M42

[EddieT (Eddie)]

HI Louie,
I spent 5 minutes with it. A couple of points. Both the background and green highlights are clipped, meaning, both really dim and really bright green information has been processed out and is therefore lost during processing.

When the highlights are clipped, you lose information on the brightest parts, in this case, the stars and core of the nebula. It's almost impossible to recover the right star colours when this happens. Usually red, green and blue highlight clipping results in white stars because all three colours are at maximum. Your stars were a tad green because only green highlights were clipped.

The dark end was severely clipped. The histogram looked like about a quarter of the low-end info was lost. You can see it in the histogram as the "hump" of information is not all there, but diasappears off the left-hand edge of the graph about halfway down the back-end of the hump. I could see with a little processing that there would have been some significant low-level info there.

This is the black-art of image processing and can lead you down some pretty dark paths if you choose to go that way

Here is what I came up with after a few minutes on the JPG you posted. Background lightened and highlight darkened (using Photoshop variations), with slight green highlight decrease using levels.

[atalas]

Great stuff Eddie , time to start looking deeper into the Black Art Of Processing ! no matter how many times I read about clipping the histagram, I just keep on doing It I might try taking the file straight into PS after colour conversion in the SX software .

Thanks for all the help Eddie and all !

[atalas]

Originally Posted by ving

very seet pic louie!
you have some great colours in that!

Thanks David, hope we start seeing some shots from you to soon mate now you have an EQ mount !

[ving (David)]

lol, once i figure out how to do astro pics with my slr...
you are sure to see something early next year tho
far too bust atm

[EddieT (Eddie)]

No worries Louie!
Keeping all of the elements in minds during processing is certainly not an easy thing to do. Its real easy to forget about one aspect while concentrating on another. That's why getting it all together is as much art as science. It's a black art because you still want to keep it within the constraints of science while using non-scientific methods. Very hairy and the subject of much debate!

[ausastronomer (John Bambury)]

Hi Louie,

I am going to throw my 2 cents worth in because you asked me too

I figured it was a pointless exercise because my knowledge of astrophotography can be written on a postage stamp with a spray gun but here goes and you also asked me to say what I think and not hold back.

I may not know much about taking these pics but I have seen a lot of rippers of this target taken by some of the worlds best amateurs. Consequently remember I am comparing your work to "the best of the best" and in short your image is very good.

My thoughts:

"you are very close" but something is missing and I don't quite know what. I know its a small aperture scope, but maybe you needed more shots or longer shots or the the light pollution has affected you or a combination of all of those things. A few experienced guys have had a crack at re-processing the thing and the image to me in "every case" looks "over processed" and the colours a little false and "forced" so to speak. What is causing this I don't know. I think it could have a lot to do with you getting used to your new scope and camera, your almost there and the important things like tracking etc are obvioulsy fine, I think its a case of fiddling with the variables and you well end up with something sensational

FWIW Here is an image from a friend of mine in the USA Kevin Dixon. Remember that Kevin is very experienced and has a lot of $$$$ worth of toys

http://www.kevindixon.westhost.com/M42-narrow_band.htm

CS-John B

[atalas]

Originally Posted by ausastronomer

Hi Louie,

I am going to throw my 2 cents worth in because you asked me too

I figured it was a pointless exercise because my knowledge of astrophotography can be written on a postage stamp with a spray gun but here goes and you also asked me to say what I think and not hold back.

I may not know much about taking these pics but I have seen a lot of rippers of this target taken by some of the worlds best amateurs. Consequently remember I am comparing your work to "the best of the best" and in short your image is very good.

My thoughts:

"you are very close" but something is missing and I don't quite know what. I know its a small aperture scope, but maybe you needed more shots or longer shots or the the light pollution has affected you or a combination of all of those things. A few experienced guys have had a crack at re-processing the thing and the image to me in "every case" looks "over processed" and the colours a little false and "forced" so to speak. What is causing this I don't know. I think it could have a lot to do with you getting used to your new scope and camera, your almost there and the important things like tracking etc are obvioulsy fine, I think its a case of fiddling with the variables and you well end up with something sensational

FWIW Here is an image from a friend of mine in the USA Kevin Dixon. Remember that Kevin is very experienced and has a lot of $$$$ worth of toys

http://www.kevindixon.westhost.com/M42-narrow_band.htm

CS-John B

Thanks John , you know I value your opinion mate ! and thanks for Kevens image of the great Neb, Awesome sight in Ha and OIII mate