Reworked Crux Region SPSP

[RB]

After processing the Antares region image, I thought I'd redo the Crux region which I took at SPSP.
This image was done using flats in Images Plus instead of NEAT image for noise reduction.
It's come up a lot better I think.

Click here to see the first version for comparison. (http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=11084&d=1144081108)


Cheers

[h0ughy]

dont know, I tend to like the first version?

[vespine]

These are really great shots but I might agree with the above, in the original version there seems to be a lot of detail in the coal sack which is really really nice. That's about as good as crux as I have seen. In the reworked version it just seems darker so all that contrast in detail from the mids and darks seems lost. Maybe my monitor needs calibrating ;)

[RB]

Yes I agree with you Vespine and Dave that in the original the colour and detail in the coalsack is better. What I find though is that NEAT image tends to smudge or soften the image and actually wipe out some stars thinking that they are noise. Hence why, to me, the reworked version seems closer to the real thing.

But then I've been starring at these images for so long while working on them that I'm starting to see mirages......:rofl: :lol:

Thanks heaps guys for you compliments.

Cheers
:thumbsup:

[h0ughy]

:lol: first sign of madness Andrew;)

[Itchy]

Hi Andrew,
Appying flats is not a technique for noise reduction. What they do is even out the illumination of the field. You will notice that your first image is darker around the edges than the second one. What this allows you to do is stretch the image more without stretching the noise too much. Try stretching your second image a little more.

I agree with you about Neatimage. This type of noise reduction doesn't work that well on wide field shots because the software can't tell the differece between the noise and the stars and so will blur them.

Cheers

[ving]

i like them both! :)
i cant differentiate between noise and stars in them anyhow :)

[RB]

Cheers Tony,

I should have explained myself better, I can see how it's come across the wrong way. I wasn't implying that I substituted one for the other just that I didn't use NEAT image for noise reduction at all, I just used the flats for an "even background".
Thanks for clearing that up my apologies if it caused any confusion.

It's the first time I've used flats on any of my images (thanks to Tony's advice) and I was just so happy with the result.

The next step for me is to use dark frames too and see how they compare against In-Camera Noise Reduction.

Thanks again.

:thumbsup:

PS I'll try and stretch the second image and see what I get.

EDIT: Ok I've done a stretch on the 2nd image and this is what I've got.
What do you think?

[Itchy]

Hi Andrew

Yea, that is looking much better.

cheers

[EzyStyles]

very nice andrew. nice colour balance there.

[iceman]

Just beautiful. Why can't mine look like that? :) Something to do with skill in capture and processing.. ;)

[RB]

Thanks guys,

It's great to have the awesome friends like you that I've made on IIS to share with and learn from that makes it all worth while.


Cheers everyone.

:thumbsup: