Third Ever DSO - I'm Getting Somewhere at Last

[GingerNut]

Taken on 10/02/08, I've been so busy I've only just around to processing it - M42.

LX90 8" F10

Focal reduced to F1.5

DSI 2C

60 x 60sec imaged and stacked in Nebulosity.

60 x 15sec imaged and stacked in Nebulosity.

Guided with PHD.

Combined using PS Gaussian blur layer mask - See here.

Processed in PS CS3.

The two stacks are here if anyone would like to reprocess them and let me know how you got it to look better.

(click to enlarge)

Yours Roy

[Sam]

Roy,

That's great! and the core isn't too bright either! You must be pleased with that.

[Beyond_Vision]

M42 and M43 are looking pretty good. Congratulations Roy coming along fine

Regards

Kevin

[radioactive]

Roy if I get anything like that for my third Dso try I will be one very happy chap Very well done mate Its real good :hello1: :hello1:

[jcm]

Just a curves/levels from stacking the 2 original files.

Had to burn out the centre a bit.

John

[saturn5]

Reduced red and increased blue and green levels,played about with brightness/contrast and colour balance.Reduced brightness of core and sharpened a little

[Cloudwatcher]

Nebula jobs are really not my forte but that was such clear image I thought I'd give it a quick once over. Colour perception is a very personal thing (see saturn 5's view) and you may not find the result kind to your eye.

All I have done is reduce the blue and the sweep the area with the Dodge tool to bring out those beautiful swirly cloud bits and the stars peeping through. Then a few passes with the Burn tool to emphasise the shadows and finally a little sharp and blur here and there.

Cheers

CW

(click as usual)

[GingerNut]

Nebula jobs are really not my forte but that was such clear image I thought I'd give it a quick once over. Colour perception is a very personal thing (see saturn 5's view) and you may not find the result kind to your eye.

All I have done is reduce the blue and the sweep the area with the Dodge tool to bring out those beautiful swirly cloud bits and the stars peeping through. Then a few passes with the Burn tool to emphasise the shadows and finally a little sharp and blur here and there.

Cheers

CW

(click as usual)

I've never used 'dodge' & 'burn' before..............what sort of settings did you use and what did you do with them?

Yours Roy

[Cloudwatcher]

I've never used 'dodge' & 'burn' before..............what sort of settings did you use and what did you do with them?

Yours Roy

I meant to get back to you earlier but got called away by the Missus for 'more important things to do'!

Anyway,it's a bit difficult to explain the use of 'dodge & burn' as it varies from image to image. Basically you want to set the levels low say between 4 and 7 although it does depend on the image. It's mostly trial and error till you find the setting that gives the desired effect. The size of the brush used is again dependent on the subject. For starters use a large brush and sweep over the image lightly. this should reveal areas which would benefit from darkening with the burn tool or lightening with the dodge. Don't be heavy handed and of course always work on a copy layer.

Just to show what I mean by 'heavy handed' I went over an enlarged section of your image again and you will see the subtly is lost and artifacts start to appear. Mind you,it dose bring out more detail and can be a tool to help in close study work of an image.

HTH

Forgot to say that that is a very fine image by the way!

Cheers

CW