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CELESTIAL IMAGERY

TUTORIALS

Preprocessing using CCDStack

 

This 9 tutorial set provides over 2 hours of step by step instructions and explanations on how to inspect, calibrate, debayer, stack and deconvolve your camera images. Use this tutorial to process your FITS file format camera images and prepare them for post processing using your preferred photo processing software, such as Photoshop, Paintshop or PixInsight. Also included are two bonus tutorials that teach you how to automate the entire preprocess procedure using CCDStack’s Process Jobs. Also included is a complete Process Job file with instructions on how to use it to automate your processing routine. Note: If your camera does not support FITS file format, but does support TIFF, purchase the Preprocessing TIFF Images using CCStack instead.

 

This 9 tutorial set includes the following tutorials:

  • Image Inspection and Selection

  • Creating Calibration Masters Frames

  • Calibrating the camera images

  • Removing airplane trails and other artifacts from your data frames (optional)

  • Debayering the Raw Camera Images

  • Stacking Images in CCD Stack

  • Saving images in TIFF format

  • Stacking Images in CCD Stack Using Process Jobs

  • Creating CCDStack Process Jobs

 

Preprocessing using CCDStack

This 24 tutorial set provides nearly 5 hours of clear and concise step by step instructions for processing your stacked luminance and RGB images. Processing is the steps needed to reveal the faint detail and color in the luminance and RGB images, combine them into a single image and make final adjustments prior to displaying or printing.  The resulting output will be a single TIFF file format image that can be converted to JPG using Photoshop, if needed.  

 

This 24 tutorial set includes the following tutorials:

Luminance Image Processing

  • Deconvolve the Luminance Image

  • Apply Deconvolved Image to Original

  • Repairing burned out star centers

  • Using Levels to Increase Contrast in the Luminance Image

  • Using Curves to Stretch Luminance Image

  • Using HighPass filter to enhance dark and light areas of Your Image

  • Using Smart Sharpen to Sharpen Image Detail

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RGB Image Processing

  • Using Shadow/Highlights to Enhance Color in the RGB image

  • Using screen mode to enhance color

  • Using LAB Color Space to Enhance Colors (optional)

  • Combined L and RGB Image Processing

 

Combined Luminance and RGB Images

  • Removing Deconvolve and Sharpening Artifacts (optional)

  • Removing Gradient in the Image (optional)

  • Reducing Background Noise and Color

  • Setting Background Level of image

  • Using Soft Light Blending Mode to Enhance Faint Detail

  • Replacing Stars Using Screen Blending Mode

  • Reducing the size of all Stars Using the Minimum tool

  • Reducing Individual Star Size 

  • Reducing Star Halo Size

  • Softening Hard Edges on Stars

  • Artistic Composition in Astrophotography (optional)

  • Cropping and Final Adjustments

 

Extras

  • 3rd party Photoshop Plugins and Actions

  • Glossary of Terms (used in tutorials)

  • Using Masks in Photoshop

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