Opening multiple layers ?

[SAW]

Hi,

Can I open multiple images as layers and then focus stack a selection of those, basically like this tutorial. But can I do it with RAW files or will they need to be jpeg's ?

 

[walt.farrell]

You can do it with RAW files, but in my opinion you should not do it. If you open RAW files directly into a stack (File > New Stack) they do not go through the full development process, and one common result is that the resulting images are darker than if you Opened them individually and developed them (or processed them via File > New Batch Job) before opening them into a stack.

[SAW]

So what's the best way for me to be able to copy the above video in Affinity Photo ? 

Lets say I have X amount of images in RAW format some at different focus points and some under and over exposed, Do I first need to use File > New batch Job to get all my images processed to how I like them and then use File > New Stack to stack all these images ?

This will then give me my stacked image in Affinity Photo as my Background (Pixel)

Can I then add the other images in the layers panel, creating an inverted layer mask and use the brush tool to just paint where I want the parts of the images I have just bought in to show ?

Hope that makes sense 😬

[John Rostron]

@SAW What I would do is first to develop all my images using a common set of adjustments in the Develop Persona. As they are  developed I would save as 16-bit tiffs. These tiffs would then be closed.

I would then do appropriate HDR merges on the sets with the same focus and save the output of these as another set of tiffs.

Only then would I load these HDR merges into a Focus Stack for merging.

John