How To Post Process Wide Angle HaRGB Images (H-Alpha Astrophotography)

[@cherylwilcox9648]

Fantastic tutorial. I learned a lot and it will help me take my nightscape photography to another level. I'm off to watch the Milky Way processing tutorial! Thank you for taking the time to share your expertise with this!

[@StarScaperPhoto]

I'm glad to hear it helped you! Thanks for letting me know!

[@RushSalable]

I have been scouring the internet for a good explanation of what to do with h-alpha shots and this video NAILED it. Great job and thank you for posting such a thorough work

[@StarScaperPhoto]

That's great to hear! Thanks for letting me know!

[@ujjwaldatta6713]

This is such a great tutorial. A lot of steps but I am so happy with my rendition of my real first Ha-RGB image. Thank you.

[@StarScaperPhoto]

That is great to hear!

[@juanchopolo]

Thank you! This is one of the best astro tutorials i’ve watched!

[@StarScaperPhoto]

Thanks!

[@Senki207]

I can't believe how awesome Starnet is, I cannot thank you enough for bringing it to my attention. Can't wait to get my camera astro modded and buy a tracker to pick up on all the great pink stuff

[@StarScaperPhoto]

That's great to hear!

[@Gaminglfestival]

​@@StarScaperPhoto Brother I love your work I also take some beautiful shots of the Milky Way galaxy with my Samsung s24 I edit in my mobile lr I want to shift on pc so i want to know your pc/laptop specifications

[@StarScaperPhoto]

@@Gaminglfestival thank you! I run a laptop wich has to be good enough for video editing, but that is overkill if you only do photo editing. I think some quick googling on 'pc specs photo editing' would give you a much better answer than I could give.

[@Gaminglfestival]

@@StarScaperPhoto you can't believe I'm very happy you reply me i feel very much well 🤝 I was watching your videos i learnt a lot of editing tutorial and photoshoot from your videos. God bless you ❤️ I have only one request I take my pictures with my android phone socan you please make any kind of tutorial video so I can improve myself I'm from India, PUNJAB 🤝😀

[@StarScaperPhoto]

@@Gaminglfestival great to hear! I have no experience in photographing with a phone but I'm sure there are others who have tutorials on that 👍

[@matej.mlakar]

Awesome tutorial, very clean (also very well organized here with timestamps). Probably the best one here on YT at the moment for HaRGB. And thanks for mentioning :D.

[@StarScaperPhoto]

Thanks for the compliments and ofcourse also for your tips on the wide angle part of HaRGB processing! Did I pronounce your name about right? 😅

[@matej.mlakar]

@@StarScaperPhoto heheh :D very very close :D we dont have "Y" in out alphabet, but my name would be pronounced as Matey :D last name was spot on.

[@overfotografiegesproken]

Nice video, next level editing!

[@StarScaperPhoto]

Haha, thanks man! #astronerd ;-)

[@lore25376]

great video...thank you very much...

[@AstroOnBudget]

Excellent work! I enjoyed your tutorial and the great detail :)

[@StarScaperPhoto]

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed the tutorial!

[@johncarter591]

Thanks for putting this together ! Now I have to get some money so I can buy a Ha modified camera

[@StarScaperPhoto]

Haha, sorry about that! ;-).

[@matej.mlakar]

Just to add something. You don't need to buy a Ha modded camera, but you can send almost any stock camera to those who make modifications. Also, what Jeroen is doing in this video, only a modded camera won't be enough, because you also need a H-alpha filter. So you have to take at least two photos - one with modded camera and one with modded camera + Ha filter attached.

[@nightscapejournals]

Somehow I hadn't watched this previously mate - great tutorial. Picked up a few tips that I'd not come across before, so thank you very much!! 🙌

[@StarScaperPhoto]

Great to hear Paul, thanks!

[@arjundhannyify]

Brilliant work man! Thanks for your hardwork in making this one. I also seen many of the hargb for deep space but this one consolidates every concept required.

[@StarScaperPhoto]

Thanks for the compliments! Very good to hear that it gives the information you need.

[@neild108]

Thanks, this is a great public service. I really appreciate the step-by-step explanation, with your screen illustrations. I will soon be receiving my astro-modded Canon 6D and I already have a 12nm Ha filter, and look forward to trying out this system when the weather clears up. On Vancouver Island that is usually early March.

[@StarScaperPhoto]

My pleasure! Great to hear you appreciate it! I think the modded 6D with 12nm filter is a fantastic combo which will serve you well... if the weather allows that is ;-).

[@cephalicaceph2981]

Absolute legend not often I instantly like and subscribe. Thankyou

[@StarScaperPhoto]

Thanks for the best compliment anybody could wish for! Hope the tutorial helped.

[@cephalicaceph2981]

It did. I have just had my camera astro modified for h alpha but there are questions that need answering so this helps haha. I'm still unsure on a few things though maybe you can help. My camera is h alpha modded. I have a custom white balance on it to make things 'normal' looking. So I can shoot my RGB with this I guess. But to get my h alpha shots I go to daylight setting which makes everything red (or any other WB setting except the custom one) can I use these settings for my h alpha images, or do I need to get an h alpha filter now? Sorry I've only had it a few days and so many questions. Hope that makes sense.

[@cephalicaceph2981]

I suppose a better way of saying it is, do I need an Ha filter on an astro modified camera ( not full spectrum). Is it just there to boost the Ha?

[@StarScaperPhoto]

​@@cephalicaceph2981 welcome to the mod club ;-). It shouldn't matter too much which WB you shoot, since you will need to change that in the editing anyway. I use a custom white balance as a rough starting point myself, based on the shot of a greycard (which still looks a bit too orange to begin with). But my buddy still shoots on auto WB which also turns our fine after the editing. You don't need to use an h-alpha filter ofcourse. Without the filter there is no need to take separate h-alpha shots and your can edit as normal. You will notice that some of the h-alpha nebulae come out a bit stronger compared to a non-modded camera but it isn't a huge difference. This tutorial is intended for people who shoot separate h-alpha shots with an h-alpha filter in to give the image an extra h-alpha boost / blend it with the regular RGB shot.

[@cephalicaceph2981]

Thank you I appreciate the reply. I might pick up a ha filter for the extra boost but glad to see it's not mandatory 😅 thanks buddy, clear skies and look forward to more content.

[@AMPhotography]

Great tutorial. Really helpful. Can you please also explain how did shoot the HARGB red images?

[@StarScaperPhoto]

Great to hear! I shot it with an h-alpha filter. See the video before this one for the on location behind the scenes.

[@ujjwaldatta6713]

This was exactly what I was looking for. Thank you. I did not see your link for your Milky Way processing tutorial. Can you kindly share that please?🙏

[@StarScaperPhoto]

Great! Mw processing: kzbin.info/www/bejne/b3vQi6qhbKeknacsi=eyckTlP9xTleBFn7

[@rutona7617]

Nice tutorial! Thanks for sharing

[@huyballack]

Hi, wonderful tutorial! May I ask often for a landscape images like this, how much HA data you collect compare to your rgb data?

[@StarScaperPhoto]

Thank you! For a landscape image I usually collect 10-30 minutes of ha for a boost.

[@ChrrZ]

a fantastic tutorial, very well presented many thanks. i have a question though, since i´m very new to Astromoded Cameras (just got my first one, 2nd hand Sony A7R h-alpha mod today) can you confirm, the RGB frames are normal shot, but how do you get the red pictues (ha alphy sky pictures)? do you use an additionl ha filter on top of it on the lens?

[@StarScaperPhoto]

Thanks! The ha shots are indeed shot with an additional filter. I use the astronomik 12nm ha clip in filter which goes in front of the sensor in body.

[@ChrrZ]

@@StarScaperPhoto thank you so much!!

[@paweltraczynski]

Thanks! Great tutorial!

[@StarScaperPhoto]

Thanks for letting me know! My pleasure 👍

[@rafaibanez4173]

Great video!!

[@StarScaperPhoto]

Thanks!

[@paiged186]

Do you process the stacked image first in PS as far as milky way editing before starting this tutorial? I'm a bit confused. I use your milky way editing tutorial and it has been a game changer (thank you), but in this tutorial you go through creating a star/starless layer and then you talk about milky way editing.

[@StarScaperPhoto]

These days I first stack, then make a starless version, process the starless version with the milky way separately and then put the stars back.

[@AstroHBF]

Great tutorial! Very few people doing wide or landscape HaRGB tutorials. I picked up some good tips!

[@StarScaperPhoto]

That's great to hear man! You're right about most tutorials focussing on deep sky. Ofcourse it's largely overlapping, except that you don't have to work around that star stretching in the corners at longer focal lengths.

[@raphaellencrerot]

Very good video, -> Subscribed !

[@StarScaperPhoto]

Thank you and welcome to the channel!

[@costmich]

Great video! Do you think I could achieve good results with the same filter but with a stock camera? I am aware the signal would be much weaker, but it should still make a huge difference, right?

[@StarScaperPhoto]

Thanks! I would not advice this but you might try. Expect to need much more exposure time at least. I don't have experience with it myself.

[@geoffsharpe6456]

Hi Jeroen, Can you clarify something for me please? The images you show are captured on a standard camera with NO astro modification to the sensor??? I presume that you then captured the Ha frames after you inserted a Ha Filter? If this is so, how is this technique better than capturing the whole night sky with an Ha+Visible astro modified camera?? Does this method give better Ha definition? I shoot with a Sony a74 with a Ha+Visible astro modification. Any feedback would be appreciated. 😁👍

[@StarScaperPhoto]

All was shot with an ha+visible modified camera. Ha frames after inserting an ha filter for more ha drfinition. Also see the video before this one for an in the field behind the scenes.

[@bikramghosh1]

Hi Jeroene, thanks for this tutorial. Was very easy to follow. Stupid question and that's due to my lack of knowledge- the RGB image is a standard output from Astro Mod camera and thw Ha image is basically same image but with a narrow band Ha filter on e.g. Astronomik. Is that understanding right? Thanks again.

[@StarScaperPhoto]

Thank you! And yes, that is correct!

[@bikramghosh1]

@StarScaperPhoto Thanks so much for confirming. I was not very sure because a H-alpha mod camera would capture the reds then what was going to be the benefit of another h-alpha filter (especially given the price) for wide field. Also I was thinking the RGB was also using sone narrowband filters. But can see how the filter improves the quality of the final image. Thanks again

[@StarScaperPhoto]

@bikramghosh1 yeah, it does increase sensitivity of the reds. An ha filter only targets the specific wavelength of h-alpha, isolating it.

[@bikramghosh1]

​@StarScaperPhoto two more stupid questions 😢😂 -1. Roughly how many stops does the Ha filter add and do you compensate by simply bumping the ISO up by those many stops. Also while editing I typically leave the color processing toward the end, so does that mean it is better to integrate the Ha image later in the processing or do you recommend all integration done before editing the entire image as one unit?

[@StarScaperPhoto]

Not sure about the number of stops, but it blocks a lot of light. My guess would be about 3-4 stops maybe? I bump my iso and f stop. Color balancing I do a bit back and forth in the whole process as you an see in the video. There isn't a right or wrong here as long as the end result looks good ;-).

[@danielcatalina1806]

you can do the alignment automatically also with Sequator. Just tell it in the composition settings to 'Align only' and it will do it for you ;)

[@StarScaperPhoto]

That's not a bad idea at all! Only thing is that a large portion of your original sky frame will move 'out of' the first frame you shot after a couple of hours. But adjusting your camera every now and again can fix it ofcourse. Anyways, lots of options! Now if only those clouds could move 😁.

[@Laaadislav]

Hey mate! Great tutorial! Can you please advise - When I paste the Red channel from HA to the Red channel of my RGB image - The overall image will turn green and all colours are completely off... Any ideas why is that?

[@StarScaperPhoto]

Yeah, color balancing is tricky with Ha! At first, you only blend an haRgb layer back, where the Ha has been blended into the Red channel for about 20% or so (as I show ik the tutorial). You want to make sure that this layer is more or less balanced with the G and B channels before blending back. After that it's just trying to do lots or color balancing by hand. Normally the overall colors still look a bit off at this point (teal sky and such). It's tricky and costs a lot of time but in the end it's worth it. What you can also try is mask in only the Ha parts where you really need it. Good luck!

[@Laaadislav]

@@StarScaperPhoto Thanks a lot for the fast reply! I've managed (somehow) to colour balance it back to normal.. :)

[@StarScaperPhoto]

@Laaadislav that's great to hear! Curious how it turned out! Shame YT comments doesn't allow photo's. Anywhere you will share the result.

[@ColinDane]

Great vid Jeroen! One question, maybe I missed it in the video (it wasn't super clear to me from the vlog), but did you take these images with an astro-modded camera?

[@StarScaperPhoto]

Thanks Colin! I did shoot with an astro modded camera. I didn't mention it in the vlog, sorry for that!

[@ColinDane]

@@StarScaperPhoto haha no problem, but you said in the vlog “maybe I’ll try it with the astro modded camera later” but in the video itself you put the text “spoiler alert, I didnt” so I was a bit confused about that haha. Wasn’t sure if you ment that for that single shot or the entire evening.

[@StarScaperPhoto]

@@ColinDane ah, that's true! To be clear: I shot the great rift and the cygnus shot modded. The cassiopeia side of the milky way was non modded.

[@michaelgordon6071]

Thank you so much. Do you think one might be able to use an Ha filter on some unmodded cams to achieve some of effects? I know the A7rIII let’s in about 20%. I was hoping that a 16 shot stack with a front Ha filter might get the signal above the noise floor or worst case scenario a 3 min tracked shot. The filters are expensive so didn’t want chase windmills.

[@StarScaperPhoto]

Ooh, good question. You might be able to pull it off, but I would not recommend it. You will need much longer exposures to get a decent amount of light. Besides, it is pretty hard already to get enough light through to focus properly with my modded camera. Maybe you're able to lend a filter from someone to try it?

[@akkarparkiamopas3401]

So The RGB photos are the photos that were taken from H alpha astro mod camera. And H alpha photos ,The red colour all over the pics, are the photos that were taken from the mod camera which has the h alpha filter, manually put it, on top of the mod censor ? Is my understanding right? Thanks for video Cheers

[@StarScaperPhoto]

Yes, that's exactly right.

[@akkarparkiamopas3401]

How you do Manual Focus with h alpha filter on? We can barely see the star through while this filter is on, right?

[@StarScaperPhoto]

Yeah, that's tricky indeed. I first tried to aim my camera at a super bright object like a planet. But it's difficult getting your comp back. Nowadays I do it by making short test exposures at a high iso and adjust bit by bit judging from the sharpness of those shots.

[@akkarparkiamopas3401]

@@StarScaperPhoto we gotta have plenty of time to do all these things then. Arrive to location very very early . Thanks ❤

[@StarScaperPhoto]

@@akkarparkiamopas3401 it is indeed a bit time consuming but in my opinion worth it in the end! I always love arriving early if I can anyway to 'tune in' on the environment :-).

[@andysuzierawlins5462]

Hi, I'm following the tutorial, I'm a bit confused around 19 mins, do I make a red only new file of rgb and include into the ha file

[@StarScaperPhoto]

Yeah, that's right. You copy the red channel only from the RGB and improve it with a little of the ha layer blended it. This is called an HaR. After this you copy paste that HaR layer into your red channel of the RGB.

[@andysuzierawlins5462]

@@StarScaperPhoto OK, thank you for getting back to me...... I'll probably be back when I get stuck again lol

[@StarScaperPhoto]

@andysuzierawlins5462 no problem. Good luck! 👍

[@andysuzierawlins5462]

Hi, I'm struggling around the 20.40 min mark, how to I paste it it back to original file, and I'm really confused with putting it back in the red channel of original file,...... Sorry to be a pain, it's my first time doing this, I'm not the best at doing new things.... Bit of a dumbo

[@StarScaperPhoto]

@@andysuzierawlins5462 hey, not sure how I can explain it differenly than I did in the video. You copy (ctrl+a on PC) the hargb you made, you go back to your RGB image in the different window, you make sure to only select the R channel (in the tab channels) and do paste (ctrl+v on PC).

[@andysuzierawlins5462]

Help, how do I get my red improved layeys back to the original document, having a stuck moment

[@StarScaperPhoto]

You can copy that improved red layer, select the red channel specifically in your rgb and paste it in. Color balance will probably need some tweaking again from there. Good luck!

[@arjundhannyify]

i had another question, does PI align red HA and RGB even in wide angle ? i know it stretches like you said. How about doing mosaics in PI?

[@StarScaperPhoto]

PI aligns Ha and RGB brilliantly. Also does mosaics, although that is a bit more work.

[@arjundhannyify]

@@StarScaperPhoto nice! Do you prefer pt gui over pi for mosaics? Just curious 😁

[@StarScaperPhoto]

@@arjundhannyify only did a mosaic with a deep sky target once in PI. Never worked with PT Gui. Panorama's I do mainly with Photoshop which has always worked fine for me so far.

[@arjundhannyify]

@@StarScaperPhoto great thank you for your time!

[@andysuzierawlins5462]

Hey, I'm having a problem with my stars only layer showing on main screen, but not in layers panel, I'm following your tutorial but I must be doing something wrong, can't get my head around it

[@StarScaperPhoto]

Hey, sounds weird. I need a bit more info to get an idea what's going on.

[@andysuzierawlins5462]

​@@StarScaperPhoto thank you for replying, I sorted it, I needed to stamp viable, not duplicate

[@StarScaperPhoto]

@andysuzierawlins5462 check! Good to hear!

[@andysuzierawlins5462]

Ps, how's the leg healing up

[@StarScaperPhoto]

@@andysuzierawlins5462 Slow but steady, thanks!

[@amacmedia3221]

What do you mean by RGB images? Is this images that are taken from a non Astro modified camera or a camera with no Astro filters?

[@StarScaperPhoto]

The images are all taken by an astro modified camera. With the RGB images I meant the shots without any additional filters.

[@amacmedia3221]

@@StarScaperPhoto so both are taken with a camera that has been Ha modified?

[@StarScaperPhoto]

@@amacmedia3221 Yes, that is correct.

[@amacmedia3221]

@@StarScaperPhoto what additional filters were used on the Ha shots?

[@StarScaperPhoto]

@@amacmedia3221 the astronomik 12nm h-alpha clip in filter.

[@andysuzierawlins5462]

I used starnet, it did its thing, but then I couldn't open it, ps said it couldn't open because it was the wrong type of file

[@StarScaperPhoto]

Sorry to hear! Never had that. Guess you'll have to double check your output settings (tiff?) or do a google search on the issue.

[@andysuzierawlins5462]

OK, I've done it, it's not great, because I couldn't get the alignment perfect, I took ha on a different night. Screen blend not working, only lighten, will send you a dm on insta to show you...... It's a sharp learning curve

[@StarScaperPhoto]

@andysuzierawlins5462 *sorry, misunderstood. Blend mode screen not working for putting back the stars?

[@andysuzierawlins5462]

@@StarScaperPhoto I've heard it's a complicated learning curve too. This has been hard enough, you have been so patient with me and I appreciate it

[@alexandrorodrigez]

it is possible to edit #HaRGB photoshots with #Darktable?

[@StarScaperPhoto]

@@alexandrorodrigez maybe somebody else can amswer this. I fo not know darktable. Most important feauture would be the ability to work with layers.

[@end_theinflu]

its any chance to take photo red Nebula without h alpha filter or modded camera? :)

[@StarScaperPhoto]

Can be done but it's much more difficult. You need a lot more exposures.