M81 & M82 first light LRGB with 314L+ & ED80 - WIP

[ollypenrice]

I've never used Ha as L on galaxies. I add it to red in blend mode lighten. Once it's pasted on top of the red layer it may well not show much so, while it's in place, I give it a lift in Curves to get it to contribute. This may be why you weren't getting it to do much? Just give it a bit of Cuves wellie while it's sitting on the red! Make it behave!!!

Olly

[Cath]

Very nice Gina!

Taken a step up from the DSLR I see

[Gina]

I've never used Ha as L on galaxies. I add it to red in blend mode lighten. Once it's pasted on top of the red layer it may well not show much so, while it's in place, I give it a lift in Curves to get it to contribute. This may be why you weren't getting it to do much? Just give it a bit of Cuves wellie while it's sitting on the red! Make it behave!!!

Olly

Thank you for the advice Olly, much appreciated I'll do that. I managed to garb a couple of hours more Ha last night so I'll add last night's subs - 6 x 20m - to the previous ones, restack and use the result.

[Gina]

Very nice Gina!

Taken a step up from the DSLR I see

Thank you Cath Yes, quite a big step I think - so much better!

[Gina]

Well I stacked all the decent Ha frames - 14 altogether - stretched in PS and aligned with all the rest in RegiStar then L R G B Ha image files opened in PS. At first I couldn't get the Ha to add to the red channel then I tried another tack - converted the Ha greyscale to RGB colour. Then in the Channels removed the green and toned down the blue (left a bit to represent Hb). Saved that. Then back to the main colour M81/82, saved a backup then flattened the image (RGB layer and Luminosity layer) and added the Ha as a new layer in Lighten mode. That worked Went into curves in the Ha layer and stretched if a lot more to improve the Ha. Backed that up and then flattened, cropped off the margins and saved as PNG.

Here it is...

[kirkster501]

Amazing - I love that red nebulosity in the outer spiral arms.

Steve

[earth titan]

Crikey Gina. You had some clear skies down there?

Lovely image - makes me want to save harder for a new camera.

Typed by me on my fone, using fumms... Excuse eny speling errurs.

[Gina]

Amazing - I love that red nebulosity in the outer spiral arms.

Steve

Thank you Steve Yes I think the addition of Ha really makes it

[Gina]

Crikey Gina. You had some clear skies down there?

Lovely image - makes me want to save harder for a new camera.

Typed by me on my fone, using fumms... Excuse eny speling errurs.

Thank you Tom Yes, just the odd hour or two now and again There's three nights imaging gone into that - with a good clear night I'd have done it it one. We were forecast a few hours last night but the clouds remained in place Looks like tonight is now looking dodgy too And yes, the camera is delightful