Today, I’ll present you learn how to stack pictures in Lightroom. It is among the most useful organizational options in Lightroom that saves me an infinite period of time however is usually missed by many photographers.
To stack pictures in Lightroom, choose the photographs you wish to group. Right-click (Option-Click on Mac) on the chosen pictures, and select the Stacking > Group into Stack possibility from the menu. The photos shall be grouped right into a digital stack with the quantity within the higher left nook displaying the variety of photos within the stack.
What is Photo Stacking in Lightroom?
Photo stacking in Lightroom is the organizational technique that permits photographers to group sequences of pictures into digital collections. It streamlines the photograph administration of enormous picture libraries.
Types of Sequences I Use For Photo Stacking in Lightroom
Effective group is a very powerful a part of my simplified workflow as a result of practically all my pictures are a part of numerous sequences.
Let me clarify.
1. Auto Bracketing Sequences
The commonest sequence I take advantage of is auto bracketing. I take advantage of the Auto Bracketing performance of my digicam to take three consecutive pictures of the scene routinely. I choose the publicity values for the “base” publicity, and the digicam takes two extra pictures—one at the next publicity worth and one other at a decrease one.
Auto Bracketing achieves two goals for me. First, it’s insurance coverage if I incorrectly set the publicity for the “base” shot. In case this occurs, I all the time have two extra variations of the shoot to select from.
The second motive for bracketing pictures is to make sure I gather as a lot data from the scene as doable. If the scene’s dynamic vary is just too excessive, I all the time have the choice of utilizing the HDR method to mix the three bracketed pictures.
In some circumstances, once I don’t auto bracket my pictures, I manually take a number of pictures of the identical scene to make sure I’ve an possibility to pick one of the best and the sharpest picture.
2. HDR Sequences
Another kind of sequence I steadily use is the HDR sequence. This is once I deliberately take between three and 7 pictures with the top aim of merging them into an HDR picture. Most typically, I take advantage of HDR sequencing once I shoot instantly into the solar and am completely sure the scene’s dynamic vary exceeds the dynamic vary of my digicam’s sensor.
3. Long Exposure Sequences
I take advantage of one other kind of sequencing once I wish to obtain the impact of a protracted publicity with out utilizing ND filters. I take a sequence of 10 to 14 pictures with similar publicity values. The aim right here is to mix them digitally in Photoshop to attain the movement blur impact of lengthy publicity. You can study extra about this method in my tutorial: Long Exposure Effect Without Any Filters.
4. Panorama Sequences
Another widespread photograph method that requires taking a collection of pictures is a panorama. Depending on the scene, the panorama sequence can have between 2 and 20 pictures.
5. Time Lapse Sequences
The final kind of sequencing I take advantage of is once I create Time Lapse movies. I program the digicam to take a collection of pictures (tons of) at predefined intervals (1-3 sec), so I can later assemble them right into a video.
Overall, the way in which I take advantage of various kinds of sequences instantly impacts the way in which I set up and edit my pictures.
How to Stack Photos in Lightroom
It shouldn’t be unusual to return from considered one of my photograph journeys to find I’ve 5,000 or extra pictures to import into my Lightroom catalog.
When importing is full, the Library View is fairly messy and chaotic. It is tough to visually distinguish the place one sequence ends, and one other begins. Thankfully, Lightroom has a simple strategy to make sense of the chaos.
Manual Stacking
Lightroom has one of the helpful organizational options referred to as Stacking. This is when you choose a number of pictures in your Library and add them to a digital group often called a Stack.
I choose the sequence of photos I wish to group. I Right-click on the chosen pictures and select the Stacking > Group into Stack possibility from the menu.
Lightroom routinely teams photos right into a digital stack with the quantity within the higher left nook indicating the variety of photos within the stack.
This performance works properly for a small group of pictures, however it could simply take a number of hours if I begin manually creating Stacks for five,000 new pictures.
Please notice that you just solely can stack pictures within the Folders and never in Galleries.
Auto Stacking
Luckily, Lightroom has a characteristic that may automate the method of organizing pictures into Stacks. This is known as Auto Stacking.
I choose all newly imported pictures within the Grid View of the Library module (Edit > Select All).
Next, I Right Click/Option Click anyplace inside the Grid View and choose Auto Stack by Capture Time.
Now, I can group or Stack my pictures based mostly on time intervals.
By dragging the time slider, I see the estimation of the variety of Stacks based mostly on the time choice.
When I do know I’ve solely quick sequences in my choice (brackets and HDR), I often choose two-second intervals.
When I do know I’ve longer sequences of eight to 12 pictures (the lengthy publicity impact), I choose time intervals of 15 seconds.
And, on uncommon events when I’ve a really lengthy Time Lapse sequence, I don’t use Auto Stacking in any respect. Instead, I manually group them into Stacks.
After the time intervals worth is chosen, I click on the Stack button, and Lightroom does its job.
The final step is to pick the Collapse All Stacks possibility for a extra compact view of the Library.
As with any automated characteristic, Auto Stacking shouldn’t be bulletproof. It will get the whole lot proper in 90% of circumstances and, often, requires some guide tweaking to assemble all of the pictures into the best Stacks.
Can You Focus Stack in Lightroom?
What is focus stacking? Focus stacking is a complicated photograph modifying method if you mix a number of photos with completely different focus distances. The closing result’s a single, closing picture with a larger depth of area than any of the person authentic pictures. This method is usually utilized in macro and panorama pictures, the place the aim is to maintain a whole scene in focus.
Lightroom doesn’t have focus stacking performance; you want Photoshop for that. But, the method of focus stacking begins in Lightroom.
Let me clarify.
You edit a gaggle of photos meant for focus stacking in Lightroom, guaranteeing the modifying impact is similar in all pictures.
Next, choose a whole sequence, Right-click (Option-click), and select the Edit In > Open as layers in Photoshop possibility from the menu.
You full the main target stacking course of in Photoshop.
How to Stack Photos in Lightroom | Conclusion
Auto Stacking is a seemingly obscure and nonessential characteristic in Lightroom that considerably impacts streamlining and simplifying my photograph group and modifying.