I'm curious why you prefer Hilicon over LR & PS? Thanks again for your teachings.
I get this question asked a lot. I started with Helicon and like how fast and accurate it works so I have stuck with it and know the kind of results I'm going to get. I have not done and accuracy or speed comparison on these but maybe I should. I was just showing my personal work flow on this video.
Excellent video, Terry. When you say shoot on manual, do you mean that you shoot each shot in the stack as opposed to letting the camera take over the shutter? I love HDR and totally in love with focus stacking. So you scratched both itches. ;) Your workflow using Lightroom was very enlightening. I generally use Bridge. Wondering if there's a way I can export directly to Helicon as you did with your stacked RAW files. Thanks again.
When I referred to manual, I’m talking about exposure. That way there is no variance within the photo stack. I do let the camera do the change in focus.
so how would you handle a collection of Focus Stack with sub collections of specific focus stack projects in regard to a smart tiff & hdr. would these be in a sub within the project
I typically make a collection of my Focus Stacked images. Then I make a smart collections that are just Tiff files. That way when my Helicon software returns a stacked image, it goes right into the Tiff Smart Collection.
Hi Terry, thank you for your helpful video slots on using the Nikon z9. I have a question, with firmware 3.0 focus stacking focus reset was added, great!, however to date no matter what ever I try the option is greyed out. Any thoughts? Love your videos by the way
One simple solution can be that your camera is set to bracket exposure. Put it back to normal and it should work. After that, make sure you have current lenses on your camera. Let me know if this works for you.
Hello Terry, unfortunately that hasn’t worked. I’ve even done a menu reset, back to defaults (I did save my settings first), no joy! All the other stacking options are available. It’s not going interfere too much in my photography, as I never had it before hand anyway, just frustrating. Thanks for replying and offering advise. Tony
@@tonyh4266 It should be working. I would call Nikon and have someone walk you through it. You paid for all the features, you should have access to them.
@@tv510 Hi Terry, I had a reply from Nikon uk. They tried it on one of their Z9s and found the same. They have passed it on to their tech. People. It only affects FX lenses. Z lenses work fine. All mine are FX at the moment. Tony
So you start with the remute in you Hand? Mainproblem! you cant repeat without toutching the camera. IT should Return top the Starposition after the stack
Hey Kordula, the only thing I’m touching the camera for is for the dial to change the shutterspeed and then to press the back button focus button. The focus point remains the same, and yes, I do those moves gingerly.
Good Video,but i have a Problem,-after stacking the photos, Helicon give me different sizes,about 5 to 10Pixel different.Then,when i try to give them to the HDR prog it says that it need same picture sizes. What i do wrong here?
That is peculiar. If you shoot all the images from the same camera, at the same time, they should all be the same size. I would try a test and be diligent about the details. Work with only 3-4 images to start. I don't see any reason they should be different. I Always work with image exported as .tiff from Lightroom Classic, into Helicon. Then out of helicon back into Lightroom. Once in Lightroom I can crop and such on that completed image.
@@tv510 think i got it now,-in the upper menu at edit-preferences-autoadjustments-crop output automatically was enabled....i disable it and now all output files have the same size
I meant to say "Heelycon". The pronunciation I got from a friend who was working closely with the manufacturer of the product. Not sure how they are doing these days since they are based in the Ukraine. Here is a link to the company: www.heliconsoft.com/supportukraine/
Well done. Showing the process and flow was much more effective than simply giving a step by step verbally. Thank you.
Thanks Stanpiper!
Thank you Terry. Great explanation and excellent pacing 👏 Thank you for showing your workflow too. Next step, buy your ebook!
Thank you, I do appreciate that.
Thanks Terry. Very helpful. I always wondered how one would do an HDR with focus stacked images. You explained the process very nicely. I also loved the idea of creating a Smart Collection to capture the HDR and TIFF images. I''m always hunting around for my HDR and TIFF images when I use HDR processes and Helicon Focus. Great solution! Thank you!
Thanks Bill, Whenever we get these softwares to do a little work for us, all is better. 😀
So helpful! Thank you, I appreciate all of your videos. They've helped so much, as well as your book.
Absolutely Valerie. Thanks for watching and sharing!
Excellent tutorial Terry, thanks!
Thanks John!
It is a few steps through adobe…. I may give it a try. Thanks Terry!
Thanks!
Very good video!
Thank you Richard!
Great video Terry! I was wonder if you ever run into issues with lens focus breathing using the Z9 stacking function on close work. Do you have preferred lens or just a specific method of avoiding it?
Hi Will, using the Z 14-24 and the Z 24-70, it hasn’t been an issue. I’ve been testing the 50 f/1.2 so far it’s great on the breathing.
That would be a scenario where you focus stack in photoshop imo, with the align layers feature.
Great video, thanks. Would it make any difference if you did the HDR merge first, and then focus stack?
I don't think so. This is just the way I do it. Just be careful not to crop any of the images, so they can all fit together when you stack.
Thank you for a great job on explaining stacking on the Z9 and doing HDR. I am a sports & nature photographer expanding into landscapes and your videos were extremely helpful. I did a test run using LR & PS to stack the images. I'm curious why you prefer Hilicon over LR & PS? Thanks again for your teachings.
I get this question asked a lot. I started with Helicon and like how fast and accurate it works so I have stuck with it and know the kind of results I'm going to get. I have not done and accuracy or speed comparison on these but maybe I should. I was just showing my personal work flow on this video.
Great video Terry
Which version of Helicon do you use?
Thanks Allan, I use 7.7.5 -it seems to work well with my Mac and all the warnings about upgrading to 8 - just doesn't seem worth it.
Excellent video, Terry. When you say shoot on manual, do you mean that you shoot each shot in the stack as opposed to letting the camera take over the shutter? I love HDR and totally in love with focus stacking. So you scratched both itches. ;) Your workflow using Lightroom was very enlightening. I generally use Bridge. Wondering if there's a way I can export directly to Helicon as you did with your stacked RAW files. Thanks again.
When I referred to manual, I’m talking about exposure. That way there is no variance within the photo stack. I do let the camera do the change in focus.
I have tried Helicon’s conversion to DNG (RAW) but the results are inconsistent. Just my take.
@@tv510 Thanks for the reply. Understood. 99% of what I shoot is manual.
so how would you handle a collection of Focus Stack with sub collections of specific focus stack projects in regard to a smart tiff & hdr. would these be in a sub within the project
I typically make a collection of my Focus Stacked images. Then I make a smart collections that are just Tiff files. That way when my Helicon software returns a stacked image, it goes right into the Tiff Smart Collection.
Hi Terry, thank you for your helpful video slots on using the Nikon z9.
I have a question, with firmware 3.0 focus stacking focus reset was added, great!, however to date no matter what ever I try the option is greyed out.
Any thoughts?
Love your videos by the way
One simple solution can be that your camera is set to bracket exposure. Put it back to normal and it should work. After that, make sure you have current lenses on your camera. Let me know if this works for you.
Hello Terry, unfortunately that hasn’t worked. I’ve even done a menu reset, back to defaults (I did save my settings first), no joy! All the other stacking options are available. It’s not going interfere too much in my photography, as I never had it before hand anyway, just frustrating. Thanks for replying and offering advise. Tony
@@tonyh4266 It should be working. I would call Nikon and have someone walk you through it. You paid for all the features, you should have access to them.
Will do. I will let you know the out come. Thanks
@@tv510
Hi Terry, I had a reply from Nikon uk.
They tried it on one of their Z9s and found the same. They have passed it on to their tech. People. It only affects FX lenses. Z lenses work fine. All mine are FX at the moment.
Tony
Excellent tutorial! Why use Heliacon vs photoshop for focus stacking? Thanks…and thanks for creating this video!
Good question Randy. I use Helicon because it is simple. I feel like there are too many steps I have to take when I use PS. But that is just my take.
So you start with the remute in you Hand? Mainproblem! you cant repeat without toutching the camera. IT should Return top the Starposition after the stack
Hey Kordula, the only thing I’m touching the camera for is for the dial to change the shutterspeed and then to press the back button focus button. The focus point remains the same, and yes, I do those moves gingerly.
The remote isn’t even used in this process, since focus stack is started by the menu. Again, gingerly touching the menu wheels.
Great tutorial. How will you deal with noise in such a process?
Thank you Abdul, I shoot all my landscapes at ISO 100 - so no issue.
@@tv510 Thanks a lot. What if the iso level is high? What will be workflow in such a case?
@@amaimani i would take it into Topaz DeNoise and reduce the noise in the noticeable parts of the image.
@@tv510 thanks a lot Terry
Good Video,but i have a Problem,-after stacking the photos, Helicon give me different sizes,about 5 to 10Pixel different.Then,when i try to give them to the HDR prog it says that it need same picture sizes. What i do wrong here?
That is peculiar. If you shoot all the images from the same camera, at the same time, they should all be the same size. I would try a test and be diligent about the details. Work with only 3-4 images to start. I don't see any reason they should be different. I Always work with image exported as .tiff from Lightroom Classic, into Helicon. Then out of helicon back into Lightroom. Once in Lightroom I can crop and such on that completed image.
@@tv510 think i got it now,-in the upper menu at edit-preferences-autoadjustments-crop output automatically was enabled....i disable it and now all output files have the same size
@@axeljass3096 awesome thanks for sharing the fix.
Why are you saying Heliacon? It’s Helicon….
I meant to say "Heelycon". The pronunciation I got from a friend who was working closely with the manufacturer of the product. Not sure how they are doing these days since they are based in the Ukraine. Here is a link to the company: www.heliconsoft.com/supportukraine/