Focus Blending with Photoshop CS5

I am blending two images with different focal points to make one image with sharpness front to back using CS5. I found learning the process with fewer images in the beginning to be helpful. As you progress you can take nearly as many images as you need to make the sharpest image.
I have recently found CS5 has a very easy process to make this happen. It is most useful on subjects with no movement. The images I used here were shot during a slight breeze and with low light. A higher ISO to be able to use a faster shutter speed would have made for a better finished product.
Camera settings:

• ISO 200, 1/50 second at f.11.
• It always helps to have a camera set on a sturdy tripod, with mirror lock up on and a cable release.
• Manual setting with the first image focusing on the foreground and the second focusing on the background.

CS5 Post-Editing Steps:

1. After making adjustments in on first image in Camera Raw, apply the same setting to the second image. Then select both images. To do this select your first image by clicking on the thumbnail. Then while holding the Ctrl button select each thumbnail to include. In my case I had only 2 images but you can use several images with varying focal point front to back.
   
   
2. Select Tools>Photoshop>Load Files into Photoshop Layers.
3. If as in my example you know there was movement in the subjects, select both layers by holding down the Ctrl button and clicking on all layers.
4. Select Edit>Auto-Align Layers which will bring up a dialog box where you click on the Auto button, then OK.
5. Now to work the focus blend magic you select Edit>Auto-Blend Layers selecting the Stack Images button and clicking the Seamless Tones and Colors box. Then click OK.

You will see the complicated masking and blending in the layers that CS5 will do behind the scenes for you. It's not always perfect so you might need to go into the masks and make some manual adjustments by using the brush tool and painting with black (to conceal) or white (to reveal) areas that aren't quite right. But you will get the idea the more you play around with it.

AND HERE IS THE FINISHED PRODUCT OF 'FOCUS BLENDING'