How is stacking different than combining photos etc

[NancyMoranG]

Probably should not be asking until I have more pp understanding but....
just got my 1st pp product loaded, PSE 11, today.
i am interested in alot but stars and stacking will be one. Then, photos of shots like the full moon, over a scene, that people say they added the moon to a shot of the lanscape or such... Just trying to get some of the thought process in my head.
or 'exposing for the moon' then re-exposing for the moon..hopefully that makes a little sense..? Just looking for a very basic understanding at this point, not rocket science.
thanks all, I have learned SOOO much from you all,
Nancy

 

[480sparky]

Probably should not be asking until I have more pp understanding but....
just got my 1st pp product loaded, PSE 11, today.
i am interested in alot but stars and stacking will be one. Then, photos of shots like the full moon, over a scene, that people say they added the moon to a shot of the lanscape or such... Just trying to get some of the thought process in my head.....

Typically, the dynamic range of an earth-bound scene with the moon in the sky is far more than the camera is capable of recording. Either the moon is so bright / scene is so dim, that if you expose for the scene the moon turns into a white blob and if you expose for the moon, the scene is rendered black. So you take an exposure for both, then combine the 'good parts' of each scene into one.

or 'exposing for the moon' then re-exposing for the moon..hopefully that makes a little sense..?

I have no clue what this means.

 

[KmH]

Open PsE 11

Press your keyboard F1 key, or at the top of the work space on the Applications bar click on Help > Photoshop Elements Help.

Either will take you directly to Adobe Community Help and get you started using Elements 11.
You can also visit - Learn Photoshop Elements 11 | Adobe TV

While PsE 11 can combine (composite) images, I don't think PsE 11 can stack images.
http://keithwiley.com/astroPhotography/imageStacking.shtml

 

[NancyMoranG]

Thank you Sparky and Keith. Your continued education on this forum is appreciated.
i will be using 'help' function ALOT!
but simplistically, is 'stacking' x amount of photos and 'combining' only 2?
just an overview.
thank you...anyone...
Nancy

 

[weepete]

Not in my opinion. Stacking is a technique usually used in macro photography where one layer is layed over another though that is probably focus stacking (due to the shallow dof). I'd consider what you are describing more an hdr image. Images where two or more items are combined to produce a scene that didn't exist I'd call a composite, though I suppose any image where one layer is overlayed on another could be termed as stacked. It works in my head anyway.....

 

[480sparky]

Thank you Sparky and Keith. Your continued education on this forum is appreciated.
i will be using 'help' function ALOT!
but simplistically, is 'stacking' x amount of photos and 'combining' only 2?
just an overview.
thank you...anyone...
Nancy

You can combine any number of images.

 

[NancyMoranG]

Thank you WeePete. I usually see 'stacking' in star types...50 images of stars to produce 'round trails'. also if I overlay a moon over a landscape, isn't that stacking too?
Should just get the link to show dictionary of terms
thanks for the help, and Sparky too..
Nancy