Image Processing Magic...

[Robby]

I had a ago at imaging the Helix Nebula last night. It was low and in alot of sky glow. But I wanted to see what I could get from it...
It was certainly an interesting exercise. While the processed image is pretty crappy, when you consider what I started with, it's amazing I got anything...
1st image is a typical RAW from the camera.
2nd image is the processed version using mainly levels in Photoshop.

[[1ponders]]

Wow!!! what a difference Robby. :cool2: I did something similar with your M83 shot (levels and curves and a few other thins) and whas surprised at the difference. Could I have a copy of your original raw to play with until I get some clear skies. There's a couple of techniques I'd like to try.

[Striker]

I like the one on the left better......hehehe

[ving]

the helix is back out! sweet!
I've only seen it once i think andnot from a dark site.

nice shot

[slice of heaven]

Now that blew me away!!!
I like checking the images you guys post but never realized what some of the images started as.
I'll definitely appreciate them even more from now on.

[Robby]

Hi Paul,
What RAW do you want? M83 one or Helix?
Show me what you got out of my M83 shot. I'm curious now!!

[atalas]

Robby have you got a Gene in a bottle ? nice save .

Louie

[[1ponders]]

The Helix thank Robby.

I'd better post it here rather than in the June imaging section, seeing as its not my shot. Pushed it a bit hard and burnt out the center, but managed to bring out some of the nebulosity and the to faint galaxies

[h0ughy]

thats excellent results guys :2thumbs: . I had Tornado33 (Scott) show me what he did with some of his images and that knocked me of my feet as well. I haven't played :einstein: with RAW images yet as my pentax has a slightly different format than that of the canon. Looking forward to it sometime in the near Future. hopefully some kind sole (EddieT) may show me some techniques at the Queensland Astrofest!! :D

[gbeal]

Houghy,
not sure Rob shoots in RAW mode, as he is too miserable, but perhaps he could clarify this. Whatever he did, it is a hellava difference though.

[h0ughy]

Gary I had a very unpleasent image re-reading what you may have meant :D and it is far to cold for that sort of thing!!! :rofl:

[acropolite]

Robby wrote I would be happy just getting the image on the left....:lol2:

[gbeal]

Ah, the English lanuage, how you can misinterperet it. Sorry Houghy, Rob has clothes, just likes JPEGs better. OK.

[h0ughy]

I just thought that why the first image looked a bit blurry, the cold look effect!! :D Got some mileage though :rofl:

Photoshop can work wonders at times. Scott (tornado33) showed me how he manually stacked images and match them, and after the magic words were said, hey presto there is an image of a another obscure object he captured. I couldn't beleive how much detail came out. That made me think of all those shots I used to take just like the first one posted, and how I could go searching for "buried treasure" so to speak!

[[1ponders]]

Well I tried the file you sent me Robby, but none of the tricks I tried came anywhere near your result. I give up, what were your tricks. :)

[Dennis]

WOW!!! Robby - that is powerful image processing magic indeed!!!!

There is hope for me yet it seems.

Cheers

Dennis

[Robby]

Hi Guys,
Thanks for the comments... Yes, Houghy I shoot in Jpeg...
I've tried a few times with RAW image format, but can't tell the difference. Although I should try again someday with the new scope & setup.
Paul,
I didn't do too much to it... Levels, and bit of colour balance, reduced the saturation a bit after over-processing it. Re-tweak the levels. Manually plaster out the black pixels (result of dark subtraction). Noiseware to reduce the noise a bit. Then back to Photoshop for a final contrast tweak..
No layer masks or anything complicated like that.
I am still amazed at what I ended up with. :work:
Cheers

[[1ponders]]

Damn fine. I tried a light pollution removal trick. It removed the light pollution but took the nebula with it. Tried levels and curves but couldn't get anything that clear. Great work.

[beren]

Stunning image Robby .....thought i may add a example of some PS processing on a 2 min widefeild milky way shot , from the camera its a washout put use the Gradientterminator photoshop add on and some tweaks using curves and detail comes out :D , sorry i wiped out the orginal put heres the after result

[atalas]

Great beren, wide field shots are an exciting way to look at our Galaxy.

Louie :eyepop:

[Robby]

Very nice shot Beren. Although the heavily compressed "ice-compliant" version doesn't neally do it justice!
Cheers