Alvin, ET, and the King Prawn: Two versions to compare

[Placidus (Mike and Trish)]

Thanks everyone for encouraging and thoughtful replies.

Originally Posted by Atmos

Utterly amazing MnT!
It may need a lot of work but I do think a SHO image would be worth the effort

I do prefer the image overall of the second but the stars in the first

Thanks Colin. We'll put it on the list.

Originally Posted by codemonkey

Amazing work guys! Love it! I favour the version with more contrast.

Thanks Lee.

Originally Posted by Retrograde

Great stuff M & T!

I prefer the one with less contrast as you can see more of the background nebulosity.

Thanks Pete. Good to know.

Originally Posted by PRejto

Great photos...both, but I guess I'm inclined to like the higher contrast version which just seems more dramatic. Your photo inspires me to try this again with my new 16-200 chip. Given the moon some Ha over the next few days might provide an interesting comparison to my previous effort with an 8300 CCD.

Peter

Cheers Peter. Hope you get a chance to do the Ha and the moon doesn't mess things up. It might be right where you want to photograph.

Best,
MnT

[Peter Ward]

A simply great result.

As for the Rorschach test...nup..all I can see is a fish.
Swimming towards me.

[RickS (Rick)]

Love the contrasty version, M&T

[multiweb (Marc)]

The one with more contrast shows a lot clearer details in the center of the nebula but the brighter version shows better details in the darker lanes in the outer neb at 10 o'clock so I like them both.

[Placidus (Mike and Trish)]

Originally Posted by Peter Ward

A simply great result.

As for the Rorschach test...nup..all I can see is a fish.
Swimming towards me.

Thanks Peter! And yes, if I close my eyes and think of the sea, I too can see a fish. Trish says she sees a cobra in a dress shirt with an expensive black lace ruff.

Originally Posted by RickS

Love the contrasty version, M&T

Thanks Rick. We guess if we could only do one version, that would be it.

Originally Posted by multiweb

The one with more contrast shows a lot clearer details in the center of the nebula but the brighter version shows better details in the darker lanes in the outer neb at 10 o'clock so I like them both.

Cheers, Marc. That Eizo monitor with the 10 bit output looks more and more tempting, but everyone would have to get one.

Best,
Mike and Trish

Oh, we did a good thing today. We made a strut for the heavy observatory door, to hold it open so it doesn't get caught by the wind. Once it got caught by a 60 KPH gust and it tore a half inch solid steel hinge pin in half. We practiced on the chicken shed before trying it on the observatory.

[RickS (Rick)]

Originally Posted by Placidus

That Eizo monitor with the 10 bit output looks more and more tempting, but everyone would have to get one.

Ay, there's the rub! Images that look great on my fancy (but several years old) colour calibrated NEC monitor don't always translate well to my laptop screen or the screens of others. It's a bit like mastering music where you need a pair of Yamaha NS10 speakers so you can tell what it's going to sound like on crappy speakers

Cheers,
Rick.

[Atmos (Colin)]

Originally Posted by RickS

Ay, there's the rub! Images that look great on my fancy (but several years old) colour calibrated NEC monitor don't always translate well to my laptop screen or the screens of others. It's a bit like mastering music where you need a pair of Yamaha NS10 speakers so you can tell what it's going to sound like on crappy speakers

Cheers,
Rick.

So as I view and process everything on my laptop and iPhone in all kinds of lighting without any calibration, I'm the standard candle

[Slawomir (Suavi)]

A beautiful image Mike and Trish. Love the detail.

I like the bright nebula more in the contrasty version, and darker nebulosity in the original version. I think a blend of two (50% of V1 + 50% of V2) might be worth trying

[Placidus (Mike and Trish)]

Originally Posted by Slawomir

A beautiful image Mike and Trish. Love the detail.

I like the bright nebula more in the contrasty version, and darker nebulosity in the original version. I think a blend of two (50% of V1 + 50% of V2) might be worth trying

Thanks Suavi. We like your suggestion.

Best,
MnT

[cometcatcher (Kevin)]

I can't pick which one. They are both amazing!

[Placidus (Mike and Trish)]

Originally Posted by cometcatcher

I can't pick which one. They are both amazing!

Thanks Kevin, that's kind.