Search

Auto-Stack by Capture Time in Lightroom Classic (Step-by-Step)

Ryan Oswald
Sep 6
2 min read

Quick answer: In Library → Photo → Stacking → Auto-Stack by Capture Time, move the slider to set your gap, then click Stack. Try 2–5s (Milky Way), 1–2s (focus stacks), 1s (brackets). Review the numbered badges, expand as needed and promote your hero frame to the top

Why Use Auto‑Stack? (and When It Shines)

Still waving your hand in front of the lens to mark bursts? There’s a faster, cleaner way. Lightroom Classic’s Auto-Stack by Capture Time groups frames automatically based on when they were shot.

It shines in workflows like:

Milky Way image sequences
Focus stacking series
HDR or pano brackets
Long timelapses

Each burst becomes a neat, collapsible stack. No wasted frames, no broken intervals, no confusion later.

Step-by-Step: Auto-Stack by Capture Time

How to organize photos easy with Lightroom Classic menu path to Auto-Stack by Capture Time

Step 1: Open Auto‑Stack

In Library, go to Photo → Stacking → Auto‑Stack by Capture Time…

Auto-Stack dialog showing 5 second gap and predicted stack count

Step 2: Set Time Between Stacks

Drag the slider to choose the gap. Recommended:

Milky Way bursts: 2–5 seconds
Focus stacks: 1–2 seconds
HDR brackets: 1 second

Click stack to Auto-Stack dialog showing 5-second gap and predicted stack count

Step 3: Click “Stack”

Hit Stack and Lightroom groups your images instantly.

After clicking Stack, Lightroom groups your images into collapsed stacks. The badge shows how many photos are in each.

Step 4: Review Collapsed Stacks

You’ll see small number badges on thumbnails showing how many shots are grouped.

Expanded stacks show a darker gray background to help distinguish the grouped photos.

Step 5: Expand & Select Top Image

Click the badge to expand. Expanded stacks show a darker gray background.

To set the hero frame:

Right-click → Stacking → Move to Top of Stack (or use ⇧S). If you’re planning to blend focus layers later, check out our Focus Stacking in the Field guide.

Pro Tips for Lightroom Stacking

HDR/Pano merges: Check Create Stack so merged DNGs stay grouped.
Top image control: Promote any photo to the top (⇧S).
Fix incorrect capture times: Metadata → Edit Capture Time if multiple cameras weren’t synced. This is especially helpful when doing blends like Blue Hour Blending / Night Workflow.

Troubleshooting Auto-Stack

Too many stacks or too few? Unstack everything and retry with a different time gap.
Badge numbers missing? Switch to Grid View (G) and enable badges under View Options.
Can’t stack? Auto-Stack doesn’t work in Smart or Published Collections.

Keyboard Shortcuts Cheat Sheet

Auto-Stack by Capture Time: Photo → Stacking → Auto-Stack by Capture Time…
Toggle stack open/closed: S
Group into stack: ⌘G / Ctrl+G
Unstack: ⇧⌘G / Shift+Ctrl+G
Move photo to top: ⇧S

FAQ's

Final Results & Next Steps

With stacks collapsed, your Library grid stays clean and organized. Expand only when needed. This saves time and avoids hand-marking frames.

Want to push beyond stacking? We cover stacking, HDR merges, advanced focus blending, and night workflows inside our editing workshops. Join us on our next workshop!