M42 - just layering around

[steppenwolf]

Poor weather means time to play with old data but I seem to be going round in circles with this one! The question I need to ask is this - does this image made up of data from various of my images taken over a couple of years look contrived?

[George]

Steve, to my eye it looks overplayed with, its something I'm in the habit of doing striving to get the best out of an image.

This image altho over exposed in the bright regions looks far more natural http://stargazerslounge.com/index.php/topic,33877.0.html

I'm doing photoshop ATM at nightschool and have just started learning layers, fascinating subject and i hope to improve my images using this method.

There's a good tutorial here on layers for astro work http://tinyurl.com/2eczrt

In fact that whole site is a goldmine for the digital astrophotographer http://tinyurl.com/mmflt well worth a bookmark.

[Beyond_Vision]

Steve you have done a very good job on the core but the outer regoins are more noisy and vignetted. Great link George thanks for that

Regards

Kevin

[steppenwolf]

Cheers George, you have pointed me towards my own image on which this one is based and I agree completely with your comment about my original being more natural - I ignored the core and went for the dust with that one!

The layered portion was taken with the opposite view - to get the Trapezium (core) region correct and the obvious game was to try and match the two but I wasn't happy with it, hence the post!

Kevin, interesting how the noise and vignetting came in as I layered the core region - I suspect that I could have done with some better data for the 'core' layer as this was not a wide FOV like the base and blending the two made it necessary for me to stretch the thing too far hence the noise!

Thanks for your comments folks, I shall get back to the drawing board!

[ncjunk]

I have to agree with Kevin, I like the core but don't like the outer areas..

Neil C

[steppenwolf]

Right, this work in progress has perhaps progressed a little with layered version two below - Yup, still cloudy and raining!

[George]

That's looking sooooooooooo much better Steve

Can I suggest some nice diffraction spikes

[steppenwolf]

Can I suggest some nice diffraction spikes

Hey come on, George, I'm trying for 'natural' :crybaby:

[Doc]

Go on Steve just a couple on the bright stars.

[George]

Go on Steve just a couple on the bright stars.

Yeah go on Steve be naughty :laughing2:

[steppenwolf]

Go on Steve just a couple on the bright stars.

Yeah go on Steve be naughty :laughing2:

I'm such a softy - what I'll do in the name of fun .....

[George]

IMHO that just looks right

Love that image Steve, if I get half as good an image this season I will be well chuffed.

[brendant]

Wow Steve :hello1: ,

What a transformation, hard to believe you pulled that image out of the first one posted, excellent job. Have to say I prefer the more natural process less the diffraction spikes.

Suppose one thing about these miserable nights is that it gives us time to play and hone the processing skills that in the unlikely event of a clear spell we might be able to get some new data to play with.

Superb reprocess, well done.

Brendan

[Psychobilly]

they always look stuck on and way to fat...oops wrong forum....

[MartinB]

Spot on Steve, some fantastic dark nebulosity. How could you weaken with the spikes though!!!

[steppenwolf]

Spot on Steve, some fantastic dark nebulosity. How could you weaken with the spikes though!!!

It was George, he made me do it ....

[MartinB]

[narrowbandpaul]

new data?...whats that

[Psychobilly]

new data?...whats that

Thats some old files you found on the HDD or a card somewhere... no chance of any fresh new data here ... so to relieve the boredome I have started playing COD WaW...

[narrowbandpaul]

Call of duty?

i have cod4...playing online now.

[Psychobilly]

the new one back in WWII the last few months of it - sorry for the drift of topic...

[narrowbandpaul]

get cod4...amazin...online.

sorry for off post