That's a cracker of a shot Ross! I love the starless version. You have really accentuated the details in the dust lanes. It looks very 3D and the colors are very warm. Top work.
Very well done Ross. Maybe your first but a very good one it is too. Don't mess around with removing the stars on a galaxy such as this, it just detracts from the show. It looks to be a little bright and colourful but a quick lowering of the saturation will make it look wonderful, at least for me. This is a big bright target and for that reason quite a hard one to capture then process without over doing it. Little is often better with targets such as this.
It's a spectacular galaxy M 31, I did an hour or two on it down here but it's so low it was a waste of time, you have framed it perfectly, and a great first photo posting. You're heading in the right direction, so for now just encouragement.
Shane, Trevor, David, Les, Marc, Ric and Doug......
Thank you for your encouraging comments and advice. I have had such a high regard for the photos posted in this forum, many of them by you. So comments like yours will give me the confidence to submit more photos and better photos.
Doug, as to the starless photos. I know they look strange, but ever since I saw Fred V's Starless Lagoon Nebula last year, I have been hooked! Maybe it's because I am a photographer and not an astronomer, but they seem to have a 3D "depth". Also, not having stars seems to enhance and bring out details in a shot. I have tried it on other shots, including the Horse Head Nebula. When I look at my starless M31 and then go back to the normal shot, I get the feeling that the stars are "blocking" my view.
It was Marc's posting of his amazing Starless Horse Head Nebula photo that has given me the confidence and encouragment to experiment with more starless photos.
It's a spectacular galaxy M 31, I did an hour or two on it down here but it's so low it was a waste of time, you have framed it perfectly, and a great first photo posting. You're heading in the right direction, so for now just encouragement.
Hi Clive,
Thank you.
It is a difficult object. At Coonabarabran we were lucky to get a "good" 2 to 3 hours each night before it was blocked by the trees.
I would love to be able to head way up north and give it a try.
One day I may even be able to shoot it from the Northern Hemisphere.
good work.
