Sh2-235 - Colour image

[swag72]

Following on from my Ha data of Sh-235, I decided as my first ever colour image, to have a go at making this HaRGB. Well, I certainly don't think I make life easy for myself!

M: HEQ5

T: SW 120ED Pro x0.85 reducer

C: Atik 314L mono

F: Baader 7nm Ha, Baader 1.25" RGB

G: 9x50 finder with QHY5 - Maxim

23 X 600s Ha

75:75:75 minutes of RGB integrated

Captured in Artemis, processed in PI and final tweak in CS5

As this is the first colour image I have produced, I would welcome comments on how to improve, what to change etc.

[Deneb]

Lack of detail for Starters...

[swag72]

Cheers Nadeem - Colour detail or just general? I ask as this is an HaRGB image, I wasn't aware of there not being enough Ha stuff. Alternatively, my processing has killed it again, entirely possible!!

[Deneb]

General really, don't get me wrong, it does look smooth, but somewhat lacking in general detail, but with fine star colour... & looking a bit green.

[swag72]

There's almost 8.5 hours data in there in total - Blimey how much more do I need?!!

Mmm, back to the drawing board then!

[lukebl]

Hope you don't mind me having a little play. I adjusted the levels, ran GradientXterminator and reduced the saturation a bit. Not sure what others will think of my effort, but I think it looks a little better. Obviously, the original image would have been better to play with.

[Deneb]

i had a play as well

[swag72]

Cheers Luke and Nadeem - Happy for you to play with the images, as I said, this is a first go with colour. I can see it's a little green, so will go and correct that!

[steppenwolf]

Hi Sara,

You have plenty of data just a little post processing required. It is always difficult working from someone else's JPEG as I am sure the others have discovered but here's my attempt. This was just a gentle iterative tweak with 'Levels'.

[harry page]

Hi

I think you have overdone the multplication factor in Pi I would suggest that you lower it a bit

Harry

[swag72]

Cheers Steve and Harry - Is that the multiplication factor in PixelMath? I left it at x4 - What makes you say that? What is it doing to the image?

Sorry, so many questions and so much to learn!!

[harry page]

Hi

If you have good Ha it can be as little as 1 but try 2

Harry

[Tim]

Sara, could you possibly post just the RGB as well?

Thanks

Tim

[swag72]

Cheers Harry!!

Just one more question if I may - While using masks (of any making) the nebula AND the stars tend to be either protected or not. Is there a way to be able to alter the nebula without the stars being selected? Like having 2 masks, one masking out the stars and another the nebula?

Or perhaps I just need to make masks differently?

[swag72]

@Tim - The RGB looked pretty dire, so I didn't even bother processing it independently. Should I have?

Sorry, but the colour stuff is all new to me!

[harry page]

Hi

Yes you can make a normal lum mask and a star mask then add them together to make a single mask ( pixel maths )

Harry

[harry page]

Hi

Included in this vid is how to do it

http://www.harrysastroshed.com/Part2%20LRGB.html

Harry

[swag72]

Thanks Harry, will have to watch that fully!! As well as learn PixelMath!!

Cheers to all for your comments, I realise now how over excited I became with the processing!! I will try to stop posting poorly processed stuff until I learn to contain my exuberance!!!

[todd8137]

tp the op great shot ,still blows me away that you and any one who as the funds to get great pics like this ,also to every one who had a go at twaek in the pics every one as style to how they would do things great all round

[swag72]

Cheers Todd - This one won't be seeing the light of day again!!! I am hoping to get some different data over the next couple of nights.

[ollypenrice]

I can't contribute to anything on the Pixinsight side other than to say that SCNR should deal with the green issues in a click.

Then I think the original needs either clipping back a bit more or a shift to the right for the gamma point for more contrast. This is Photoshop speak, alas. Harry will kill me.

You have some dark star haloes. It would be good to find out at which point in the process they appeared. I'd drop the saturation myself, too.

After all this, I think you have done well and come a long way. If I were you I'd just practise doing some RGB only on clusters or well known bright objects to get your eye in colour processing.

If it's any consolation I have just had a total failure on a colour run last night. I mean total...

Olly

[steppenwolf]

If it's any consolation I have just had a total failure on a colour run last night. I mean total...

I feel better already, I had one of those last week - it was embarrassingly bad, something that Sara's image most certainly is not!

[lukebl]

I feel better already, I had one of those last week - it was embarrassingly bad, ....

I feel much better too, knowing that you expert guys have bad nights too!

[eid]

I will try to stop posting poorly processed stuff until I learn to contain my exuberance!!!

I hope you wont as reading threads like this are great for noobs (like myself) to learn. It's great to see the perfectly processed images of course, but these ones are far more instructive.

[swag72]

I don't wish to hear bad news Olly, but what on earth happened?

Honestly, this is such a damn fickle hobby that even the best of you get bad nights - What's that all about?!!

@eid - I hope to reign myself in a little with the processing so don't plan on posting anything quite so garish again!!!