Trifid and Lagoon from Wiruna

[Ross G]

Hello,

Another photo from my trip to Wiruna last New Moon.

10 x 10min exposures @ -20c
Darks and Flats
DSS then Photoshop

WO M110 Refractor
QHY8L Camera
HEQ5Pro Mount
PHD Guiding with WO66

I am still having problems getting the colours right.
Do you think the colours are too strong?

Thanks for looking.


Ross.

[Ross G]

Oops!...sorry, I have posted the wrong photo.

It was very late last night when I did it. I have accidently posted the shot with no saturation boost rather than the final one with the saturation increased.

I will post the correct one when I get home this afternoon.

Sorry.

Ross.

[multiweb]

Super shot mate! :thumbsup:

[CoolhandJo]

Nice one Ross. You captured a lot of the dynamic range in the area - including dark stuff! :)

[DavidTrap]

Nice field of view. I was wondering about the colours then read your second post - they are a little washed out in the current image.

DT

[Ross G]

Marc, Paul, David...thanks for your kind comments.

I have now attached the correct version.


Ross.

[CoolhandJo]

Even better!, great colours

[DavidTrap]

I think you've washed it out and clipped the highlights.

DT

[Ross G]

Thanks Paul.

The hardest part for me always seems to be in getting the colours right. I do so many versions and I am never 100% happy.
I think as I learn more about Photoshop, the better my photos will get.


Ross.

[Ross G]

Hi David,

Thanks. It's exactly advice like yours that I need.

I will re-do the photo in Photoshop, keeping an eye on the highlights and see if I can improve it.


Thank you.

Ross.

[Lester]

Very nice FOV Ross. I too play around a heap with my images and still takes a number of shots to get the best results.

[Ross G]

Thanks Lester,

Yes, it takes me many attempts before I'm even mildly happy with the colours.

Ross.

[gregbradley]

That's really very good Ross. You did a lot of things right there.

The reds seem underdone and have more of a pink tone.
So try selective colour in Photoshop and the reds and play with the sliders and see if you can get more reddish/magenta going there which would be the correct colour.

Also there is a touch of green in your background that is throwing the look off subty.

Try running colour balance tool (control B) and reduce green in the background or download a copy of the Photoshop plugin HLVG from Rogelio Andreo and run that on a duplicate layer set to luminosity.
It works well. Sometimes it will spoil teal coloured reflection nebulosity hence the duplicate layer. If you don't like it then don't flatten the image and no harm done!

Greg.

[Ross G]

Hi Greg,

Thank you again for your generous advice.

I can never see the green cast, probably a combination of my old eyes and laptop screen. However, in Photoshop with the info pallette, I can see that the green values are higher over most of the background.
I will try the plugin and the selective colour and see what I can improve.


Thanks.


Ross.