For miniature painters who want to share their work, or gamers that want to record their battle reports, capturing sharp and clear images is pretty important. The best way to take miniature photos is to keep your entire model sharp. You can also use a technique called “Focus-Stacking” to help you post-process your images to create awesome photographs of your models.
In this article, I show you how to use focus-stacking to improve the quality of your miniature and models photos. Want more realism or “pop” in your images? Check out the focus stacking tutorial below!
Summary: Focus Stacking Miniature Photos
StepDescription1Setup: Set up your model in a lightbox or controlled environment, use a tripod for stability.2Manual Mode: Set your camera to manual mode, turning off autofocus.3Initial Focus: Focus on the nearest part of your model and take the photo.4Adjust Focus: Manually adjust the focus slightly farther on the model and take another photo.5Repeat: Continue adjusting the focus and taking photos until you’ve covered the entire model.6Upload Images: Transfer all your images to your computer.7Convert Files: Convert the images to JPEG or TIF files, depending on your computer’s capability.8Import to Photoshop: Import the images into Photoshop, each as a different layer. Steps 8-9 use Photoshop software.9Auto-Align: Select all layers and go to Edit > Auto-Align. Choose “Auto” and click “Ok”.10Auto-Blend: Select all layers again and go to Edit > Auto-Blend.11Merge Layers: Select all layers and merge them by going to Layers > Merge Layers.12Crop Final Image: Crop the composite photo to remove blank spaces and re-compose as desired.13Adjustments For Focus Stacked Photo: Adjust brightness, contrast, and color as needed.
Focus stacking in 13 Easy steps
1. Setup your model in a light box or other controlled situation, and use a tripod
If you don’t have a tripod, you’ll have to hold your camera steady and do your best to keep your subject in the same place within your frame shot-to-shot (i.e., so you don’t need to do excess re-alignments later in post-processing steps – see steps below).
RELATED: BETTER MINIATURE PHOTOS WITH A PHOTO LIGHT BOX
If you don’t have a tripod, try to keep your camera as steady as possible through other means. These are ways you can use to steady yourself and your camera (source).
This is my light box setup. The tripod would hold the camera (not shown here because I used it to take this photo).
2. Set your camera on manual mode (turn off autofocus)
You can use autofocus, but I find my ability to determine what’s in-focus is more accurate and predictable if I do it without the help of the camera).
If you are able to check your depth-of-field with a function button on your camera, then you can try and use that in the following step.
3. Focus on the nearest part of your model, then take the photo
Because you’re shooting with a high aperture (or small f-stop number), you should get nice blurry out of focus areas.
Here, I focused on the model’s torso. Everything else is blurry because of the narrow depth of field. This is image #1 of the series I will take to make my focus stacked composite.
4. Repeat step #3, but this time focus manually a little farther on the model
Your next photo should have the focus area on a part of the miniature a bit further back away from you.
Parts of the model that you photographed earlier should now be blurry.
But, don’t focus too far back. Make sure there is overlap in the focused area on the model with the next photo you take.
5. Repeat steps #3 and #4 until you’ve focused through the entire model.
You should have a series of multiple images.
Each individual photograph of the model should be sharp on a different part. If you’re not sure what I mean, see the photos I took below.
Another image focused on the focal plane just behind the model.
All 8 photos with different focus points aligned with each other
For me, it takes between 3 to 8 photos to complete the series of images I need to get what I want to include in the final composite image.
You can take as many images as you like for the image series, but be aware that more photographs you include in the process, the more computer power you will need.
6. Upload all your images into your computer
Take all your image files from your camera and upload them into your computer hard drive.
7. Convert the images to JPEG or TIF files
If you can afford the computer power, use TIF files, which contain more photographic information for you to play with, e.g., if you want to add instagram filters, etc. For those of you having trouble with the large format with TIF files, you can use JPEG image files. JPEG images are a compressed format, i.e., contain less information, but should still look great even after you focus stack them.
8. Import them into Photoshop with each image from your series as a different layer
I assume you know how to do this for this article. But, if you don’t, this is a good resource (link) for understanding how to do this easily in Photoshop (the process is similar across all versions).
Open all your images in a single Photoshop document. Each image is a layers.
9. Select all the layers; then, go to Edit>Auto-Align
Go to Edit>Auto-Align. Click Ok.
Choose Auto. Click Ok.
It’ll take Photoshop some time to auto-align your images (which are now layers).
This process usually works without any manual input.
However, if you were not able to use a tripod and keep your subject aligned as you took your photos (in step #1), then you may need to try and align the layers manually first (using the free transform tool), then try auto-align again. If this doesn’t work, you may need to re-take the photo series, or delete the images within your series that are giving you problems.
After auto-align, your top image layer will be visible, and the other image layers underneath will have be aligned to it.
10. Select all the layers again; then, go to Edit > Auto-Blend
11. Select all the layers and merge them; Then, go to Layers>Merge Layers
Your image layers after auto-blend will look like this. Photoshop created the black and white masks that blocked-out the areas that the software thinks isn’t sharp in each image layer.
Merge the layers. Go to Layers>Merge layers.
12. Crop the composite photo you merged
There will be areas around your merged composite image that are blank empty spaces. Use the crop tool to cut those parts out, and, if you like, re-compose the focused stacked composite image.
Cropping and re-composing the final composite image
13. Adjust brightness, contrast, color, etc., if needed
Done!
Final Image
Final composite of “Brokk Grungsson, Lord-Magnate of Barak-Nar” (I used photoshop to erase the flight stand)
Conclusion
And, there you have it! Focus stacking can help you get better, sharper photos of your miniatures, group shots, and battle reports. If you’re having trouble maintaining focus on all the parts of your models with your camera, focus-stacking is a great method to overcome this issue.
I hope you found this tutorial helpful. I’m sure some of you may have questions. I’d love to hear from you! Leave a comment below.
Enjoying Your Visit? Join Tangible Day
Free newsletter with monthly updates (no spam)
Leave a comment below! Follow on X, Instagram, and Facebook.
Grab your FREE photo backdrop bundle for miniature photography in the shop.
Tangible Day on YouTube (Miniatures and More!)
Like this:Like Loading…