My first Horsehead

[Craig_L]

Had a go the other morning at the Horsehead, the nebula which first got me interested in astrophotography after seeing some images on the web.

I was packing up after a session on the Helix and saw Orion just coming up over the neighbour's place. Set the camera going and went to bed. The first five images were okay, but it was fairly low on the horizon. Unfortuneately the next five images were smeared with cloud.

Lacks detail among other things, and I think I have to start using flats. Will try for some more images this morning at a lower ISO.

5 X 10 mins @ ISO 1600 with ICNR. Tak Sky 90 with flattener/reducer @ F4.6. Hutech modded Canon 450D.

Any thoughts? Thanks for looking.

Craig

[Gama]

Looks lovely, you got some great data, and converted it nicely.
I would like to see the speed drop down to under 400 personally, make a smoother image. But still looks good.

Theo

[Craig_L]

Thanks Theo, will try the lower ISO setting in the morning if the clouds stay away. Hopefully won't have to use as much noise reduction.

Craig

[AlexN]

Very nice Craig! perhaps a bit heavy on the red? (the modded DSLR images I've seen almost always come out a bit red) Mind you, thats all personal taste.

As Theo mentioned, it is some great data you have there!! definitely something to be proud of!


If only it were 1920x1080 and set as my desktop background :D

[Jen]

:thumbsup: Great pic Craig especially for your first one cheers :thumbsup:

[Tandum]

Nicely framed craig. I got a few shots of it last week but daybreak destroyed the images :P


Well a modded camera sees what the eye can not, and that ends up in the red pixels. Get your QY going and see for yourself :D

[spearo]

Well done
great field of view. I use a 20Da and find ISO 800 is usually quite good.
Lovely image,
cheers
frank

[prokyon]

Hi Craig!

Nice pic, but I think too much red. Especially the flame nebula.
But good work, keep on....

cheers

werner

[dugnsuz]

Great image Craig - nice amount of detail and smoothness for your 50mins worth.
As others have said, a bit heavy on the red. Can you balance it out in PS or is this going to be the curse of the mod!?
Everything I've seen that you've done with the Tak has really impressed me.
Cheers
Doug

[Hagar]

Very nice image of a dificult target. Dropping the ISO will require a lot more subs of probably longer exposure. I think you have done a great job of processing this one. A little less on the red and lift the backgound darkness a little and one great image well done.

[Craig_L]

Thanks all for the kind comments. I will definitely have another go at processing the material as I didn't shoot anymore last night because of the moon. Was going to try a lower ISO as Theo and Frank suggested.

Will try and reprocess without so much red. I'm trying not to alter the colour balance during processing but maybe I have to.

Cheers, Craig

[Craig_L]

With your comments, had another go at reprocessing in CS3 without touching the colour balance, but using curves less aggressively. Hope this looks more natural.

Craig

[bluescope]

Looks good Craig, this is a target that I am yet to get an image that I am happy with. I'll have to wait 'till it rises earlier for me to have another crack at it as I have an extensive industrial area just a few kms to the east of me, huge mercury vapour sky glow :sadeyes:.

:thumbsup:

[multiweb]

Very cool picture Craig. :thumbsup: Can't wait to have a go at it too.

[gregbradley]

Very nice first attempt at the Horsehead. Still a red bias there - try opening all the colour histograms (window/histogram) then use levels or curves to pull back the red histogram into line.

The Flame nebula is more a yellow and there are patches of blue reflection neb in the area as well. The horse itself is black.

With modded DSLRs you can set custom white balance so you don't have to pull back the red so much each time you process images from one.

Get an 18% photographic grey card from a camera shot and take a shop of that in sunlight around midday and set it as the custom white balance.

Greg.

[peeb61]

Top shot Craig....another in my sights! Love the detail.

Paul

[Craig_L]

Thanks again for the comments all. Only way to learn.

Greg, with the custom white balance, do I shoot the grey card with the Hutech LPS-V3 I use in or out? Many thanks for the advice.

Craig

[AlexN]

I would imagine with the filter in, otherwise the filter will throw it out of balance when you take the shots..

The re-do of your horse head has done wonders.. looks fantastic!

[Craig_L]

Thanks Alex. Still a bit noisy and blotchy though.

[Matty P]

Fantastic image Craig. The reprocess of the Horsehead looks great.

I'm really tempted to great my 450D modded after seeing this image.

Very well done. :thumbsup:

[jjjnettie]

You worry too much.:P
It's your first one and you've done a terrific job on it.
You've got all Summer to practice till it's perfect.

[AlexN]

Indeed you do worry too much... Its a mighty fine horse head for your first attempt, I'll be stoked if my first horse head comes out somewhere around half that good!! :D

[Ric]

Congrats Craig on catching your first HH and it's certainly a great one. It's one of my favourites.

Cheers

[Jen]

Yeah what Alex said :thumbsup::thumbsup:
great work :thumbsup:

[strongmanmike]

It's a nice image Greg, it would have been a high class amateur photo 20yrs ago! I don't say this as a negative thing but because I used to take astrophoto's thus images like yours take me back to a very fond period in my life ...and so to me this is still pretty dam good really. :)

Your imaging quality will only improve particularly with the help you are obviosuly getting in your processing form DSLR experienced guys on this forum...you will enjoy the journey I suspect? :thumbsup:

Mike

[Craig_L]

Thanks Mike, Jen, Ric, Jeanette et al. This forum is a great place to learn. Many thanks for the encouragement and tips.

Craig

[Jen]

Your welcome Craig keep up the great work :thumbsup:

[Tamtarn]

That's a good first try at this image Craig. The reprocessed version looks even better. I'm sure with the advise given by others on this thread, your next image will be impressive.

Well done.

[Kevnool]

No critisism here i reckon your donig just great ...it,s as good as any ive seen on the net......cheers Kev.