Milky way arch panorama from Cornwall

[AstroNebulee]

My first ever try at a milky-way arch pano. Needs loads more practice with stitching software as its looking awful with the banding and been a complete ball-ache. Taken on 25-5-23 over Delabole slate quarry in Cornwall. Using Canon 600D samyang 14mm f2.8 

10 panels of 10 images 13 secs at 6400iso. Dark calibration frames added. 

Stitched in Microsoft ICE and processed in Photoshop cs4.
I tried photomerge in photoshop but it didnt stitch with the end panels and gave the core part of the milky-way a tighter curve than is in real life. I did make sure each image overlapped nicely enough.
Need more trials to get it correct but I've been trying for days, so having a break now. Took some milky-way core images also so will process them.

I did manage to image the milky-way over 5 nights (not consecutively) during this good weather, no moon and the last throws of astro darkness. 
Lee

Edited May 28, 2023 by AstroNebulee

[FenlandPaul]

Really well done - that’s a super impressive first pano, with loads of breathing space either side.

I also struggle with banding in the Samyang 14mm, which I think is a result of its very strong vignette. In theory I think a flat frame would deal with it, but who can be bothered to do that in the field?! So I’ve found that either making the overlap mega (75%-80%) or shooting in landscape orientation and doing more rows (again with plenty of overlap) really helps. I think setting a lens profile in Lightroom for the Samyang 14 would also help but (a) you need LR and (b) you need to know how to set it (which I don’t!). 😊

 

[AstroNebulee]

20 minutes ago, FenlandPaul said:

Really well done - that’s a super impressive first pano, with loads of breathing space either side.

I also struggle with banding in the Samyang 14mm, which I think is a result of its very strong vignette. In theory I think a flat frame would deal with it, but who can be bothered to do that in the field?! So I’ve found that either making the overlap mega (75%-80%) or shooting in landscape orientation and doing more rows (again with plenty of overlap) really helps. I think setting a lens profile in Lightroom for the Samyang 14 would also help but (a) you need LR and (b) you need to know how to set it (which I don’t!). 😊

 

Thank you Paul, I really appreciate your kind words and advice. Yes I agree I've never taken flats with my dslr in the field either haha. I can't find time enough to get everything I need ina session I keep seeing more each time. 

I think my overlap on this pano was around 50% so not enough as I thought. 

Saying about a landscape panorama I have taken one earlier in the week when I shot this so will give that a go too. 

Flowing advice from Mary McIntyre she uses LR to apply corrective lens distortion on her images. So as you say I can't afford LR so I'm trying Raw Therapee and I see you can load up lens profiles for all different lenses and the samyang 14mm f2.8 is on there. When I try to do a photomerge in ps for the stitch it seems as though the canvas isn't big enough. Probably the overlap issue.

Thank you again for your help Paul. Keep up the great work on your vlogs 👍

Lee

[AstroNebulee]

I've had a rework of my milky-way arch taken in May 2023 here in Delabole around 2am. I've finally gotten it to be something I'm reasonably happy with (it strained my laptop and me to the limit). It's 10 individual photos stitched together to make one very large panoramic image. Hoping I can go one better in 2024 when I attempt it again. Taken with Canon 600D on tripod and Samyang 14mm f2.8 lens and a lot of patience. 

What I did was to try taking flats in my home a few weeks ago (I know a year late) but thought it was worth a try, so I used my flats box I used on my disused imaging rig and placed over the Canon and Samyang lens using av mode and re stacked with the original files taken and now the black lines have gone! So now I know I need to take flats to avoid it next time. 

I know it's not the best image but it's progress for the upcoming milky-way season. 😊

Lee 

Edited February 25 by AstroNebulee
Addition

[WolfieGlos]

45 minutes ago, AstroNebulee said:

What I did was to try taking flats this year (I know a year late) but thought it was worth a try

Wow, I’m surprised that worked a whole year on! Great thinking.

Very impressive Lee, looks much better now the black lines have gone. Well done, and look forward to your images this year 👍

[LaurenceT]

Well done Lee, it's a lovely image. By coincidence tonight was the first time since coming to this hobby that I took the plunge and took my first flat frames!😀

[AstroNebulee]

20 hours ago, WolfieGlos said:

Wow, I’m surprised that worked a whole year on! Great thinking.

Very impressive Lee, looks much better now the black lines have gone. Well done, and look forward to your images this year 👍

Thank you. I thought it was worth a try and at 14mm I didn't think there'd be to much to worry about with the flats as opposed to say my old imaging rig at 420mm.

I'm going to try my dslr on my AzGti in az mode to get longer exposures on the core this milky-way core season. Plus with the town opposite in the image turning off most streetlights and dimming the rest will help with the LP. 

19 hours ago, LaurenceT said:

Well done Lee, it's a lovely image. By coincidence tonight was the first time since coming to this hobby that I took the plunge and took my first flat frames!😀

Thank you Laurence. That's great with your first flat frames, they do help and don't take much doing. Look forward to your results. 

Lee

Edited February 25 by AstroNebulee

[Elp]

Pretty amazing and something I've always wanted to do but for me I'd have to venture off site for a long drive to be able to get the dark sky horizon to horizon.

Is your 600d modded?

[AstroNebulee]

Thank you. There's a few places in the village with horizon to horizon. One part where I take my Aurora images from have a nearly 360° horizon one of the good parts about being one of the highest villages in Cornwall. The downside is the amount of mist and fog tho. 

My 600D isn't modded. 

Lee 

Edited February 25 by AstroNebulee