Last 2 Images - Now Monitor Calibrated - Cats Paw and 6357

[Bolts_Tweed (Mark)]

OK that was embarrassing. I got the Spyder3 today and calibrated my monitors and looked at my last 2 posted images - . Thanks to Doug (Hagar) for the heads up on the Spyder in a previous thread

SO I have attached roughly what I was seeing in the Cats Paw and NGC6357 on my uncalibrated monitor - Im still not sure on the 6357 colour - a bit too much blue I think

Without going through all the blurb again they were taken with a Televue np101is with a ST8300M using Astronomik 6 nm Ha and Astrodon E Series RGB. The images are Ha Lum at about 50% fromemory, Ha+R, G, B.

Im on track now. Damn - I've now got to check the web-page - thats going to be shock

Mark Bolton

[Garyh]

Catpaw looks very nice! that crab looks a little blueish over this side but I don`t have a calibrated monitor.

[bmitchell82 (Brendan)]

hey there mark.

You defiantly have some nice data in there, though i think you might have baked the lobster and the cat a bit hard as the central regions are a little blown out.

Do you use Photo shop for your processing? or another image processing suite?

[Bolts_Tweed (Mark)]

GDAY guys

Yeah I use a combination of programs, Maxim, Easy HDR, Pixinsight and finally PS

I agree they are pretty well exposed ( i cant find a tonuge in cheek picture). I think the hDR process needs a few steps below the median exposure to drag down the centres - I try and expose to capture fainter detail - Im not a big fan of underexposed images but I agree with your comments however. I think the 6357 image is 4 steps at 1.5, 2.5, 5 and 8 minutes (10 of each) in 6nm Ha - It might be intersting to insert a couple more steps in the process 2 and 3 minutes maytbe to drag the brighter regions down - as discussed with a mate - I particularly dont like the overexposed toes of the cat - alternative ly there may be a bias setting in Easy HDR that I havent found yet.

Worth playing with I suppose.

[multiweb (Marc)]

Cool stuff Mark. Those two have been getting a lot of attention lately. I've been hammering them too or trying to, between the moon and the clouds

[Bolts_Tweed (Mark)]

Yeah Thx Marc

I agree they've been gettin a flogging - I havent imaged the cats paw for years but Davids Image Challenge inspired me to have another go. All my older images show the 3 toes (and thats fine - dont get me wrong) but instead of taking images i've taken before many times - I am rtying to reveal data that is there - just at a low level. I've been following Rogelio Andreos techniques in Pixinsight (loosely and poorly) comdined with Ken Crawfords MLDB and DOF techniques in PS and it is starting to work (again poorly at this stage) so I will keep experimnting.

I am happy with Bens comments as it inspired me to play with the HDR combination of the Ha a bit more (results attached) - again still not good but it indicates I can reduce the effects of the longer exposures required for the faint neb (with a 4 inch Apo).

I am sure experimentation is the key otherwise I just keep taking the same images. Again I'm happy for comments - collaboration makes learning easier (Damn I sound like a lecturer even when I'm at home)

Thx

Mark

[Hagar (Doug)]

A nice set of Twins Mark. Colour is a lot better. I could not believ the difference after calibration on my laptop and desktop.

[Bolts_Tweed (Mark)]

Thx Doug and thx for the heads up. Im going to have to repro a lot from scratch but - I am just trying to fix some but I think i'll get a better result from starting from scratch

MB