From: Mark Gaffney <markgaffney@me.com>
Date: March 26, 2011 2:40:48 PM MDT
To: Astro_IIDC@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [Astro_IIDC] a bit better..(?)
Milton,
Firstly, what would be the original size? Is it possible to go to that, post the operation, in the size selection department of Flickr..(magnifying glass icon at top of selected image then select all sizes..?)
My guess would be that it`s a number of 640 x 480 pixel images..? Maybe I should try the FM operation upon each of these first..?
I basically did the mosaic again by using Photomerge in PS. I see little alternative to using this as you provide no tool to stitch things together..(?)
Focus magic has various options for experimenting too which I haven`t gone into real detail upon.
I don`t consider $45 to be an unreasonable price for FM nor am I worried it`s unduly expensive..!
I haven`t seen any examples of people trying this color balancing operation apart from you! Maybe I don`t get out enough!
Your images seem to be the best examples of Moon processing I`m aware of..
Many people I know seem impressed with the options available for color balancing in Astro IIDC (based on my meagre efforts) but simply wouldn`t go down the road of buying a Mac let alone the specialised facilities for mostly FW cameras that it provides..
However, I have sent links to your Color balanced Moon images to some people in the past to show what can be achieved.
I have no wish to ruffle your feathers again but it seems to me the reading of your instructions is at best a prescription for what could be any number of disasters for a layman like myself..!
Mark.
On 27/03/2011, at 6:48 AM, Milton Aupperle wrote:
Mark;
On 26-Mar-11, at 1:22 PM, Mark Gaffney wrote:
>
>
> Hi Milton,
> I`ve seen your excellent work before..!
>
> Is this image obtained using Focus magic add on in Photoshop a
> reasonable beginning?
>
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/mark_gaffney/5540825188/
It's still blurry when you look at it at original size. The image was
never focussed sharp to begin with and I don't see Focus Magic doing
much to it.
> I realised when looking at the Astro IIDC processing section again
> that similar refinements of my original image (it was basically the
> fix out of focus blur option I used in PS) might be obtainable with
> Astro IIDC..! However FM (Focus Magic) arrives at this conclusion
> automatically..!
It isn't much of a conclusion then. It's still soft and blurry at
original size, especially since you just paid $45 USD for something
that just "fixes" sharpness,
There are seven sharpness sliders in Astro IIDC that affect different
feature sizes (1.0 to 5.0 radius so). That's too hard to drag them
around and maybe learn something in the process about noise versus
sharpening? Heaven forbid someone actually read the Astro IIDC manual
(Page 66 to 68) and learn how to use them.
> If the FM image (above) is OK would it be possible to make something
> in Astro IIDC which arrives automatically at an optimum (or
> suggested) color balance?
I already suggested what to do if you had read my last message.
> I realise this is intuitive & may be also be subjective but you`ll
> perhaps agree that the possibilities are virtually endless..
Of course they are endless - unless you use common sense in your
choices.
> As I said I spent about 3 hours working on it & was never sure I was
> actually ever coming to the right conclusion..(?)
The right conclusion is when it looks "right", which involves common
sense. Does a bright green, over saturated, overly contrasted, overly
sharpened moon look right too you, when comparing your results to
other peoples moon images?
Milton J. Aupperle