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M51 from SSP First go at guiding!

SlipperySquid

By SlipperySquid
in Imaging - Deep Sky

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SlipperySquid

SlipperySquid

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Hi all just wanted to share my image of M51 as this is my first proper go at guiding.

20x4 min subs taken with a Nilon D60 through a Skywatcher 200p.

Guided using PHD and processed in photoshop.

I have a couple of images that I have processed different ways but I like this one the best even if it has lost a bit of whispiness from the edges.

All coments taken in and digested!

m51bestcrop.jpg

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roundycat

roundycat

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an excellent first result and that's without using one of the more favoured DSLR's. Just goes to show what can be done.

Re the processing; you have killed off a lot of data at the dark end by setting the 'black point' much too low. PS was reading 2-5 in most places when it should be around 25-35 but not the same in all channels unless you want a grey background. The stretching was too much biased towards the bright end of the picture so the stars are all burnt out to white and you probably missed some of the mid range contrast that is there because of this.

Forget all that you have ever heard about setting the black point in Levels to the left hand end of the histogram, that is really on a par with mending a watch with a hammer. I did a bit of star reduction to make them less obvious as well as removing some of the blueness and adding red and green to the mid point to help emphasise the different colour in the smaller galaxy.

Dennis

post-15519-133877471033_thumb.jpg

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SlipperySquid

SlipperySquid

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Cheers all for the comments! Much appreciated!

Thanks Roundycat, I do have a lot to learn with PhotoShop and did notice that all the pictures I do are more towards the blue end of the spectrum and find it very hard at the moment to pull any other colours out, especially on this.Probably over sharpened the image to.....If you could PM how to increase the colour in the green and red (which I could do at the start of the processing) it would be a great help.

Again thanks fellas!

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RobH

RobH

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Great result Matt, bet you're pleased with the way the new mount/guiding came together, and look at the result....with a Nikon too :):):D:D.

I agree with Dennis re. the blackpoint....25-30 all the way through the processing, and then darken it at the very last stage if you want to.

Cheers

Rob

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James

James

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Hi all just wanted to share my image of M51 as this is my first proper go at guiding.

Looking good so far!! :)

I have a couple of images that I have processed different ways but I like this one the best even if it has lost a bit of whispiness from the edges.

Processing is really quite subjective - some argue for bringing out every last faint wisp, some prefer an "aesthetically pleasing" view - for some getting every last detail is aesthetically pleasing!

James

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SlipperySquid

SlipperySquid

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Thanks again all :) warms the cockles of me heart so it does!

Didn't know they did filters for Nikons...everyone told me to throw it in the bin and start again with a canon :) but I'll show you all ya bullies!

Also found a little program so I can plug the camera into the lap top and then see the images on the PC as they are taken and adjust different settings but alas it will only do exposures to 30secs and not automated for bulb exposures :hello2: .

I do try and take in what I hear at the astro-imaging talks and my processing has improved vastly! (Thanks to talks by RobH and Peter Shah etc) and will just carry on tweaking....I'm sure there's enough objects up there to keep me going for a couple of years :hello2:

Shaula...you said you didn't like them there choccy bars ya fibber!

I've got nothing else at the moment Dough as I'm just starting out in this windy and money eating road that is imaging but I'm sure I'll get some thing else done over the coming months..skies permiting!

Thanks again all and clear skies!

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Mel

Mel

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Well done slippy, I'm surprised you got any astronomy done at all judging by the sounds coming from your kit with Neil's boy Michael! "Here comes the Ninja!"

Seriously though, you've done really well there for a first go at guiding - it feels great when it actually works don't it?

Cheers

Iain

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drummerp

drummerp

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Great image squidy boy or should that be Drunken lad........

Anyhow, it surely is a good image considering you kept on knocking the tripod, (vine induced) every time you got up to look at the image in the cannon sorry I mean mickey mouse nikon camera!!

Cheers

Neil

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SlipperySquid

SlipperySquid

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I would do AstroKat but three of the sisters where out on the town I think :)...and it was slighlty outof focus giving double defraction spikes :hello2: I'm sat in my garden now doing M27 and M101 but cloud keeps rolling by!

Thanks again for your comments everyone it really is motivating me! even though I've got to be up for work at 5.30am....I can see this being a late one....:)

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