M45 - Re-edit

[jgs001]

It's still not quite right, but it's a much nicer image. Need to work on this a bit more going back to the stack. The trick being very small amounts....

[trevboyd]

That's looking good, John! Bit of a gradient in the middle that might benefit from some attention (don't know how of course!)

Trev

[Psychobilly]

(click to enlarge)

Hi John,

just made a few slight tweaks...

Billy...

oops wrong thread should ahve gone in your other one :withstupid:

[jgs001]

Thanks guys. I'm struggling to find the right balance in editing this from the stack... Anyone got any suggestions ?

[Psychobilly]

Hi John,

I would look to tackle the gradient as soon as possible in the processing workflow.

If you stacked in DSS i would also look at the various "stretch" options that are availabe BEFORE you save the file.

BEFORE because I notice yestreday that if you reload a picture file (including the autosaves) you get a different effect on the image than you do if you do it staright after the picture has been "loaded" after the stacking process.

In images with a large dynamic range like the pleiades you might find that Asinh stretchign produces a better result. Check the linked settings box to apply teh same "function" to all channels and uncheck it to make tweaks to histogram alignment if it's required.

Save the file off and open in your favourite IP program. First think I do is a very rough levels makign sure to leave headroom at both ends - i sometimes adjust the mid point as well.

Then I normally boost the saturation by applying multiple +10 to +15 itterations rather than trying to do it all in one hit. The same applies to most process inthe IP workflow your better of doing sevreal small iterations rather than one big one.

then its Curves, Brightness & Contrast and Levels etc..

Also (an obvious one) Keep the image as highest possible bit depth , max resolutiuon for as long as possible regualr saves to "different" intermediate files at key decision stages etc.

Add frames and annotation right at the end but keep a version of the file without them.

Billy...

[jgs001]

Thanks for the tips Billy, I'll give that a try. One thing I am finding, I can't open the tif file that is saved from DSS. I don't know why. But I can open the autosave file. I've been using the autosave instead. What I've been doing, open the image, it's a 32bit tif. Adjust levels, and I might be getting this wrong, but to try and level up the colours, just adjusting the centre point slightly to bring the channel histograms together. Then convert to 16 bit so that curves etc will work, and kinda play basing it on MartinB's tutorial. I've been trying to tackle the gradient at the end which may well be part of my problem.

[Psychobilly]

Hi John,

There are quite a few otpions for saving the tiff file and not all IP programs can cope with all of them. Theres 16 bit and 3 different 32 bit formats Rational or Integer.

Most IP programs are probably expecting tiffs in the "vanilla" 16 bit sub format.

Chances are when you use 32 bit that the actual data sits most of the way up the histogram anyway and will look very washed out in the IP program.

Billy...

[jgs001]

I'm not sure how to convince DSS to save it as a 16 bit, but I'll have a look shortly. M45 is stacking as I type, on the desktop that is, not my lappy.

[greenkat]

Looks great to me

[jgs001]

Thanks Greenkat . Billy, found the bitdepth settings. Hiding in plain site