Help - How do you create these composite eclipse shots?

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Help - How do you create these composite eclipse shots?

Post 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


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

Post 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


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

Post 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 8330 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


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

Post 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


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

Post 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.

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

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

Post 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.

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

Post by Wah »

Sorry, forgot to mention, you have to choose another image during the "apply image" action.

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


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

Post 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

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

Post 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


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

Post by marktownley »

Looks like you've got the hang of it!


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

Post by Wah »

Congratulations, Alexandra!


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

Post 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 8237 times


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

Post 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 8237 times


Robert Ray
Last night as I lay in bed looking up at the stars in the sky, I thought to myself -- "Where the heck is the ceiling???"

www.redshift48.com
Lunt LS80 DSII B1800 f/7
WO 132mm f/7
Celestron 9.5 Edge HD f/10
Stellarvue 80mm f/7 Raptor SVR80ST2
WO Z73ii f/5.9 APO
Lunt CaK B1800 Filter and Baader Herschel Wedge (Photo)
PGR Grasshopper 3.0 (ICX687 - mono)
Player One Apollo M-Max IMX432
ZWO ASI178MM and ZWO ASI174MM with filter wheel
SBIG STT8300M
ZWO ASI2600MC-P
Canon 5D Mark IV and Canon Rebel T7i
AP 1200GTO (Permanent) and iOptron CEM60EC and CEM25EC Mounts
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Re: Help - How do you create these composite eclipse shots?

Post by marktownley »

That looks like it works to me Robert!


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

Post 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


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

Post by Carbon60 »

Fabulous image, Alexandra.

Stu.


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

Post 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


Robert Ray
Last night as I lay in bed looking up at the stars in the sky, I thought to myself -- "Where the heck is the ceiling???"

www.redshift48.com
Lunt LS80 DSII B1800 f/7
WO 132mm f/7
Celestron 9.5 Edge HD f/10
Stellarvue 80mm f/7 Raptor SVR80ST2
WO Z73ii f/5.9 APO
Lunt CaK B1800 Filter and Baader Herschel Wedge (Photo)
PGR Grasshopper 3.0 (ICX687 - mono)
Player One Apollo M-Max IMX432
ZWO ASI178MM and ZWO ASI174MM with filter wheel
SBIG STT8300M
ZWO ASI2600MC-P
Canon 5D Mark IV and Canon Rebel T7i
AP 1200GTO (Permanent) and iOptron CEM60EC and CEM25EC Mounts
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