Which one is best?

[blinky]

As usual I have spent all day messing about with last nights data and I am now not sure which I like the best!

So..... I am presenting 3 images and would like to invite critique on them!

[JohnC]

Not experienced enough to give a critique.

Asthetically i like number 1 best.

[Doc]

I agree number one or three. It looks nore natural with better colour. Number two the centre looks a bit over exposed.

I'm no expert though so could be speaking utter rubbish....

[red dwalf]

number 1 for me also.

[Vega]

The overall look in number 1 is more even, however I do prefer the colours in the witches broom in photo 3

Matt

[Daz1969]

No1:)

[Euan]

No1 for me too, it looks great

[blinky]

Cheers folks,

Typical the first one was the first edit done early this morning. The rest are the result of me trying to better it and taking the rest of the day to do!

[Beyond_Vision]

It's quite a difficult area to process the density of the star field changes quite markedly in this area and if you have any gradients and vignetting it can be hard. I think the focusing maybe a little bit soft or the optics distorting to the edges. There is a cast on the star colour were you using a LP filter. Did you take any flats if not a run through Pix-Insight DBE tool would help.

Regards

Kevin

[Psychobilly]

I'd say in Order 3,1,2...

Theres a load of diffuse gas there as well as the concentrations in the main parts that most people recognise...which are often "confused" as being gradients or noise... which at lower total exposures I suppose is what they manisfest themselves as...

[blinky]

I did take flats but there does appear to be a lot more stars in the middle of the FoV. I did also use an LPR filter but have not yet found a way to sort the green cast! Any hints.....

[Beyond_Vision]

Can you upload a Tif to play with Craig

[Psychobilly]

Any chance of posting a Tiff?

[Psychobilly]

snap

[Beyond_Vision]

You should be able to get rid of the majority of the colour cast with balancing the black point of each channel so that the histogram for each channel are aligned. You can also use the selective colour tool to alter a particular colour under image/adjustments/selective colour on photoshop.

Regards

Kevin

[steve_bham]

Ilike the look of number one, but no expert! just like the colours.

[roundycat]

Initially for me it was 3, 1, 2 but on looking at the larger versions it rapidly became 1, 3, 2. I am not at all sure about the crop with No 1, why lose the top? No 1 is sharper, it looks as if both 2 and 3 are suffering from over processing especially with regard to star manipulation. Perhaps star reduction that has got to the fine tendrils in the nebula and reduced them to a blur.

It does look very much as if you have tried to reduce star brightness with No 3 and the result simply does not work on any level. No 2 looks like it desperately needs a flat field but if it is from the same data I can't figure out the bright centre.

The original (and best!) No 1 looks to me to have been overstretched, particularly with the white point being shifted too much early on and this has made the stars too bright and too big. I think the secret is to go back to the original TIFF (if that's how you do it) and start again. The data is there but you should aim for a delicate touch with this object, there is too much saturation in the red colours. If it is a touch out of focus it is a lost cause I'm afraid. The fine nebula detail in the Veil needs the best possible focus.

Sorry to go on but you did ask! :-)

Dennis

[blinky]

Dennis - not problem with your comments, thats why I posted it to this section.

I am going to do a restack tonight and yes I think I did use a bit too much star reduction and also think I stretched it a bit too much. I am really aiming for a nice smooth almost misty image and this is not what I got - guess yesterday I lost sight of what I was trying to achieve and pushed it too far!