Ngc3324

[TheDecepticon]

Well, here it is.

I am still not overly proficient at blending in the Ha data, however, still giving it a go. Been watching tutorial vids for PixInsight and Photoshop so much I think my eyes have gone square.

Could be better all round except that I lost quite a few colour subs to the wind. I plan to collect more colour when the weather comes good again.

http://www.pbase.com/image/142179367/large

Thanks for looking. Any comments and tips welcome.

Gray.

[Mighty_oz (Marcus)]

Not too shaby I like the counterpoint of the top LH cluster vs the bright star on the lower RHS with the main pic in the middle

[strongmanmike (Michael)]

That's excellent Gray, the star colours are quite beautiful.

The only kinda issue (not too bad) is the dark rings around the stars in Gabriela's head.

Mike

[TheDecepticon]

Originally Posted by Mighty_oz

Not too shaby I like the counterpoint of the top LH cluster vs the bright star on the lower RHS with the main pic in the middle

Cool, thanks. That was a bit of luck, wasn't sure on the framing.

Originally Posted by strongmanmike

That's excellent Gray, the star colours are quite beautiful.

The only kinda issue (not too bad) is the dark rings around the stars in Gabriela's head.

Mike

Cheers, Mike. Yes, I knew that before.

Any tips on a better blending mode?

[tilbrook@rbe.ne (Justin Tilbrook)]

Hi Gray,
those star colours are great!

How do you do that?

Thanks,
Justin.

[strongmanmike (Michael)]

Originally Posted by TheDecepticon

Cool, thanks. That was a bit of luck, wasn't sure on the framing.



Cheers, Mike. Yes, I knew that before.

Any tips on a better blending mode?

Hmmm? there are so many ways to skin a cat, but I think most of the approaches attempt to get the stars in the Ha data to be a little bigger and/or the stars in the RGB data a bit smaller so they all match when you combine them together. This is often done by blending the Red, Lum or even desaturated RGB data into the Ha using lighten mode in PS this will keep the Ha details but make the stars match the RGB stars in size so your LRGB will be more pleasing. I often like to use the minimum filter on just my RGB stars too so this further reduces them to match the small Ha stars.

You should try various blends of these results and see what happens

Mike

[TheDecepticon]

Originally Posted by tilbrook@rbe.ne

Hi Gray,
those star colours are great!

How do you do that?

Thanks,
Justin.

LOL! They just popped out! I think it is the scope, as I used to really struggle with the Megrez to get any star colour at all. I'm loving it though! We will have to wait and see when I do my next image.

Originally Posted by strongmanmike

Hmmm? there are so many ways to skin a cat, but I think most of the approaches attempt to get the stars in the Ha data to be a little bigger and/or the stars in the RGB data a bit smaller so they all match when you combine them together. This is often done by blending the Red, Lum or even desaturated RGB data into the Ha using lighten mode in PS this will keep the Ha details but make the stars match the RGB stars in size so your LRGB will be more pleasing. I often like to use the minimum filter on just my RGB stars too so this further reduces them to match the small Ha stars.

You should try various blends of these results and see what happens

Mike

Thanks Mike, I'll give it a go in the next few days.

[Ross G]

A great photo Gray.

Really nice colours.


Ross.

[Stevec35 (Steve)]

Nice looking image there Gray. Good composition too.

Cheers

Steve

[cventer]

I like it a lot. As said. Good composition and nice procesing.

Those Ha RGB blends are tough.... Mikes suggestions are good and I should try them myself.

[TheDecepticon]

Originally Posted by Ross G

A great photo Gray.

Really nice colours.


Ross.

Thanks heaps, Ross. I really enjoyed doing it.

Originally Posted by Stevec35

Nice looking image there Gray. Good composition too.

Cheers

Steve

Thank you, Steve! I was a little unsure of the framing and what I would get besides Gabriella and the cluster. It turned out ok in the end.

Originally Posted by cventer

I like it a lot. As said. Good composition and nice procesing.

Those Ha RGB blends are tough.... Mikes suggestions are good and I should try them myself.

Thanks! I will have to give it a go, too. I am a little processed out at the moment as I have been fiddling with this since Saturday, so I will have a couple of nights off and try again.

[Paul Haese]

Field of view looks great. Nice composition and colours are pretty reasonable too. Star colours are good and the halos can be sorted, but not terrible. The is one thing though that you might not be aware of though. You image is white clipped. I checked in PS and the histogram has been clipped in the white. The reds look over blown on my monitor and the histogram shows it. Some adjustments through curves and I promise you will have one cracking image. You will have to go back to your base image though.

You Ha blending is coming along nicely though and each image looks better and better.

[TheDecepticon]

Originally Posted by Paul Haese

Field of view looks great. Nice composition and colours are pretty reasonable too. Star colours are good and the halos can be sorted, but not terrible. The is one thing though that you might not be aware of though. You image is white clipped. I checked in PS and the histogram has been clipped in the white. The reds look over blown on my monitor and the histogram shows it. Some adjustments through curves and I promise you will have one cracking image. You will have to go back to your base image though.

You Ha blending is coming along nicely though and each image looks better and better.

Hi Paul! Considering that I usuallly take my histogram seriously, I am surprised at your statement.

Could you perhaps email me with a couple of screen shots that demonstrate what you are talking about.

[gregbradley]

Overall great image. Image suffers from the Ha tending towards salmon colour. It does that easily if you use Ha as luminosity.

Ha blends are best done in my opinion as lighten blend modes. That way things that are bright in the image remain (like nice rgb stars) and Ha does not come through that hard. Now you can control that layer with curves. You delete the green and blue channel to get a red Ha layer.

Now before you delete the Ha layer green and blue channel make a duplicate layer for Ha as blue and delete red and green (click on green, hold shift click on red, then control A (to select) then hit delete to get rid of it now click on the rgb channel and it is now all blue or all red).

Generally 10 -20% opacity for blue channel and red to taste maybe 50% perhaps a little curves if you want it to come through more.

My taste? I knock Ha back so it doesn't overwhelm the image. In my early processing days my Ha LRGB images were super red, not anymore. In my view you want a balance of colours. An all red Ha type neb image is not pleasing at all. So kick it down, smack it down and use S shaped curves or whatever to have the Ha come through where it accentuates and adds and not show its ugly head otherwise. That is where the art and judgement is. You want it to add some nice depth, some nice detail but not be the image. Consider it like a flavour enhancer. Its not the meal just peps the taste.

Greg.

[TheDecepticon]

Thanks for the tips Greg, that is great!

[Hagar (Doug)]

Very nice Gray. Looks like the scope has found a new home and is going to be used a lot. Good to see.

Blending Ha and RGB is probably the most difficult thing to get right. It is usually an experiment with blending the Ha into the Red and Luminance Channels whichcan take several variations to get a result you are happy with.
Nothing wrong with this image so fiddleing with contrast, blending percentages and colour balance could keep you busy for weeks.

Cheers Mate. Enjoy.

[strongmanmike (Michael)]

Originally Posted by Hagar

so fiddleing with contrast, blending percentages and colour balance could keep you busy for weeks.

Hmmm? yeh? who would work on an image for that long

[atalas]

Nice shot D.

[TheDecepticon]

Originally Posted by Hagar

Very nice Gray. Looks like the scope has found a new home and is going to be used a lot. Good to see.

Blending Ha and RGB is probably the most difficult thing to get right. It is usually an experiment with blending the Ha into the Red and Luminance Channels whichcan take several variations to get a result you are happy with.
Nothing wrong with this image so fiddleing with contrast, blending percentages and colour balance could keep you busy for weeks.

Cheers Mate. Enjoy.

Hi Doug! Hows the trip been? Yep, love the scope!

Your right about the HaRGB. Gonna have a bit of a muck around on a couple of other objects before I move over to narrow band.

I think I have done all the fiddling with this I am going to do for while!

Originally Posted by strongmanmike

Hmmm? yeh? who would work on an image for that long

Ummmm.......dunno! Can you think of anyone?

Originally Posted by atalas

Nice shot D.

Very nice of you to say, thank you.


I have done a repro while trying to get all the blending and histograms in etc, with a boost in colour. I have gained in some areas and lost in others.

http://www.pbase.com/image/142206125/large

Thanks to everyone for all your input and info, I really appreciate the help, your a great bunch for sure, and have it all tucked away for next time.

Cheers!

[Rigel003 (Graeme)]

That seems a big improvement to me. The stars are more natural with the dark halos less prominent. The background is nicely blended and the central nebula is a knock-out. Well done.