NGC 891 - LRGB (Scott Badger)

NGC 891 - LRGB

I’ve accepted that ascending the PI learning curve is a Sisyphean task, but does it ever stop being nearly vertical?!?..... For this target, I really wasn’t getting where I’d hoped, so I basically scrapped it, did some research, and started over while also doing some experimentation, and the second time around saw some improvements.

To start, I think my use of deconvolution is better than any previous attempt. New settings (at least to start) and a realization where I’d been going wrong with the masks I’ve been using made the difference.

I also tried breaking out of the regular HistoTrans stretch rut I’ve been in and played with MaskedStretch and ArcsinhStretch. The amount of color preserved by both compared to HT is huge. For NGC891 the ArcsinhStetch was actually a little much color-wise, especially in the red channel (looked like I’d added Ha….), so I ultimately went with the MaskedStretch.

Finally, I gave Madratter’s suggestion to use ChannelExtraction/Combination in the L,a,b mode and swap luminance layers rather than simply add the shot and/or enhanced luminance via LRGBCombination. In the past, I’ve always needed to boost saturation and decrease lightness with the LRGBCombo tool to preserve the color and levels of the RGB image, and after also use HT and a mask to bring the background back down a bit. Using the luminance swap method, both color and lightness levels were right where I wanted without any tweaks.

Madratter also suggests boosting color prior to stretch, not after. All the tutorials I’ve looked at stretch and then work on color enhancement after, and I haven’t been able to find any discussion on reversing that…..is this a common way to do it? In any case, I’ll give it a shot on my next target, though with the use of MaskedStretch or ArcsinhStretch plus the luminance swap method, I found that the color needed very little extra.

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Description: Part of the great BlurX revisioning..... I pledge, though, to only submit a revision, and only one, along with a new image : )

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NGC 891 - LRGB

NGC 891 - LRGB

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Image Index:

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NGC 891 - LRGB

NGC 891 - LRGB

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