This season's go at 5128

[raymo]

Not bad, I think, but needs longer subs, I think.
70x 45 secs @ ISO 1600
raymo

[blink138 (Pat)]

pretty bloody good though raymo!
pat

[chuckywiz (Ben)]

nice one, you using a barlow Raymo or is it just enlarged for on here.

[raymo]

Thanks Pat and Ben. No Barlow, just heavily cropped, hence not as sharp as I would like.
raymo

[cometcatcher (Kevin)]

You're getting better at it Ray. The thing with this object like many DSO's, more time is always better. The main forum demonstrates that. But we've got to stop somewhere. Or spend a year on each pic, which some of them do!

[jsmoraes (Jorge)]

It is a small image, but it seems we almost can see the dark clouds surround the core

[raymo]

Thanks Kevin and Jorge; interestingly, I added 15 x 35secs @ ISO 3200
to this image, and it made no discernible difference to the image, which
suggests to me that I need longer subs to bring out any more detail.
I also need a bit more focal length.
raymo

[cometcatcher (Kevin)]

And larger aperture to keep the F ratio down, and and... I'll spread my aperture fever disease around.

[5ash (Philip)]

Nice image Raymo , lots of detail. I think the sky looks a bit too black though.
Regards Phillip

[raymo]

Yes Phillip, I increased the black a bit to hide an unpleasant gradient
caused by light pollution. I don't have the necessary skills to utilise
the gradient removal function.
raymo

[cometcatcher (Kevin)]

To remove gradients in photoshop.
Open your gradient infested image. Go to image menu, select duplicate. Go to filter menu, select blur, gaussian blur. Drag the slider to the right until all the fine detail is blurred out. Select the original image again, go to the image menu, select apply image. In the source box make sure the blurred copy is selected. In the blending box select subtract. In the opacity box select a percent between 0 and 100%. !00% has greatest effect. Use the offset box to choose the lightness.

Sometimes this effect can leave bright edges but I usually crop them off. It may also leave dark rings around bright objects which have to be cloned out before the process.

[raymo]

Thanks Kevin, I'll give it a try with my next needy image.
raymo

[Neil]

Why is this in beginners astro-photography? Thats a very good image, well done Raymo, clear skies.

[raymo]

Thanks Neil; As some of the old hands that frequent beginners astro
photography will know, my technique is very basic indeed, and my
images are very probably as good as they are ever going to get.
I don't rate this image, or any other that I have posted here, as good enough for the main forum. One or two of them almost, maybe.
raymo

[astronobob (Bob)]

That great for them exposure times Ray, top result, but yeah, if can do subs of a few minutes, then the fainter glow of the galaxy and the dark lane extensions should start to show further out, giving the target a larger appearance in the frame, the background should lighten up somewhat as well
Good one all the same

[raymo]

Thanks Bob; after all my tracking trials and tribulations, and now having a new hand controller, I was looking forward to some longer subs; got
them initially, but now am having troubles again, absolute max of 50 secs.
raymo

[rustigsmed (Russell)]

that's a nice looking hamburger Raymo!
nice round stars as well.
definitely give Kevin's workflow a go - it works well on things like galaxies (not as much on the larger nebulas).

Russ

[raymo]

Thanks Russ, I will give it a go next time I need to.
raymo

[cometcatcher (Kevin)]

50 seconds subs are fine. I make do with 30 seconds. The more the merrier.

[raymo]

Yes, 50 is a lot better than the 8 I was getting a couple of months ago;
now all I need is a break in the cloud.
raymo