Siril and Photoshop processing NGC 4631 Whale Galaxy
This video gives an overview of processing an image of NGC 4631 in Siril using some of the scripts in Siril such as GraXpert, Cosmic Clarity and VeraLux, and then further processing in Photoshop.
Phase 1: Pre-Processing & Linear Corrections (Siril)
These steps are performed on your raw, unstretched data.
Crop: Trim edge artifacts from stacking.
Background Extraction (GraXpert): Remove gradients and light pollution.
Color Calibration: Plate-solve the image and run SPCC (Spectrophotometric Color Calibration) for accurate star colors.
Blur Termination: Run Aberration Remover and use Cosmic Clarity for non-stellar sharpening to pop the detail in NGC 4631.
Noise Reduction: Apply GraXpert Denoise (blended at 0.5 to 0.7 to keep it looking natural).
Phase 2: Stretching & Enhancing (Siril)
Transitioning the image from linear to non-linear.
VeraLux Hypermetric Stretch: Bring the galaxy out of the darkness.
Curves Transformation: Adjust contrast and fine-tune the background tones.
VeraLux Revela: Enhance the faint structural details and dust lanes within the Whale Galaxy.
Phase 3: Fine-Tuning & Star Cleanup (Photoshop)
Polishing the final image and fixing artifacts.
Camera Raw Filter (ACR): Tastefully boost Saturation, Vibrance, and Clarity, then address any remaining background noise.
Star Artifact Fix (Layer Mask Method):
Duplicate your main image layer.
Use Select and Mask with the brush tool to select the stars with artifacts.
Create a mask as a New Layer with Layer Mask so only those problem stars are targeted.
You can view the mask by clicking on the mask thumbnail and use the backslash (\) key
Use the Healing Brush on the layer below to clean up the halos or artifacts seamlessly.
Apply a 2-8 gaussian blur to Layer Mask layer