Very nice. I love these widefield lens images. Amazing how much gas is around Orion.
Can I make a few suggestions?
1. Background colours need to be balanced as I can see some green in the background and a bit of your gradient still there. Easiest way is Gradient Xterminator with balance background colours checked or use levels and curves. Open levels and the histogram showing all colour channels. You'll probably see a gap to the right before the histogram starts on both the red and green channels. That is where that background noise lies. Move the right hand slider (the black point) over to the left until it is just at the start of the histogram. You can also do this with curves with an inverted S type shape. You can also click on the image area where the noise is and watch the curves box. Photoshop will flash a diamond on the position on the curve of the colour you just clicked on. Now you know which part of the curve to adjust to accentuate/deemphasise different coloured parts of the image.
2. There are some blown highlights in the image. Try shadows/highlights.
Set highlights slider to 5 then move the shadows slider across. If you don't give it some highlights then the shadows slider won't do anything. It will reduce some of those blown out bright parts. The other 2 sliders under shadows can then be used to get it just right.
Or you could lasso the bright bits and use curves. The blown out bits will be right at the top of the curve so click a couple of spots above and below the top part of the curve and then drag it down in the centre so only the top 1/5th or less of the curve drags down and this should have a similar effect.
Thanks for the tips Greg
I noticed the green hue in the thumbnails too.
I've had a repro attempt and used a flat frame too - looks flatter, will post soon.
Doug
Excellent work indeed, Im just looking at the exposure times, 600 secs @ISO1600, that must be a very dark sky there, I get fogged out if I go 600 secs @ISO800.
Cheers, Scott
Excellent work indeed, Im just looking at the exposure times, 600 secs @ISO1600, that must be a very dark sky there, I get fogged out if I go 600 secs @ISO800.
Cheers, Scott
Ooops!! Neglected to say I used a Hutech LPS2 Filter on the lens
Cheers all for the kind comments - I've been very quiet of late...relocating!
HEQ5/New computer coming soon and slightly darker sky!!
Cheers
Doug
now go for it man, and we expect a master piece.
keep at it mate.
