Stacking secrets

Learn how to blend a sequence of photos automatically with the powerful Stack command in Affinity Photo

- James Paterson

James Paterson

With over a decade's experience as a writer and photographer, James is also an accomplished image editor, and an expert in Affinity Photo.

The magic of photo editing lets us create studio-quality photos of large objects like this classic 1969 TVR Tuscan T without the need for a studio or bank of lights. Our car here was lit with a single softbox flash. Using a tripod to keep the camera still, we shot 28 frames while moving the softbox into different positions. By underexposing the daylight, we could keep the mundane surroundings dark and pick out the curves and lines on the car.

This fragmented approach to lighting is useful not just for cars, but all sorts of still life photography, as it allows us to highlight details without having to get everything in a single frame. Once in Affinity Photo, we can blend the lighting from each frame with ease.

This is where the Stack command comes in. It allows us to load a sequence of photos as a stack and offers a variety of blending methods. Our sequence of car photos comes together astonishingly quickly using the Maximum mode, which combines the highlights that reflect off the car's bodywork. Once done, it takes just a few minutes to perfect the blend with a combination of retouching tools and tonal tricks.

Find out more at affinity.serif.com/photo