The steps I will discuss below can be done in Photoshop without using any additional plugins. However, I strongly recommend investing in the Astronomy Tools Action Set, and Gradient Xterminator. They are well worth the expense and can make a monumental difference to your images. This Photoshop tutorial involves the following. BMPT-72, or Terminator 2. It was revealed in 2013. It is a conversion of the T-72 main battle tank into tank support vehicle. It has a new unmanned turret. Vehicle crew was reduced to three men by removing 30 mm grenade launchers. All T-72 tanks can be converted in the BMPTs. GradientXTerminator Free Trial Request: Select your operating system: Windows ® 32-Bit: Windows ® 64-Bit: Macintosh ® 32-Bit: Macintosh ® 64-Bit: Note: select the 32-bit version for Photoshop CS3 or earlier, or if using a 32-bit version of Windows.

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Astrophotography Image Processing in Photoshop

Hi guysIs gradient xterminator worth the £30(ish) it cost's or can it all be processed out manually.I live in a heavy LP area and my C9.25 + hyperstar @F2.3 is sucking all the light in quick, though it might help.
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Below you’ll find my deep sky astrophotography image processing workflow. This tutorial is a handy reference for those who wish to process deep sky images captured with a DSLR camera and telescope.

This step-by-step process takes an RGB (color) image from the initial capture to the final processing stages to enhance color, detail, and clarity.

I believe that is important to develop a workflow that both compliments your imaging style and is an enjoyable process. My advice is to develop a system that works consistently and stick with it.

The order of the processing steps will evolve over time as you begin to see where each action falls into place. The best part is, you can always come back to your raw data and try out new techniques you have learned.

Related:Download my Premium Image Processing Guide

Before we get started

The image used in this tutorial is of the Lagoon Nebula taken using a Canon DSLR camera through an Explore Scientific ED80 telescope. This is a typical beginner deep-sky setup that includes a tracking equatorial mount to compensate for the rotation of the Earth.

If you are interested in seeing an example of the imaging equipment I use for deep sky astrophotography, have a look at this video: What do you need for deep sky astrophotography?

There are a number of choices when it comes to image processing, but my personal favorite route to take is Adobe Photoshop. This application is well equipped with all of the tools and actions needed to produce an incredible deep-sky astrophoto.

While others may prefer to use other tools for image processing such as StarTools or PixInsight, Photoshop continues to be my personal favorite for everything astrophotography.

I use some additional plugins and filters that help me process my astrophotography images, including the Astronomy Tools Action Set. I will outline the order I run these actions in below.

Software Used in this Tutorial:

The complete list of software I use for astrophotography image processing can be found on the Resources page in the main menu.

What if I don’t have an action set or plugins?

This tutorial is still of value to those of you using only DeepSkyStacker and an earlier version of Photoshop. Many of the actions can be accomplished manually in a series of steps.

I have highlighted the workaround methods for certain actions such as the star minimizer technique and gradient removal without using Gradient Xterminator.

I highly recommend investing in the Astronomy Tools Action set. I purchased this action set many years ago and continue to find it very useful for all of my astrophotography projects.

Astrophotography Image Processing (Video version)

If you prefer to follow along with a video, you can do so below. The deep sky object is the Rosette Nebula, but the processing steps used to mirror the step-by-step guide below.

I take the unprocessed RAW image file through a series of adjustments and actions to bring out the full color and beauty of the Rosette Nebula.

If you would like to practice image processing on a pre-stacked image, you can download my Autosave.tif file below. It is a photo of the Rosette Nebula with over 2 hours of total exposure. It is the same 32 bit TIFF file that was used in the video tutorial above.

If you prefer a step-by-step guide to my techniques, you can follow along with the astrophotography tutorial on the Lagoon Nebula below. The techniques used can be applied to many deep-sky objects but will work best on wide-field nebulae like the one in this tutorial.

The process involves stacking multiple images of your deep-sky object together and processing the high resolution .TIF file created by DeepSkyStacker. The more exposures you have captured on your target, the better your signal-to-noise ratio will be.

Those of us who shoot in a light-polluted city backyard can compensate for a washed-out sky by collecting hours and hours worth of data. Support files such as darks, flats and bias frames also play a large role in correcting the data.

Our Subject: The Lagoon Nebula

To start, I’ll cover the basics of stacking your light and dark frames in DeepSkyStacker to improve the signal-to-noise ratio of your final image.

Then, we can bring the stacked image into Adobe Photoshop for further image processing.

Assessing Your Data

To start, you will need enough signal on your deep-sky object to create a quality astrophoto. A healthy amount of signal (light) provides you with good data to work with. In the beginning, just focus on collecting as much exposure time as possible on each project.

You’ll have an easier time working with your data during the image processing stage if you stick to the following basic sequence. The example sequence uses light frames captured using a DSLR camera:

Example Imaging Sequence and Camera Settings:

Image Quality: RAW
Exposure Length: 3-minutes
Light Frames: 35
Dark Frames: 15
Flat Frames: 15
Bias Frames: 15
ISO: 800
White Balance: Daylight

The exposure length and ISO can be increased, but this is a good benchmark to follow. From a typical backyard in the city, the more overall exposure you’ve collected, the better.

It takes a lot of data before the signal-to-noise ratio reaches a point where you receive a limited return on your time investment (I’ve never got there)!

Centering the target in the field is important, so take the time to orient your camera and telescope properly during acquisition. This will help avoid situations such as cutting off portions of the target and losing details do to vignetting or gradients.

In this tutorial, I’ll use the best 17 frames I photographed of the Lagoon Nebula back in June of 2013. The exposures were captured using a Canon DSLR camera, and are 5 minutes each @ ISO 1600. The software I use to view and organize my raw photo files is Adobe Bridge.

Assessing RAW image files captured with a DSLR in Adobe Bridge

The images were captured using a small refractor telescope, which is great for wide-field subjects such as the Lagoon Nebula. If you are new to the hobby, I can’t stress enough how versatile a compact, wide-field refractor telescope is for deep sky astrophotography.

5-minute, guided exposures on a modest equatorial mount that has been properly polar aligned are easily achievable. Learn more about the importance of your astrophotography mount.

My Explore Scientific ED80 Telescope on a Tracking Mount

Subtracting Dark Frames

To help create a smooth image with an adequate signal-to-noise ratio, I took dark frames of the same exposure length and temperature, with the lens cap on. This is a very important step in my stacking process, and it does a great job of removing much of the noise in my images taken using such a high ISO.

Dark frames must be the same length as your “light

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