1st attempt at Orion Nebula (M42)

[boxtko]

This is the first time I've successfully captured, stacked and processed a deep space object. I've been attempting Andromeda, but I've been having little luck so I decided to step away from that for a bit and set my sights on Orion since its  easier for me to locate and because I've always loved Orion, ever since I was a kid.  I'm a beginner, but we all have to start somewhere, right?  I basically watched a youtube tutorial on how to take a picture of the Orion Nebula and just followed along. I used a short exposure time to avoid star trails. I captured about 50 light frames and a handful of dark frames. I stacked the images in Deep Sky Stacker and experimented with their RGB histogram tool. I then did the post processing in Lightroom.  Thanks for looking!

I used:

Nikon D3100

ISO - 3200

Exposure time: 2 seconds

f 5/6

focal length: 300mm

[xtreemchaos]

nice one mate and you have got the runningman neb as well , well done.  thanks for posting  charl.

[boxtko]

Thank you. I cropped the picture during processing so there is more there. I didn't even know about the running man until I started reading another thread. lol.  My 2 biggest criticisms of my pic are 1) I think my focus might be slightly off and 2) Too much purple spread out throughout the entire image. My goal was to take about 200 light frames, but I took this in my backyard and after about 40 or 50 I figured the neighbors don't want to hear the mirror on camera clicking every 2 seconds for an hour. lol

nice one mate and you have got the runningman neb as well , well done.  thanks for posting  charl.

[xtreemchaos]

id be happy with that for my first go, your focus dont look to bad, the blue might be from your light frames, i dont do lights and darks with orion neb with it being so bright, theres my image from the 13th  on this sec if you want a look . clear skys charl.

[laudropb]

Very good first attempt.

[xtreemchaos]

sorry mate i ment to write flats instead of lightes  in my other post, i havnt got too many brain cells left and i must of been useing the one good one ive got for something else.  clear skys charl.

[boxtko]

haha it's all good. Thanks for the advice. Flats, lights, tomato, Tomawto.  I'll check your pic out. You could be right about the flats... until this past week ive never really shot with anything but lights... I'm new to the whole dark, bias thing.

sorry mate i ment to write flats instead of lightes  in my other post, i havnt got too many brain cells left and i must of been useing the one good one ive got for something else.  clear skys charl.