Finally, After months of practice and rubbish images, Im getting somewhere!

[JR1987]

At last I have something Im excited about! 

Finally got all the cogs in place and I have my first properly multiple sub, stacked and processed image.

I know it needs work, and Ive only spent about an hour or so on the processing, But its the first image I have felt

I could upload to SGL. Although it seems to look terrible compared to the actual image on here.. anyway

Hope you think its ok! haha.

M31

20 x 3 minute Light frames

12 x Darks

15 x Bias

ISO1600 .  Taken last night from my front garden in outer London

James

[xtreemchaos]

thats a nice image mate,well done.thanks for posting.charl.

[ollypenrice]

You're up and running. What is posted is a perfectly sound starting point for a bit of processing adjustment. Your tracking is fine, your focus is fine. Capture strikes me as being sorted.

Next project is colour balance. Firstly I'd say, have a look at the images of M31 which you like. Then have a look at yours and think about what seems right/wrong on colour. I say this because, rather than listening to the advice of others, it's actually best to look at the image critically yourself.

Let us know what you think when you've had a chance to step back and reflect.

Olly

[JR1987]

I know id like to get rid of that kinda sea foam green colour to the galaxy.. but colour balance seems to be where I struggle. Unfortunately because I work off a 

Mac I cant download Hasta La Vista Green and perhaps maybe make life easier! 

I like how ive seen the images with the dust lanes in blue and with a beaming yellow core.. and funnily enough I managed to make my image do something similar by switching the Lab Colour and taking the A channel away. but its still not quite right..

But yes.. green seems to impinge on everything Ive ever attempted to stack. 

[ollypenrice]

I know id like to get rid of that kinda sea foam green colour to the galaxy.. but colour balance seems to be where I struggle. Unfortunately because I work off a 

Mac I cant download Hasta La Vista Green and perhaps maybe make life easier! 

I like how ive seen the images with the dust lanes in blue and with a beaming yellow core.. and funnily enough I managed to make my image do something similar by switching the Lab Colour and taking the A channel away. but its still not quite right..

But yes.. green seems to impinge on everything Ive ever attempted to stack. 

Good analysis. You could use Pixinsight on a Mac and DBE is the best (by far) of all colour balance and gradient removal tools.

Olly

[steppenwolf]

.... and indeed, you should be excited - you have captured some great detail here. The final processing could do with a little tweaking to remove the colour gradients and balance the colours a little but this is a very satisfactory image and I'm delighted for you that have posted it here on SGL.

[Charic]

........some competition Steve!

Well done JR1987

[Feral Rabbit]

I'd be chuffed if I could capture something like that. Never seen it green before but as others have said loads of detail.

How come it was clear where you were last night and cloudy over my house! It's just not fair 

[sloz1664]

Splendid image. Now you are mastering the image capture side of astrophotography and climbed that big wall,  you now see the second wall... Image processing     

All good fun.........

Steve

[JR1987]

Thanks to everyone for the advise and praise! 

After a few tips offered and a little more work I think I have improved on the previous image.. Ive managed to balance the colours better..Got alot of the green out..but its still lurking there a little! But I should have improved on the background gradient..

[laudropb]

Very nice final image. You are certainly on the way to mastering the process.