M45 - Reprocess

[jgs001]

I've never been happy with the M45 image I got last year.... It always struck me that something was missing... I had another bash last night...

I discarded the first night subs (about 12) as the alignment was totally different and was causing some difficult to process lines. Stacked, and gently gently tweaked, pushed and pulled, and after some time... ended up with ...

I'm much happier with this, although I think I might have overcooked things a little...

Click for bigger

[TakMan]

I know what you mean about 'not being happy!' Took me ages of trying and re-trying to get something half decent - and there's still that nagging feeling that there is more.....

Now I understand why everyone says that M45 is such a difficult subject to process!

Having said that you've got an excellent shot there - that's a fantastically vibrant electric blue! I can still see the yellow/red stars too, so 'overcooked?' that depends on other astro photos you decide to compare it to.... I bet many would be rather pleased if that was their own.

Look on the bright side - you've got plenty of data to play with while the bad weather continues....!

I'm going to have to have another go now at my own version - god damn it!!!!

Clear skies to you...

Damian

PS, the more M45s I see in this orientation (or flipped), the more I see a fish shape.....or is that just me...???!!!

[jgs001]

Thanks for the comments Damian. Gotta agree, it looks like it ought to be easy, but oh boy it's not...

Sorry about setting you off on editing yours again ...

I think I can see what you mean about a fish...

[Deneb]

Thats a big improvement John, but i think may the background could be ever so slightly dark, so the cluster is popping out a bit more. If you know what I mean...

Nadeem.

[TakMan]

Nothing to apologise for - was looking for an excuse to 'waste' another few hours!

I've added your shot to my growing list of reference files..... it's going to be easier to re-process it a work though, I think - where I use a 30" Apple Cinema Display rather than my 21" LaCie unit at home - for all the reference files and Photoshop tablets that are now required for such a task!!!!

Take a look at Rob's tips as well that he posted in thread: M42 Orion with a DSLR by

Coolhandjo

Perhaps the 'fish' thing is just me...!

Regards

Damian

[ollypenrice]

I think that's a lovely image. Deep colour, smooth, natural. On my bigger screen the stars against the dark sky show slight dark haloes so I might be inclined to select and blur them or try some other way like the lighten brush. But the nebulosity is super and that's what counts in my view.

Olly

[Coco]

I'll second Olly

On my big Dell 24" screen it looks great. Somehow all the blue doesn't take over the actual image.

Send it in for print... you'll love it

Cheers

Guy

[jgs001]

Thanks guys.

Nadeem, I set a control point on the background and the RGB values are between 20 and 30, to ensure there's something there and the blackpoint wasn't clipped. Maybe I just made it a weeny bit dark.

Cheers Olly. I'm not sure I followed your suggestions all that well, nor how to apply them, but I'll look into it.

Cheers Guy, I think I'll do that... be my first Deep Sky print ...

[Psychobilly]

Still some alignment artefacts and banding if the background but the nebs looking OK...