How much to process?

[MattJenko]

Here are 2 double cluster processing efforts from the weekend.

I have been trying to emphasize the cluster without drowning it in other stars, and also trying to not create an unrealistic mess in bringing the colours out.

How much individual (if any) star processing do others do in these kinds of shots? I like my second attempt better, which has no saturation fiddling, just a squeeze in a LabColour mode in PS along with more sympathetic and more careful curve/level work, but I know there is more I should do to get the colour contrast better without simply producing the same dodgy effect I introduced in the first image - I just don't know how to go about doing it.

Any advice on how to proceed from here would be very welcome.

Thanks for looking

Matt

[Pete Presland]

nicely captured, you have the basis for a good image there.

i think less is quite often more with processing, the last thing you want see is an unatural looking image. like you say the 1st looks off, too green/blue there are no white stars left. do all your adjustments with non-destructive layers, so that it is to check the difference you have made and delete if not happy.

the 2nd image looks much more natural.