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Help - How do you create these composite eclipse shots?

Posted: Wed Sep 06, 2017 9:03 am
by Montana
I thought I would start this thread because I think as a solarchat forum we should cover this technical aspect. I see so many super total eclipse shots where all the different exposures are put together as an HDR effect. Having never seen a solar eclipse before I have never done this process.

I tried to follow Pedro's guide last night and my image was nothing remotely like what he got in the guide or what other got so I don't know where I am going wrong. Where did folks learn this method from? is there a secret plugin that does it? can we expose this knowledge here and try and get everyone to get a great result from their images so there is a resource for everyone to use in the future.

So first question, I have 7 exposures (RAW) and Photoshop, where do I start?
I added them all in layers, changed to 'difference' but do you leave the bottom as normal?
I tried the circle and hide layers but then everything disappears and I get a progressively black image not a corona image.


Alexandra

Re: Help - How do you create these composite eclipse shots?

Posted: Wed Sep 06, 2017 12:19 pm
by Montana
just found dccole (Chris's) post http://www.astropix.com/html/j_digit/e_comp.html
hopefully this may help me, looks complicated and which method to use?
Alexandra

Re: Help - How do you create these composite eclipse shots?

Posted: Wed Sep 06, 2017 8:39 pm
by Montana
Nope, that doesn't work either, I still don't get the difference image I get this instead. Nothing like what it should be. That is another hour wasted :(
06dif.jpg
06dif.jpg (561.34 KiB) Viewed 8339 times
any help to what I am doing wrong would be greatly appreciated (or is it secret?). Am I the only one who can't follow the method?

Alexandra

Re: Help - How do you create these composite eclipse shots?

Posted: Wed Sep 06, 2017 11:35 pm
by Wah
You cannot use the "difference" option in layers to finish the task.

1. Duplicate the original image as another one
2. Radial blur the original image
3. Use new image to subtract the blurred image with 128 offset (gray)
4. Copy the subtracted image to clip board
5. Restore the original image and past the subtracted image as layer
6. Change the blending to overlay

Re: Help - How do you create these composite eclipse shots?

Posted: Thu Sep 07, 2017 5:08 pm
by dccole9
Alexandra,

I tried to use the astropix procedure with layers too at first and got a similar result as you. So, to make light of the situation, you're following in my footsteps. The key is the "Apply Image" command which is the tedious part in the whole procedure, having to keep track of every exposure you are using.

What version of Photoshop are you using? I got my image using Photoshop CS5. I tried it in CS2 and for whatever reason the Add option under "Apply Image" command didn't work when adding the different exposures together.

Chris

Re: Help - How do you create these composite eclipse shots?

Posted: Thu Sep 07, 2017 6:53 pm
by Montana
Thanks Chris, I am using Photoshop CS5. I have done each frame individually so far creating a blurred image of each and now I am putting the blurred image on top of the clear one and doing 'apply image' and using the opacity of 100 percent, a scale of 1 and an offset of -128 for each (as per the website instructions). But this just gives me a plain grey picture, there is no detail. I shall try Wah's slightly different order above and see what happens.
Alexandra

Re: Help - How do you create these composite eclipse shots?

Posted: Thu Sep 07, 2017 7:10 pm
by Montana
Still nothing, I still just get a perfectly flat grey image when I do the 'apply image' step. So there is nothing to overlay? I must be so stupid as everyone can do this but me.

Using Wah's instructions
I opened an image, clicked cntrl J to duplicate the image.
On the original image 'background' I used radial blurr.
I then changed to the new duplicated layer and used 'Apply image' subtracted - using the opacity of 100 percent, a scale of 1 and an offset of -128. This gives a plain grey image.
I copied this plain grey to clipboard and deleted the layer and pasted it over the top of the original.
I then changed to overlay and this just resulted in a blurred image.

:(
Alexandra

Re: Help - How do you create these composite eclipse shots?

Posted: Thu Sep 07, 2017 10:57 pm
by Wah
Sorry, forgot to mention, you have to choose another image during the "apply image" action.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdDGU5idVFY

Re: Help - How do you create these composite eclipse shots?

Posted: Fri Sep 08, 2017 9:29 am
by Montana
Wow! what a great video and I will add part 1 here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Smn-fUJUadQ
I learned so much!! I really hope I can convert this method to Photoshop CS5 this weekend. I am really looking forward to following this exactly. Thanks Wah :bow2

Alexandra

Re: Help - How do you create these composite eclipse shots?

Posted: Fri Sep 08, 2017 9:32 pm
by Montana
Hooray!!!!! thanks Wah :bow2 :bow2 :bow2

This is just a version using the TIF images not the RAW

ImageComposite image of 6 exposures by Alexandra Hart, on Flickr

i am so pleased :hamster:

Alexandra

Re: Help - How do you create these composite eclipse shots?

Posted: Sun Sep 10, 2017 10:16 pm
by marktownley
Looks like you've got the hang of it!

Re: Help - How do you create these composite eclipse shots?

Posted: Mon Sep 11, 2017 3:33 am
by Wah
Congratulations, Alexandra!

Re: Help - How do you create these composite eclipse shots?

Posted: Mon Sep 11, 2017 5:00 am
by rray6
Hello Alexandra,
It has been awhile since I have posted on this forum mainly because I have not been doing any astro or solar photography. But the eclipse got me back into it and I am back doing solar observing and imaging again. I was in Madras, Oregon and was able to photograph the entire eclipse with a Canon 5D Mark IV and a 420mm telephoto on an iOptron Sky Guider for tracking. I had a number of bracketed shots and wanted to put them into a composite of some sort. I found this YouTube video which helped me create a decent composite. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGzI3gwI5ZA
I am attaching my composite which I did after viewing this video. Hope this helps. Love your totality shot, too. BTW, where were you for the eclipse?

Robert
Composite 2_Final Flattened_web4.jpg
Composite 2_Final Flattened_web4.jpg (1.23 MiB) Viewed 8246 times

Re: Help - How do you create these composite eclipse shots?

Posted: Mon Sep 11, 2017 5:06 am
by rray6
Whoops! I see you were talking about a different kind of composite. I was able to do a stacked processing of 7 bracketed shots of totality using a method by Russell Brown of Adobe (another video). https://vimeo.com/221971705
Here is my totality composite.

Robert
R Brown Technique Corona2crop_a_1020.jpg
R Brown Technique Corona2crop_a_1020.jpg (2.6 MiB) Viewed 8246 times

Re: Help - How do you create these composite eclipse shots?

Posted: Mon Sep 11, 2017 5:58 am
by marktownley
That looks like it works to me Robert!

Re: Help - How do you create these composite eclipse shots?

Posted: Mon Sep 11, 2017 7:21 am
by Montana
Fantastic Robert!! the complete set is next on my list to do now I have my totality shot, so I shall watch the video. It is great to have all these links together and hopefully it will help other folks if they are having difficulty. Certainly you have some excellent shots :bow we were also in Oregon at a farm just south of Silverton, about 5 minutes from the Silver Falls National Park. It seems a lot of us were in Oregon but in different places.

Alexandra

Re: Help - How do you create these composite eclipse shots?

Posted: Mon Sep 11, 2017 8:09 am
by Carbon60
Fabulous image, Alexandra.

Stu.

Re: Help - How do you create these composite eclipse shots?

Posted: Mon Sep 11, 2017 4:16 pm
by rray6
I think you already found the method, Alexandra - again, very nice composite with great detail. The videos might be helpful to others. I found them very instructive.

Robert