Horsehead nebula in Narrowband

[swag72]

I have had this on the PC since January and have refrained from posting it as I really can't decide how I feel. It started off as a more usual colour palette for me, but it always seemed very flat. I went back to process and decided to leave the green in and see what that bought to the party. It certainly seemed to give it a more 3D feel and more general depth..... but it has been tweaked here and there now for months.

It hasn't been posted anywhere yet as I think it's too far from my comfort zone colours to be able to decide how I feel about. I've tried to look at it objectively and wonder what I'd say if someone else posted it, and I can't quite decide whether I'd give it a 'thumbs up' or a 'thumbs down'

I've thrown it open to comments and criticism here - Please feel free to be as brutal as you like...... I need to hear it

Details:
Mount: Mesu 200
Scope: Takahashi FSQ85 0.73x
Camera: QSI683 and Moravian G2-8300

This has been data from last year and this year.

27x1800s Ha
11x1800s OIII
20x1800s SII

Totalling 29 hours of integration. I can't link to a high res version as there isn't one online! 

 

[Craney]

My goodness me.... that's like a J.M.W Turner...

[SimonS]

Amazing image  

[Redscouse]

I've been in this hobby for a mere four months now. I can only dream of the day I produce an image like that. Don't be so hard on yourself. That is a fantastic photo! 

[Yawning Angel]

That is absolutely glorious! Pops right off the screen whilst giving an impression of boiling motion. Lovely composition too, with the right side constrained by the clouds, and the left open to the void  so your eyes fall into the centre

[vlaiv]

In general I do like it, I love the detail and 3d kind of feel to it. I love color balance and palette.

Flame bothers me a bit I must say, composition wise - it somehow detracts from the image - both placing / brightness and color seems to be "out of place" on otherwise superb image.

It also looks flat compared to the rest of the image.

[Allinthehead]

I've never seen the Horsehead like this. It really is striking. Love the golden colour behind the head.

[swag72]

3 hours ago, vlaiv said:

In general I do like it, I love the detail and 3d kind of feel to it. I love color balance and palette.

Flame bothers me a bit I must say, composition wise - it somehow detracts from the image - both placing / brightness and color seems to be "out of place" on otherwise superb image.

It also looks flat compared to the rest of the image.

Not sure I can do much on the composition! This was supposed to be a 2 pane mosaic carried on from last year, but the weather and equipment didn't play ball so I had to give up on this pane. I'll have another look at the flame (I won't thank you for getting me to go back and look at this again!!  ) 

Thanks all for your comments and thoughts....... I'm still reserving over all judgement

Edited April 25, 2018 by swag72

[Steve 1962]

That is simply jaw dropping Sara. I really like the palette. It gets a definite thumbs up from me.

Steve

[saac]

Sara you just keep setting the bar higher, that is an absolutely stunning image; I love the way the background stars shine through the dust and gas  it gives a real sense of how tenuous these structures must be. The colour balance is perfect; what kind of dark magic do you wield Sara?    

Jim 

[LightBucket]

Stunning....love it..

[melsmore]

It's superb.

[newbie alert]

Didn't really know what to expect but was quite surprised to what I see..in a good way thou..

The more I look the more I see...suberb Sara 

 

[carastro]

Hi Sara,

Up to your usual good standard, but I feel this is one target that doesn't feel right in NB colours.  The data is excellent, I wonder whether you could fiddle with/change the colours a bit.  

I have done this is narrowband in the past and like you hesitated, and in the end I don;t think I even posted it.

Carole 

[glowingturnip]

love it, really like the colours.  

I'd echo the comments on the flame though, looks curiously flat and yellow compared to the rest of the image

[coatesg]

I'd agree with comments on the Flame - the HH and surrounding emission look super, and the palette really works, and there's great detail in the faint wispy stuff; but the Flame in lemon yellow doesn't really do it for me I'm afraid :-/. 

[swag72]

Thanks all for your comments - I have gone back and re-worked the flame a little. Now it's more contrasty and less 'lemon'  

@carastro - I'm not really convinced with this target in NB either - Hence why it's sat on my computer since January!! When I first processed it, I went for my usual colour palette - More orange and blue and no green. It looked as flat as a pancake!!! Perhaps Next year I can think of something else to do with it  

[carastro]

What about trying it in HOS and seeing how that looks?

Carole 

[swag72]

That's pretty much what I did before..... didn't like it ?

[astro mick]

Narrowband colours are subjective, and there is no right or wrong way to interpret them, or indeed create them.Even Hubbles are false.

No with this image you have to look at the construction and the stunning amount of Nebulae and detail that Sara has achieved with this. 

The 3D effect is really present.

11/10 Sara.

Mick.

Edited April 26, 2018 by astro mick

[starbob707]

Just awesome ' Love the look.  10 stars out of 10.

[melsmore]

26 minutes ago, astro mick said:

Narrowband colours are subjective, and there is no right or wrong way to interpret them, or indeed create them.Even Hubbles are false.

Absolutely. ( And Flames can be red, yellow, white, blue etc too anyway). There have been a lot of HH on SGL, this is one of my favourites.

Edited April 26, 2018 by melsmore
Correction to predictive text ?

[swag72]

Thanks guys for your comments... The flame has been titivated a little. I didn't realise how soft it was compared to the rest of the image. I had clearly neglected it!!!

[steppenwolf]

I really love the colour palette in this image but I am concerned about the Flame which has lost something in translation. However, any re-work should retain this palette as it has really given this object a little special something.

[swag72]

@steppenwolf - Cheers Steve - I think it's fixed now...... I really should have realised that I'd done nothing to the flame and that it was lacking