Very please with my first Orion Nebula

[Eri]

This is the first draft of my attempt at the Orion Nebula, contains 31x2min,19x1min and 61x30sec subs stacked in DSS no darks/flats or bias and first draft tweaked in Photoshop.

Any suggestions on better processing? I'm sure it can be tweaked more and if anyone wants to show off their skills or even play let me know and i'll upload the subs

[abodee2]

with that much data i'd say there's a lot more to get out of that image. I'm not particularly great at photoshop by any means but i'd be more than happy to have a go if you upload the stacked image

[toxic]

well done indeed way better than my first or second Orion 

[jtlandreneau]

Nice! I'd give it a round of HLVG to kill the greens, certainly a good start

[Eri]

thanks guys... if interested you can download the stacked tif from http://tinyurl.com/hvlwch3the file will be available on there until the 15th December then get automatically deleted. I'd be interested in what do with the file to get more data out so I can learn more. jtlandreneau sorry to sound an idiot but HLVG ?

[abodee2]

This is what i got after a quick go just now, there's still a bit you could get out

[Eri]

that looks fantastic abodee2

[wimvb]

Great image. Abodee2 took care of the green cast very nicely.

The core of the nebula is blown out. Can you adjust the contrast locally (masking in PS or HDRmultitransform in PI)? People generally use various exposure times to tame the core.

[wimvb]

Just a quick pass of HDRMultiscaleTransform to show you an idea of what is in the core.

(Note I haven't spend any time on colour processes, just a stretch and increased saturation somewhat)

The image quality was very good, low noise and lots of data.

[Eri]

wimvb when I saw what you have done with a quick go this sprang to mind 

that's just amazing and just goes to show how much I really need to learn to bring out the best in my photo's

What program are you using? PixInsight? do you know of something similar in Photoshop? 

[laudropb]

Very good for a first attempt. Lots of data there to play with.

[abodee2]

wimvb when I saw what you have done with a quick go this sprang to mind https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6nSKkwzwdW4 that's just amazing and just goes to show how much I really need to learn to bring out the best in my photo's

What program are you using? PixInsight? do you know of something similar in Photoshop?

I use photoshop but from what I've seen on here and in person Pixlnsight looks amazing. And it's made for doing this stuff

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Eri]

ok so back from work and have had another dabble at the file in PS, i've not cropped down to the nebula itself and left the far left side in on purpose to ask all you knowledgeable peeps you opinions.

Would you say that the blue on the left is an acceptable by product of teasing out the nebula and then crop down to the nebula itself? or is that too much blue levels?

There looks to still be some details left hiding especially in the centre when I compare to wimvb's quick pass (very jealous)

[wimvb]

I'm definitely no expert in Pixinsight, but as Abodee2 writes: PI is developed for this kind of work. I believe that in Photoshop you use two layers: one with the core blown out but the outer parts of the nebula optimised, and one layer with the core optimised. You then carefully blend the two layers. PI doesn't use layers, it uses masks instead. Olly commented on this some days ago somewhere in this forum. Both packages can give fabulous or horrible results, depending on the data and the (experience of) the operator.

Eri, from the information you gave in your original post, you have the data to do the blending in PS. Make one master light frame for the longer exposure (the edge of the nebula) and one for the shorter exposure (the core of the nebula). Optimise each and blend.

PS experts please correct my if I'm wrong.

I've seen tutorials somewhere ,that showed this kind of processing.

As for the blue in your recent pass at the data: The blue is background and should be more neutral in my opinion. I recently read a description in this forum how it can be done in PS. I believe it was by Sara, and it's also done with layers.

In PI you use Dynamic Background Extraction on the linear (non-stretched) data, followed by Colour Calibration where you determine the black point of the background and the white balance. Harry Page and Kayron Mercieca (LightVortexAstronomy.com) can show you how it's done.

Processing raw data is 90% of the fun in this hobby. (Hunting new targets and getting the data is the other 90%  )

Good luck

[GeoffB]

Hi,

Now you've made me jealous as everygood sky over the past week I have either had to be the dutiful dad or husband. These shots are looking really good and to think you've taken 4hen in my neck of the woods adds to that jealousy. Well done esp as youve only been doing this as long as me andyour streets ahead of me. I have got a webcam for christmas and a second scope on order now all I need is clear skies and a few free nights lol plus a decent tracking goto mount keep me away from the shops until after xmas.

[abodee2]

ok so i've had a bit more time on my hands so i played around a bit more and tried not to overexpose the core as much. I'm not sure how to use layer masks and blend them together but here's what i could get