Milky Way Editing - Stacking and Blending in Lightroom Sequator & Photoshop

[@pearcem66]

Thanks Richard. Really enjoy these editing videos and always learn something new. I don't have the Adobe software. I use Darktable and Gimp so it's a bit of a challenge to 'translate' the method over to them....but that's half the fun. Thankyou again.

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Thanks as always for checking out the video Mark, always appreciated.

[@normwitt5882]

Really really like this. A lot has changed in post and you’re wonderfully demonstrating the newest stuff in an easy to understand way. Thank you Richard .

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

I really appreciate your comments Norm, thank you.

[@ivan7453]

Thank you for these tutorials with Photoshop. I am a real newbie to Ps and finding it to be a big struggle to work with it. Please don't think you are wasting you time on it. Cheers, Ivan.

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Thanks for your great encouragement Ivan.

[@carlreid4161]

What a treat for a Sunday night! Thanks Richard have a great week 👍

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Thanks again for watching Carl

[@PhillipMcCallum]

great video mate , thankyou, my weekend is complete 2 in one weekend , we are spoilt

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Thanks for your support Phillip

[@treeman3663]

Great to see 2 clips in a weekend

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Thanks for tuning in

[@thebeardedgeordiephotography]

Two cracking videos on the same weekend!! What a belter! Cheers Rich 😎🍻

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Yes I'm on a roll at present mate.

[@bobsheridan6692]

Thanks for the clear explanations on your post processing Richard. Very easy to understand and follow.

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

I appreciate you watching Bob, thanks so much.

[@frankoley6826]

Thank you Richard, it is so enlightening to see your workflow, you make it look so effortless. Your work is very inspiring, now if I could just have more time to get out to shoot...

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Thank you so much Frank, always appreciate your comments.

[@royhornyak8596]

Great Video as usual again Richard. :)

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Thanks for looking Roy

[@francisbuckley3539]

Thanks again for your efforts in producing these videos, I keep returning all the time to recap and learn more. Sometimes my head is spinning LOL.

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Thanks for that Francis. Nothing wrong with a spinning head .. as long as you're enjoying the ride.

[@selbstdenker2346]

I am grateful that I can learn so much from you. thanks

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

I'm pleased to help my friend.

[@rinohals]

Thanks a lot! This might finally push me into photoshop. It is so much easier when you show how to do it. This is surely a gift on a Sunday 👍👏

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Thanks for watching Rino

[@Andrew_marr]

What a nice surprise on a Sunday! Great to see how you approach your editing and listen to your thought process, Richard. I think there's always something new I take away each time you share an edit with us. Thanks mate, I hope you have a great week!

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Hey Andrew, I guess I'm just on a bit of a roll mate ..!!!!

[@luminitaquraishi5349]

Thank you so much for all these videos, I'm referencing to your videos all the time, and I get very good results.

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

I'm so pleased to hear that Luminita

[@kevinjack5184]

I have a few Milky Way timelapses I'd like to create stacked images with. Maybe I'll have time one day. Great videos!

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

That should work really well Kevin.

[@johnoldridge7735]

thanks Richard, so love your editing vids, really helps my whole experience of nighttime photos. editing is the hard bit 😉 please keep them coming

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Really appreciate that John. Yes editing is difficult and needs to be done repetitively so it gets into your head.

[@steveostini4868]

Great video Richard, looking forward to the next one.

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Thanks so much for watching Steve, really appreciate it.

[@PhillTicehurst]

great tutorial ive seen you do this loads of times but always learn something new

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Yes I think it's important to go over this stuff from time to time.

[@donhuff3795]

Thanks for sharing, Richard. I enjoy and learn much from your videos, both shooting the image and editing. I look forward to the rest of this series.

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Thanks a lot for your support Don. It means a lot.

[@Robert-R]

Hi Richard. Great stuff. Thanks for sharing your editing techniques! It's a great help to us that are still trying to hone our Milky Way editing skills. One trick that I've learned for dealing with the lack of a zoom feature within Sequator is to use the Magnifier option built into Windows. To enable it go into Settings --> Ease of Access, and scroll down to Magnifier under the Vision section. From there you can adjust your zoom level and turn it on. Once you've turned it on it will zoom the entire screen by that amount, so a large part of your work space will disappear from view, but you just move your cursor to the edges of your screen to move around it. The first thing you should do once you've enabled Magnifier is to move your cursor down to the bottom of your screen until you get to your Task Bar and right click on the Magnifier icon so that you can pin it to the Task Bar. This will allow you to turn it on again in the future without having to go into the settings. To turn Magnifier off move your cursor around until you find a small control box. This will allow you to change your zoom levels, as well as turn it off like any other Windows application by clicking on the X at the top right of the box. An easy way to move around the zoomed-in screen is to press Ctrl + Alt + Spacebar to temporarily show the entire screen and then you can quickly move the zoomed-in portion to wherever you want. After a few seconds it will zoom back in. I usually set mine to 300% zoom and tweak up/down as needed. It's not always necessary to use this, but I find it really useful for more intricate irregular foregrounds, such as trees, and it allows me to use a very small brush to more precisely paint in the mask. Depends on how finicky you want to be.

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Thanks so much for that Robert, really good tips indeed.

[@mariopereira8261]

Thanks Richard , great lesson for those who want to evolve in a simple way in photography nightscaper , excellent lesson Richard , Thank you

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

You're very welcome Mario

[@wellwhatthen10101]

Awesome video as normal Richard can't wait for the follow up . how you go about colorize the core.

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Thanks for your support my friend, I really appreciate it.

[@veronica0406]

Excellent tutorial, thank you!

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Thank you so much for watching Veronica.

[@gingerg5392]

Thanks Richard, I finally was a able to get a couple Milky Way shots and have been trying to figure out how to edit them using the same tools you have. You gave me some ideas and made me realize some things I can do better taking the shots next time.

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

I'm really please you found the video useful Ginger. I'll be doing more milky way editing videos in the coming months.

[@laurentiudinca9606]

I've used some of these techniques in my own nightscapes. I've even done light painting inspired by your fabulous work. And you have so much more to teach. Thank you!

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Yes I do have plenty more to come Laurentiu. Thanks for watching.

[@changhansohn1757]

Thanks for sharing Richard. Great work!!

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

I'm so glad you liked it.

[@robinc-k7162]

Brilliant video, thank you!

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Thank you so much for watching Robin

[@simonharding5696]

This is going to be a great series!! I never tire of watching your tutorials, as you always bring a fresh approach to explaining your methods. Yours are easily the best tutorials out there on this topic. In fact, anyone who had no interest whatsoever in the night sky would still benefit from watching as the principles of Photoshop / Lightroom editing are so well explained: Layers, Layer Masks, Selections and Adjustments - you cover all these in an easy to follow and easy to understand way. Your enthusiasm is always infectious, and is a great source of motivation to learn, and to get out there under the stars. Thanks, as always!!

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Once again your great comments are very much appreciated Simon, thank you.

[@ziaahmadi]

Greetings from Augusta, Georgia, USA. As always, your presentations are superb. Your step-by-step instructions are easy to follow. You make complex process very simple and easy to understand. I attempted to take some pictures of the Milky Way in the dark parts of the state. Due to atmospheric pollution my images were not clear. So after 4 years, I will attempt again. You are a great inspiration. THANK YOU Richard.

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Thanks for your kind words Zia

[@johnd5244]

Looks stunning! I will have to try these in the processing software I have. Thank you Richard for sharing these with us.

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Thanks so much for watching John

[@peterkennington1043]

Excellent Richard, it builds on you previous videos and some of the added extras I've never used, (yet) so thanks for that and I will watch out for your future tutorials

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Thanks so much for watching again Peter

[@shupingyin8082]

Thank you for sharing you are awesome

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Thank you so much for watching.

[@mannythehunter]

Had to drag out one of your older videos! Im always trying new ways to stack and edit. Decided to go back to how you make it happen.

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

I hope you find it helpful.

[@nickholt8104]

Another great video Richard, you know when I started in this game my head used to spin watching these videos and others but now the more I watch especially as you repeat a lot of the processes it’s all becoming much clearer, I’ve also found I tend not to watch too much from other people now as they all use different techniques and just confuse a beginner, so now I just stick to you mainly and my mind is so much clearer.

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Thanks a lot for your confidence in my techniques Nick. There are often many ways to skin the cat especially with photoshop . .but as you say it can become confusing.

[@MrSpike2450]

Thanks Richard. great video and great work on how to mask.. Looking forward to an up to date and more complicated video on processing the sky.

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Thanks again for watching. Have you seen this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gWXFnpicZdBkodk

[@vikkitempleton9157]

Great video Richard. Easy to follow.

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Thanks so much for your ongoing support Vikki, really appreciated.

[@carolelabrecque2799]

WoW! Such a good and valuable video - as always - to help the « tiny you » I’m looking to ressemble! Meaning : I want to be just like you as I grow up as a photographer ❤️❤️❤️

[@carolelabrecque2799]

Obviously! Being like you with my own creativity! 😝❤️😝

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

@@carolelabrecque2799 You're funny Carole. Creativity comes from persistence, working on the techniques and keeping your headspace clear. Hard to do sometimes.

[@carolelabrecque2799]

@@nightscapeimages.richard Really! Even more when you look at “all the little friends” I have in my head 😂 … headspace, I need !! 😝😝😝

[@travelstock]

I love when you do your series episodes! This is terrific. Many thanks.

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Thanks for your ongoing support Spencer, really appreciated.

[@thruthelens7100]

Great tutorial mate

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Thanks again for tuning in mate.

[@cowboyspook]

Great video, Richard! Rather than duplicating the sky mask for each layer, you can create a group for the foreground layers and add the mask to it. Then you can paint a separate mask for each foreground.

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

That's a good tip. I'll try it sometime.

[@jmfoty4280]

Thank you, Richard!

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Thank you so much for watching my friend.

[@chetandoshi7053]

Stunning

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Thanks as always for watching Chetan.

[@tomservo3728]

That was brilliant Richard and extremely informative. I tend to get stuck in my editing routine, and this has been a 'kick up the ass' for me. Thank you!

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Thanks a lot for watching Tom. Appreciate you watching.

[@WinslowLincoln]

Thanks for posting.

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Thank you for watching.

[@bruceblaylock8682]

Well done, Richard! This is going to be a great series.

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Thanks for your support Bruce

[@kalef1234]

amazing. always wondered how you did the layering for all those various light painting shots.

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Thanks so much for watching my friend.

[@TehStriker]

I need to improve my in camera shooting. My photos does'nt look as great as yours... Thanks for sharing your knowledge and passion with us.

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Thanks so much for watching. It all takes time but I think it's important to enjoy the journey.

[@fabriciohenrique8722]

Muito obrigado por compartilhar um pouco do seu conhecimento, faz 2 anos que venho te acompanhando a cada vídeo, minha evolução na astrofotografia foi gigantesca. Parabéns pelo trabalho, abraços!

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

You're very kind indeed my friend. Thank you.

[@darenhomewood7853]

Two great videos in one weekend, I do love a BOGOF offer 🤣 Fantastic content once again, so clearly and concisely explained and I am sooo envious of your dark skies! It would be great if you could travel to some light polluted areas (Bortle 4 or 5) like 90% of the rest of the world's population (me included) have to endure, just to see how your MW images compare. Really looking forward to the rest of your planned videos for the series 👍

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Thanks again for watching Daren. I can tell you that I certainly don't take the dark skies for granted.

[@gregr5303]

Thanks Richard for your continued generosity in sharing your knowledge with the astro community. I have 2 questions with regard to stacking that I hope you could shed you experience on either here or in a later video. Firstly, how do you treat star reflections in the water - do you mask them as though they were part of the sky. Secondly, how do you treat clouds which moved thru the scene as you took your images. I love the extra interest clouds create in an astro image but have found Sequator doesn't handle them very well (not surprisingly) , creating lots of artifacts and pixelated areas requiring lots of manual cleanup

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Thanks so much for your support Greg. Well I usually leave the reflections as is in Sequator. I don't include with the sky. A lot of people don't realise that Sequator is also stacking the foreground when we are working on the sky part. It doesn't like thick clouds that's for sure. And the other thing is that you lose the delightful "whispy" clouds that you get during a long exposure .. but you can't have everything.

[@theresaclarke2638]

Hello again from Ontario , Canada...what a treat to have 2 amazing videos this weekend! It has inspired me to try light painting again. I have a light panel for low level lighting; I would appreciate your advice re a good torch for light painting that is not too hot or giving a blue tint. Is the LED Lenser P7.2 torch what you used here? TIA

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Thanks as always for watching Theresa. Yes I use the LED lenser P7.2 but I think that's been superseded with a different model. Still P7 series though. I use a 1/2 cto gel taped over the front to balance the blue LED color. See here: www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/44201-REG/Rosco_RS340811_3408_Filter_RoscoSun.html

[@miloradkaravidin8818]

What a treat this weekend. Thankssss. Any chance you will do a full review of zeapon? Interested in pons head, how to set it up etc.

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Yes I will be doing more videos on the Zeapon gear.

[@miloradkaravidin8818]

@@nightscapeimages.richard Thank you 😊

[@geoffsharpe6456]

Sunday surprise Richard. How many of these do you think you might publish? Good value as usual. 👍👋😁

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Well I'm just going to go for it Geoff and see what happens.

[@gonzaloalvarez7597]

Thanks Richard, another master class! One quick question: how do you deal with bright subject matters (e.g. chrome objects, white structures, etc.) when light painting them? How do you avoid hot spots? Best wishes, Gonzalo

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Very good question Gonzalo. I usually lessen the amount of light I put on bright objects. Also I'll often step back to make the light less intense. It can be a challenge.

[@gonzaloalvarez7597]

@@nightscapeimages.richard thanks Richard!

[@animesh7891]

Great tutorial,Is your camera modified for Astro or did you use any filter ?

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Thanks so much for watching. None of these images were using modified camera. I do now have a modified camera but I've never used external filters. See this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/inWulZWoaKeeZ8k

[@andreaboyle9435]

Great video, Richard! I have a question on Sequator, though: Do you ever get "dirty" artifacts along edges of your trees or subject when you stack in the program? I am on a PC and I seem to have that problem.

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Yes that does happen from time to time Andrea. If so I have to try and get closer to the edges with the mask.

[@rattlhed1]

I have the same problem, right along edges I get lots of black spots. Very frustrating and I haven't figured out how to prevent it. I did a Milky Way with a very defined mountain in the foreground so the edge was simple to define in Sequator but still got the spots. I was able to correct for some of it in Photoshop but it took a very long time and was tedious!

[@andreaboyle9435]

@@rattlhed1 I guess I'm not the only one! I avoid using it unless I really have to.

[@rui-uh5ib]

Hi, always interesting and relaxing your videos! i have a question about Sequator, I didn't understand if it "simply" reduce the noise by stacking different pictures, or if it increase also the amount of data like Deep sky Stacker, where for example an hour of total exposure merged in the software can show detail of galaxies like andromeda. If so, and without a tracker, it can be good take tons of sky shots instead the 10-15 I do usually? Thank you, and excuse me for my poor english :-)

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

It's a bit of both actually. Yes it reduces the noise but by adding more images you will improve the signal to noise ratio .. and therefore more detail.

[@rui-uh5ib]

@@nightscapeimages.richard thank you :-)

[@blueman841]

Thanks for posting this, Question. If I take more than 10 pictures of the Milkyway and stack them, is it reasonable to assume the noise will be reduced that much more?

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Thanks for watching Dave. Yes indeed it will make a big difference.

[@easy56wedge]

Richard, do you typically use 4000k as a white balance for you nightscape images when shooting with your Ha-modified camera? I have had my Nikon D610 Ha-modified and decided to shoot at 5000k so my images would have a WB right smack dab in the middle of the scale. However, I’ve noticed my images are now significantly more pink due to the ha-modification p! But I wonder if when editing WB to remove the pinkish hue, if I’m also deleting color from the pinkish nebulae. LOL! Thanks again for a wonderful tutorial! I really wish you’d come to California some day and offer a workshop! Death Valley, the Eastern Sierra, Yosemite and Sequoia / Kings Canyon NP (if there are no fires) are wonderful locations for Milky Way photography.

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Thanks again for watching, really appreciate your support. I set my white balance at 3200k with a plus 1-2 tint toward the green in camera. You're right about removing the red/magenta tinge from the image potentially taking away nebula color. But that seems to be what we have to do.

[@easy56wedge]

@@nightscapeimages.richard Seems almost counter-productive to have a ha-modified camera so red/magenta nebulae gases "show" more and then having to tweak the WB to not be so red/magenta prevalent. LOL! I'm hesitant to say, I'm glad I'm not the only one to have to deal with that issue! Thanks again! Clear skies to you Richard.

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

@@easy56wedge There are lots of issues such as that .. no-one ever talks about. Same with trackers blurring the foreground . .so many people are confused by such things.

[@easy56wedge]

@@nightscapeimages.richard I use an iOptron Sky Guider Pro and since I’m a Mac guy I can’t use Sequator. Instead I use Starry Sky Stacker or Deep Sky Stacker. Whatever I use seems to blur the foreground which is understandable since the tracker is moving and the foreground is not. I keep thinking I’m doing something wrong or maybe I need to get a PC for stacking! Thanks again and as always, clear skies and more Australian vistas to you Richard!

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

@@easy56wedge So you need to shoot the foreground without the tracker on. It will always blur on a moving tracker.

[@robertleeimages]

Another but quick question this time Richard, but with your stacked sequator images do you ever find with those intricate ones that you get black artifacts amongst branches, leaves etc?

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Yes that does happen sometimes. In that case you need to get closer to the branches.

[@robertleeimages]

@@nightscapeimages.richard yes I've found it more prevalent where horizon level light pollution shines through low parts of tree's where you can't get when masking the sky in sequator, i then rub them out in the dust removal/stamp section of dpp4. I actually do what you do with rubbing out branches etc and then adding back in with the circle on 1 side as you demonstrated, it's good to know it's not just me it happens to

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

@@robertleeimages Awesome Rob

[@davidletz9123]

Richard, are you using Sequator on a windows machine...if yes, is it Windows 11? I would like to get a new windows-based laptop, but of course you MUST get it with some flavor of Windows 11. Thanks!

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Yes David. I'm using Sequator on Windows 11 no worries.

[@andysuzierawlins5462]

Richard, do you have any editing for astro mod cameras?

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

I do some editing in this video. kzbin.info/www/bejne/gWXFnpicZdBkodk I'm also working on a video right now which will feature the editing of single shots. I used a h-alpha camera for this as well.

[@andysuzierawlins5462]

@@nightscapeimages.richard you diamond, thank you

[@robertleeimages]

I still don't use photoshop or lightroom but instead just canon dpp4, just wondering if you can save your edited settings as a preset recipe for individual shot settings? Its what I've been able to do in dpp4 which gives that option and therefore speeds up work flow, for example i have 1 for my sky images when taken at f2, 10sec, iso 6400 and i just right click on an image and highlight all sky then click read and paste recipe which brings up the recipes i have saved and apply. I have others saved from earlier editions of my editing and shot settings too, but the f2, 10sec, iso 6400 shooting settings is my most used and preferred to use

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

That's an interesting workflow Rob. I guess it's similar to Lightroom presets. Problem is that you can't do everything in just one software these days.

[@robertleeimages]

@@nightscapeimages.richard yeah i don't get the punch in mine like you do yours because dpp4 doesn't have layer masks etc, so all my sky editing is done before sequator and then that stacked 1 is blended with the edited foreground images in image composite tool of dpp4.

[@Warrior_Resisting_Colonialism]

I forget why you change the files to .TIFF format, before doing your stacking in sequator, rather than simply stacking the raw files directly, Richard? This is because you feel you get better results making some basic edits before stacking, vs making the edits on just the final stacked sky?

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

I've found I get better results by doing some basic edits and lens corrections before I stack them.

[@adamjosey1543]

I'd like to see a video on how to edit Astrophotography using free software like Photoscape X or Raw Therapee, Secuator, and maybe Gimp or Photoshop Express.

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Thanks for watching Adam. Out of those the only one I have is Sequator and it's great . .I use it all the time.

[@adamjosey1543]

@@nightscapeimages.richard Yes and your tutorials are great but I'm unsure about paying $71/mo Canadian, for Photoshop and Lightroom when PhotoscapeX and Raw Therapee can batch process RAW files for free.

[@soffici1]

The most difficult thing about photographing the Milky Way is actually seeing the Milky Way from my Bortle 7 skies in Northern Italy (one of the most sky polluted areas in the entire Milky Way) I’m thinking of severing some big power lines…

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Yes that would be a major problem for me .. I think I'd shift somewhere else ..!!!!

[@soffici1]

@@nightscapeimages.richard well, some of us are forced to earn their money with jobs unrelated to photography, so relocating tends to be a bit of a hassle You know, buying a house, finding means of putting bread on the table, etc And anyway, have a look at Italy’s Bortle map and cross-reference it with cost of living…

[@PingpongPoof-c3r]

Fi hi

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Thanks for watching.