![rings3-372x186-c.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmd6adkTeZ1FnGeLxmR1P9Xw3nX4ERrtpSXrRrkrVxGA1M/rings3-372x186-c.jpg)

Adjusting aperture alone can only do so much to get sharp images with a wide depth of field — sometimes, getting both point A and point B tack sharp in one shot is about as possible as a flying pig. This is particularly true for macro photography. But just like high-dynamic-range composites use multiple exposures to capture an otherwise impossible range of light, there’s a photographic trick that can capture impossibly sharp images: Focus stacking. Focus stacking is both a shooting and an editing technique that works together to create a shot that’s much sharper than the one you could achieve in camera, and beyond a tripod and a copy of Adobe Photoshop, it doesn’t require any specialized gear.

Essentially, focus stacking can help you get a deeper depth of field without resorting to microscopic aperture sizes that can actually soften your image due to diffraction. It also allows you to maintain the blurred background of a large aperture, while keeping your subject completely in focus. In our sample photo, adjusting the aperture to get both rings sufficiently sharp resulted in losing the soft background. Focus stacking solved the problem in a matter of minutes. Here’s how you can achieve this effect for yourself.