Combining Ha with RGB in photoshop astrophotography tutorial

[@aTillasSister]

Hi AstroStace, welcome back. I have just started on HaRGB processing and discovered that AstroPixel Processor can be a big help. Import all the files into AstroPixel Processor together being careful to separate into channels and sessions; then nominate one of the files as the registration master in APP step 4 and register everything to it. Then integrate using the per channel and per session options in APP step 6. The separate Ha and RGB tiff files that you export will now align perfectly in Photoshop. Even if, like mine, they were at 45 degrees rotation to each other - APP fills in with black as necessary.

[@I_Spaced_Out]

The people who dislike this video are the same people who use MS Paint for post processing.

[@AstroStace]

Hopefully the commentary is all in sync now, not entirely sure what went wrong!

[@I_Spaced_Out]

It seemed fine while I watched it.

[@AstroStace]

Thank you, apparently it was all over the place. But it was fine on my copy, so I re rendered it again just to make sure

[@T-Bear]

When aligning i suggest you use the difference blend mode. Makes it way easier to see where you are off on alignment

[@RahilSethi]

Thank you about how to combine Ha! I saw a tutorial somewhere that if you stack Ha, L, R, G, B using a common reference image then they come aligned. I then tried it and it worked, at least on DSS.

[@MattWatsonAus]

Hi Stace. Good to see you back. Glad you are well.

[@RockMattStar1]

really useful video. there is an easier way to line up the 2 lots of data. if you create a new document, copy the RGB onto 1 layer and the Ha onto another layer with the Ha on top, then go to edit -> auto align layers, then copy the Ha layer into the red chanel of the original RGB image as before. it will be the same size and position.

[@robsbackyardastrophotograp8885]

Welcome back, Stace! Beautiful image!

[@AstroStace]

Thank you 😊

[@francisgeorge5409]

Thanks Stacey. Good to see you up and running again. Nice Sombrero wall print! 😎

[@AstroStace]

Thank you, sadly not my data. My processing though :)

[@flanerpete2040]

Great to see you back. Hope Luna is doing well too. 😊

[@edforrest8697]

Thank you from Hyde Park NY, excellent very helpful!

[@enriqueboeneker]

Awesome, Stace! You gave me more than a couple of good ideas. Thanks for sharing!

[@scottschroeder7955]

Enjoyed your video, nice job. Just curious why you didn't register the masters with one another with APP or DynamicAlignment in PI? Seems like that'd be a lot easier.

[@alexandersuhocky3992]

Well done, girl! Good job. But a lot of unnecessary body movements at the beginning. We had to start by assembling both images into a package with automatic layer alignment. In most cases, Photoshop does this well. Then crop both aligned layers together. Then the insertion of Ha into the red channel could be done with two mouse clicks. If we are talking about using the Ha image as a brightness channel, then a good effect is achieved by converting the RGB image to the LAB palette and replacing the brightness channel in it with the already aligned and cropped Ha image, and then returning to the RGB palette. Try this. I hope the result will pleasantly surprise you.

[@merc500sec]

Interesting discrimination Alexander , would be good if you could do a video on this and share it with us . I am not very good at following written advice , due to being dyslexic

[@merc500sec]

Awesome video Stacey thanks for showing how to combine them on photoshop 😊

[@MrFingolfin]

Reaaaaally bad Stacy; we were missing you 😋 happy to see you again and keep learning astroqueen :)

[@OlliesSpace]

Will give this a go when I get a Ha filter thanks Stacey 👍

[@henryparker4668]

Great video, thanks! Still pretty new at this, I have a dual band filter, Ha and Oiii. I don't know APP, just Photoshop, and I'm assuming I could just copy the red channel from my Ha/Oiii image for my Ha alone?

[@RaysAstrophotography]

Excellent tutorial Stace! Welcome Back!

[@mohammadali_almohammadi]

Hello, thank you very much for your tutorial. Is it possible to add Ha data to one RGB light frame instead of adding it to the stacked RGB light frames? Thank you very much again!

[@DavesAstrophotography]

Post processing is where I loose my patience! I'm still sorting out the front end.....oh and certainly don't miss the UK rain! Been over a year since I was last in the UK, nipped back for a work reunion night out in Manchester in Nov 2019, and think its been 2 years sine I last paid a visit to my house in Scotland! Hope you get some nice crystal clear winter nights soon!

[@raymajrowski8046]

Excellent video tutorial Stacy, you make it look so easy, I note you used a triband HA filter and the LPRO max, in my efforts I would use the L Enhance and the L pro both from Optolong, I assume I can achieve similar results with these filters, can you advise please, thanks in advance.

[@AstroStace]

Hi Ray, absolutely , the l enhance being similar to the triband and the L pro also being similar to my l pro max :)

[@GarnettLeary]

Simple explanation. Good job.

[@stevel3o7]

Great video! I have used PS for years so am much more comfortable combining channels in PS v Pixinsight and other software. One comment, unless I missed it, I could not tell what layer mode is used for the Ha layer on top of the RGB(Ha) layer. Also, the edit-skew tool is handy for aligning images.

[@AlexandrMart]

Hi ! Can you show me the process of extracting Ha from the finished summation ? If for example I shot Ha and O3 through a two-band filter. optolong-ultimate. Thanks :)

[@stevef7699]

Great video again, Stace. On your Ha layer after alignment (move/rotate(/resize)) can you save that layer as file or in memory so that you don't have to repeat the process later again?

[@steveg4iwr]

A good tutorial. Thanks Stacy

[@dazza1639]

Another really useful video Stace. Have you stopped using Affinity Photo? You could eliminate the mis match between your Ha & Colour data using deep sky stacker, setting one of the images as a reference and just register then stack using just the colour, then repeat for just the Ha. You end up with 2 aligned images for combining in photoshop.

[@AstroStace]

Nope still using it :) just haven’t done much astro at all lately. Will have a look at doing the equivalent tutorial on affinity :)

[@javiricci1010]

El video es genial!!! He podido hacer mi primera imagen HaRGB, gracias!!!

[@oldgittarist]

Great tutorial Stace, all we need is some clear nights!!

[@matthilton8959]

Top video. Really helpful. Will be giving this ago with the 269c. In guessing you do a full set of flats. Lights. Darks etc for both the filters when imaging.

[@AstroStace]

Flats for each filter yes, if your exposures are the same length for each filter then you can use the same darks. If they’re different, then you need darks to match each exposure length

[@matthilton8959]

@@AstroStace thankyou

[@GrowingAnswers]

Did you forget to change your blend back to 100% before you flattened the layers?

[@AstroStace]

No, it’s up to the person how much they want to blend it in. Generally I go 50-70%

[@boodlewoodle]

Excellent tutorial you rock

[@dharialmastaki]

Nice! Please most more vid like this.

[@GaryMCurran]

Hiya Stace, Okay, by replacing the Red Data with the Ha data, it no longer is an RGB, but an HaGB. Now, I understand that Ha normally shows up as a red, but I guess my questions is 'Why are you replacing the R data with Ha data, and THEN layering the Ha over top if it. Since I still am not in a position to be out getting data myself, I'm curious for future reference. TIA

[@AstroStace]

Just to add in the extra detail that was captured using a filter with more narrow band pass really.

[@Mistr_A]

Welcome back Stace one issue how much Ram is on your machine? I run 16 gig on a 2012 mac mini and don't get that lag. Great tutorial

[@AstroStace]

20gb , i was quite shocked to be honest. I think something has gone a bit wrong since it did a huge update a couple of days ago

[@cityspaceastro]

All good Now Stacey - well done and thanks :-)

[@rickcudmore8156]

I didn't quite hear, but how did you combine the 3 separate images of R,G,B into one image was this done in Ps?

[@astroheartuk4623]

So would this method work for say Oiii data but inserting into say the green or blue channel instead?

[@AstroStace]

I can’t see why not :)

[@astroheartuk4623]

@@AstroStace yay! 😁