MLUnsold Digital Imaging

ImagesPlus 4 Processing steps used with M31 - C002

The initial stacked image of M31 is a 3 hour exposure using a DSLR by Neal Heacock. The initial image was rotated and cropped to center the core of M31 using the Rotate CCW and Copy Portion tools in ImagesPlus. Below is the centered image of M31 ready to enhance.
Enhancement commands and parameters are saved in an ImagesPlus project file shown by the Process History window.

Initial stacked and unprocessed DSLR image of M31. Tools that are applied in the steps below are shown in order by the Process History window on right.

Step 1 - HDR Digital Development With Color Emphasis

HDR pre-stretch root scale is used with digital development to increase the brightness and contrast without blowing out the core of M31. Red and green color emphasis shown below is used to increase color in the HDR digital development image.

Red and Blue color emphasis settings on the Digital Development Color and Sharpness tab.

Step 2 - Smooth Background

Absolute difference with a mild 3x3 window is applied to background range [0, 13162] with feather range 4000. Absolute difference is a detail preserving smoothing filter.

Step 3 - Micro Curve Adjustment of RGB, Red, and Blue

A micro curve is applied to RGB range [0.0, 51713.0]. Red and blue micro curves are applied to a different range as shown below.

Red micro curve applied to [0.0, 65535.0] and blue micro curve applied to [4290.0, 65535.0] along with the RGB micro curve shown above. Green was not changed.

Step 4 - Increase Color Saturation

Mild color saturation increase.

Step 5 - Micro Curve Adjustment of RGB, Red, Green, and Blue

A micro curve is applied to RGB range [10009.0, 45994.0]. Red, green, and blue micro curves are applied to a different range as shown below.

Red, green, and blue micro curves applied to [0.0, 65535.0] along with the RGB micro curve shown above.

Step 6 - Optional Contrast Adjustment

Histogram Background/Highlight Contrast tool is used to increase highlight and decrease background contrast.

Final image of M31 corrected with ImagesPlus 4.