In my previous post, we talked about techniques and tips for implementing focus stacking for e-commerce footage. In this article, we will expand further to discuss the benefits of using focus stacking techniques, beyond the obvious reasons for having the entire product in focus. There are a few more logical reasons and advantages behind focus stacking.
Benefits
1. Depth of field increased compared to stop down
So you’ve been taught to always decrease the aperture value to increase the depth of field. But they still often don’t provide enough depth of field, especially when you’re shooting with longer focal lengths and close-up subjects. In the end, this leaves you with only one solution, which is to focus the stack to achieve the desired depth of field in your image.
2. Lens Diffraction Reduction
Lens diffraction is the phenomenon in which light waves are bent or spread as they pass through a lens. The diffraction effect becomes more pronounced as the lens aperture size decreases or as the wavelength of light increases. In layman photography terms, it means softening the image. As light waves pass through the lens, it diffracts and interferes with each other, reducing the lens’ ability to resolve finer details of the subject. Please note that different lenses and different camera resolutions will have different diffraction effects, so it’s a good idea to experiment and know your lens’ limits before shooting.
3. Shoot at Optimum Lens Aperture
The optimum aperture for a lens is usually around f/8 to f/11 on a full frame sensor camera. And yes, contrary to what you might believe, lenses don’t perform at their best at their widest aperture, which is what we usually pay for. At least for now, the technology isn’t there yet. By using focus stacking we will be able to take pictures using only the sharpest apertures.
In the example image below, they were taken at f/16 to create enough depth for the entire bottle and this will allow me to reduce the workload and complexity of the stacking process.
4. Clearer and more detailed images
By using only the optimum aperture, you are sure to get images with greater clarity and detail. And since shooting at such an aperture won’t give you enough depth of field, our only solution is still to perform superimposed focus. This is highly recommended for product shoots with intricate and fine textures such as fabrics, jewelry and watches, so that all the smaller details can be accurately resolved on one image.
5. Layout flexibility and extra creativity
With focus stacking, you’re not limited by the focal plane in how you compose your shot. You can also selectively choose which parts of the image will be in focus and which will not. This is important to remove distractions from your frame by creatively blurring certain parts of the image that attract attention. This layout flexibility will also allow you to compose your product images in a more appealing way that stands out from the general style of shooting that every photographer is doing.
Conclusion
While focus stacking brings a lot of benefits to your work, keep in mind that it will also cost you some extra work in post-processing. Weigh your options carefully with the benefits above and apply this focus stacking technique as your work parameters allow. The advantages that you get from focus stacking will definitely take your work to the next level, which makes this technique so valuable.
