1239 replies to this topic

[Peter9]

Wonderful images Tom. Thanks for posting.

Regards. Peter.

[flboy]

Well done using a DSI 2 Meade color camera. Do you have any other photos taken with it?

How's the operating system for the DSI II Color?

[Tel]

Not at all, Tel. That's why I post. We learn from each other. What program are using here?

Tom

Hi Tom,

Just good ol' Photoshop, (Version CS2).

Best regards,
Tel

[Naturlich]

Your using H-Alpha? From what I understand the Horse Head really needs a H-Beta filter for best results so you've done quiet well with a H Alpha I'll be trying my UHC filter on it next time I get a chance, now I've finished building my dew heater I can get the scope going on our recently freezing but clear nights

Nat

[FebStars]

Post deleted by FebStars

[FebStars]

Well done using a DSI 2 Meade color camera. Do you have any other photos taken with it?

How's the operating system for the DSI II Color?

John, That's the first real image I've tried with DSI2 OSC.

I do plan on more. I use Envisage to capture the images and IP to process them and everything seems to operate quite well in Windows XP and Window 7.



Nat- You may be right about that H Beta...I thought that was for observing...may I add that an H Beta filter, from what I've read, has very limited uses, whereas the H Alpha ( mine is an Astronomik 13nm) might enjoy wider use. As these suckers get expensive, and time being as limited as it is, I doubt I will ever know for sure whether an Alpha B works better.



Peter - Thank you!




Tom

[flboy]

Hi Tom,

Thanks for that info and please keep me updated

[Naturlich]

hey Feb, your not wrong, expensive filter with very few uses to be sure! Just hope the UHC does it's job, was better for M42 thats for sure. Why can't we have a cheap hobby!? lol

[flboy]

Jupiter 2x Barlow NexImage TV 1/30 10fps 240 seconds RegiStax.

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[flboy]

Here's another image after playing with the wavelets & Image Analyzer:

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[Tel]

Grasping the first clear sky opportunity in nigh on two weeks of wall to wall cloud, I made an attempt at the "Horsehead" last night but, being so much out of practice, I failed and had to settled for the "Running Man" instead !

Nexstar 8i on an HEQ5Pro GEM. 30 X 40 second DSLR Frames at f/6.3. Captured and Darks subtracted in "Nebulosity". Processed in P/Shop CS2.

Best regards,
Tel

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[haytor]

Good capture Tel

Cant help thinking it looks like the running man is trying to escape from a Skull

Tom.

[Peter9]

Love the vibrant colours you've captured Tel. Lovely image.
Thanks for posting.

Regards. Peter. :

[FebStars]

Hi Tel,
I think this a great example of getting creative with data. Too often, I think that we are uneccessarily dominated by the quest for literal translations of the DSOs we are imaging. Quite honestly, they start to get a bit predictable. This is cetainly not one of them. Nice job! And I guarantee you, I'll remember this 'running man' long after the others have fallen by the wayside.

Tom

[TonyDralle]

Good work, Tel! I can see the running man in your image as well as I ever have. (Never understood why his arms are bigger than his legs, though.)

- Tony

[haytor]

Hi Guy`s,

earlier today i lifted Tels image of the Running man from the forum and made a few adjustments better to "my personal taste", i then sent "my re-do" by email to him for comment.

Adjustments i made, was to de-saturate the colour and i also clipped out the two larger stars in the top left hand corner, plus i tightened up the remaining stars using the Nebulosity software.

Tel and i have discussed on several occasions about our personal preferences with regard to colour, to my mind i think Tel,tends to adjust the colour too harshly giving rise to very vivid colours, i on the other hand prefer more muted colour!

Tel suggested that i post this re-do i did of his image, for you guys to comment on and perhaps give an opinion on harsh or muted colour, so your thoughts would be welcomed by both Tel and myself, your comments and preferences would go a long way for both of us.

I will say at this point, i`m not saying Tel is wrong in his approach to processing colour images, i myself understand this is always a matter of choice and personal preference, we are just interested in your thoughts and to know what you prefer!



Thanks in advance.



Tom.

[Peter9]

Hi you two,
I like the extra (if that's the right way to express it) colour Tel normally finishes up with in his images.

Or is it "extra". In most of the Hubble Space Telescope images, the colours are vivid. Taking it that this is what Hubble see's, then it is there already and that lesser instruments, from amateur telescopes upwards, just can't bring it out.

That said, there is not an image posted that I do not like. I think the quality produced and the effort put in to produce such quality is a credit to all of you. I hope it continues for many years to come.

Regards. Peter

[haytor]

Hi Peter,

thanks for your frank reply, this is exactly what i/we are looking for, good honest opinion!

I did another take on Tels image to show better what i mean regarding muted colour, so here it is.

BTW, i dont claim to be good with colour imaging, nor would i, as said its a personal preference at the end of the day, for me its just that i prefer more muted colour, to me it just looks more natural.



Tom.

[TonyDralle]

Since I have not (yet) gone over from purely visual use of my scope to the dark side (), I probably shouldn't comment. But...what the heck:

It seems that a conflict in this business is between the artistic and the authentic. At what point is further processing done solely to create a visually pleasing appearance? Does certain processing enhance "genuine" features so that we know better what is "really" there? Or, considering we can view the light of stellar objects in different wavelengths, is it meaningful to ask what is "really" there?

Maybe different "real" features are enhanced by different processing procedures.

And I guess one question is: do we (or, more accurately, you) do imaging for the scientific value of the product, or for its artistic value, or both?

I have absolutely no opinion on these questions. But I'd love to hear others' thoughts.

_ Tony

[haytor]

Hi Tony,

now your post is getting closer to the problem, i think!

In fact, i would have to say that both artistic and authentic processing have their roles to play in this hobby of ours.

One thing i have found when trying to colour process, is that often i find over saturating colour blends over subtle detail, which is why i guess, that i tend to prefer keeping colour muted.

These days i have pretty much done away with colour imaging and prefer to shoot in mono, again, this is a two fold reasoning for me, firstly, i can never seem to get colour right (although i understand this is often a personal preference) but secondly, i find i get better detail in mono imaging which shows better finer detail.

Others of course might not agree with this, but thats ok too! its all about ones own choice.

Thanks for that input Tony,

Tom.

[Arthur Dent]

Good capture Tel

Cant help thinking it looks like the running man is trying to escape from a Skull

Tom.

Yep. Works for me too. Also reminds me of one of those Crystal Skulls with LED lights inside (have I got a warped imagination or what?)

Great image cap Tel.

Art

[Tel]

Hi Guys,

Tom, (Haytor), and I have had diverse ideas over the colour intensity of images for a number of years now, which was the reason why in the first place, I asked him to take a look at this image I produced of the "Running Man": secondly how he personally would tackle its colour, and thirdly, to ask what the response would be if he placed both interpretations before you: our critics and advisors.

My own opinion, based on what I've seen, is that there is no "fixed" colour interpretation and that while certain filters may produce an "unusual" result here and there, beauty, as they say, is still essentially in the eyes of the beholder.

In support of this arguement, I submit the Wiki interpretation of the "Crescent Nebula" to be compared with an image of the same object, which apparently "won prizes" in one of our "top notch", UK astro-magazines.

Please don't get the impression that Tom and I are at loggerheads over this trivial issue; we very often agree to differ !

Best regards,
Tel

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[Tel]

And from the UK magazine:

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[flboy]

Tel ~ could you post the image prior to photoshop?

I'm with FebStars(Tom) that yours looks like a really kool skull

I also like Tom's & the winners, but the last looks like a drawing.

[Tel]

Hi John,

I can do so but I'll have to go through the alignment and stacking procedure again plus converting from "Raw" format to jpeg to make it fit CN's size limitations.

As said though, it can be done and I'll willingly do so if you would really like to see what you can make of it. (?)

Best regards,
Tel