Orion Panorama Editing - Complete from start to finish

[@pazoulay]

Dear Richard, you apologize repeatedly for the fact that the video is long. Don't! We can't get enough! I have learned so much by emulating all the steps on my own data. These long videos are an absolute godsend. Happy holidays!

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Thanks so much my friend.

[@manjul1966]

Richard. What can I say: just brilliant. Such an excellent reference guide video. Will be watched repeatedly. Thank you so much Mate

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Always happy to help Manjul. Thanks for your kind words mate.

[@treeman3663]

Love the longer videos

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Thank you

[@williamschone9358]

Richard, you’re an absolute inspiration! Such good work & presented extremely well. Of course in the States we’re entering our winter & more specifically in the Midwest it’s gotten cold, but you’ve inspired me to get out, weather & clouds permitting to shoot Orion. I have a perfect location in mind with a foreground that I’ve used in the past for various nightscape compositions. Thanks again & please, please keep up the good work! It is sincerely appreciated.

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Many thanks indeed William, I really appreciate your comments.

[@ivan7453]

Hi Richard. Always a pleasure to watch the "Astro Master". The video length is no problem, cheers.

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Thanks for your kind support Ivan.

[@ericwilkes1840]

Another epic video mate, definitely highlighted that sometimes less is more. Thanks for taking note of the countless requests, very much appreciated and your editing videos are amongst the best in the world (and I love being able to say just go and watch Richard’s videos when I get asked questions 😂)

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Thanks for your great support as always Eric. Really appreciate it.

[@illsdom6055]

Thanks again Richard. I know lot of tecnique but i love you sharing this to help people to enjoy the sky and improve the skills. Your presence is essential to convey and keep alive the passion for the night sky. Thank you from the bottom of my heart ❤

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

I really appreciate your encouragement, thank you.

[@mariopereira8261]

Belíssima photo .Thanks for another excellent editing lesson Richard. As soon as this Full Moon passes I will try to do Orion. Tks. Richard

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

You're very welcome Mario.

[@kimpayne5356]

Thanks Richard, you are my editing hero. Would be totally lost without your fabulous tutorials. They are so well presented and easy to understand.

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

I'm really pleased to hear that Kim. Glad you find them helpful.

[@PhillipMcCallum]

Excellent video, mate been a while since you did a long video,thankyou

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Thanks Phil. Many people don't have the time to watch long videos but you can't do a quick editing video and cover it all.

[@PhillipMcCallum]

Yes some of the photography videos I use to watch are now 1 1/2 to 2 plus hours long, 30min is usually my limit. Occasionally, long ones are fine.

[@andrewdoyle19]

Fantastic video Richard, thank you for sharing your workflow once again. I always learn something new. Gorgeous image too :)

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

You're very welcome Andrew.

[@rogeriopeccioli1616]

Thank you Richard. Always producing videos of great use for us astrophotographers.

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

You're very welcome my friend.

[@timscanlanphotography]

Hi Richard. Thank you so much for sharing this. The content and pace were perfect. Brilliant!

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Many thanks for tuning in Tim.

[@michealmclaughlin879]

Another amazing video! You make each step of the process very clear and accessible for all . Thank you for all the time and effort that goes into producing something of this quality! Can’t wait to try this out in Irish skies.

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Thanks so much for your great encouragement Michael.

[@boycefitzgerald]

Every video is filled with helpful tips

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

I really appreciate that Boyce, thank you.

[@angryjaymz7641]

Thank you very much Richard! Maybe not all of your viewers realize the effort and dedication it takes to plan, prepare, go out night, shoot and the day after postprocess to achieve that kind of pictures. I forgot to mention in all of this you film and teach. And this all for free. So thanks for doing all of this!

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Thanks so much for your kind encouragement. . it really means a lot.

[@andreaboyle9435]

YAY! Thank you so much for all the details in this tutorial! What a wealth of information for us to digest and absorb. I can't wait to get some Orion images to try this on.

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Thanks so much for watching Andrea. I'm pleased you found it helpful.

[@nightscapejournals]

What a great tutorial, Richard, and a fantastic final image. I love how there’s always something new to pick up - your method of highlighting the brighter naked eye stars is excellent (and a lot more effective than mine!) - that one’s going in the tool bag!

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

As always I very much appreciate your comments and insights Paul. We all develop our own methods and that varies as we continue the journey doesn't it.

[@Trevs.Photography2446]

One of your best editing videos yet and I’ve already saved it for future reference.

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

I'm pleased you found it useful Trevor.

[@SteveZodiac777]

Thanks for sharing your workflow and, of course, your superb images!

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

You're very welcome indeed Darrel

[@RobGaleSpecialVideos]

Mate......your my hero, I think you need a cape and we call you Astroman. Thanks for sharing your knowledge, I hope you get a million views and likes, as that was awesome. I can't recall that you have ever done a video on preparing your astro files for printing, but wonder if you think this may be worth wild doing? Well Astroman aka Richard, have a great weekend buddy!

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Thanks Rob mate, you're a legend. I don't consider myself any expert at printing techniques though.

[@lizheard9063]

Again you have the goods Richard! Thank you for continuing to share your editing processes. I love that you use Microsoft ICE for stitching your panoramas together. It shows that you don't have to have the latest and greatest software options

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Really appreciate that Liz. There are many ways to get the job done and we all have our favourites. . I like the simplicity of ICE . .but it is only for Windows.

[@amacmedia3221]

That was a stunning edit Richard, beautiful work once again. All the best for your ne’er my friend

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Very kind of you as always Alasdair, thanks so much.

[@markpenberthy619]

Stunning as always Richard

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Thanks a lot Mark

[@the_film_foto]

OH MY GOD!!!! What a job you did! First, the image is fantastic!!! Secondly, your tutorial is something very very very much of a great!!!!

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Thanks for your very encouraging comments Alexey .. I really appreciate your support.

[@pipatrueno]

GRACIAS!!! Acabo de descubrir tu canal y me declaro ferviente seguidor

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Thank you so much for your great support, really appreciated.

[@ricardoantunesdeazevedo8304]

Terrific video. I don't miss any videos!

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Thanks so much for your great support Ricardo.

[@akkarparkiamopas3401]

This is what I am looking for. Will watch it later thanks ❤

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

You're very welcome.

[@lesladbrook4508]

Another excellent tutorial thank you Richard 🙂

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

You're very welcome Les. Thank you.

[@Xrainox]

Beatiful work Richard💫 bravissimo👏👏

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Thanks for watching my friend.

[@elbagre71]

Thanks a lot! Clear skies!

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Thanks for watching, clear skies to you too!

[@philiphatton]

This is excellent. Thank you! 👍👍👍

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

I'm pleased you enjoyed it Philip.

[@joseluismartinez4343]

Amazing video Richard. I have recently discovered your YT channel and I am your best fan form Spain!!

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

I'm pleased you're enjoying the content Jose.

[@geoffsharpe6456]

Thanks Richard for the video. I edit with a very similar technique and always learn something new from your editing workflow in your videos. It is much appreciated. 😎👍🏆

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Thanks a lot Geoff. I'm always trying to simplify my workflow . . .although I'm sure many would say this isn't simple.

[@santoshmahalik]

Amazing work Richard..Quite inspiring

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Thanks so much for watching Santosh.

[@grzegorzjermoaj3829]

Very, very nice video and not too long.

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Many thanks for watching Grzegorz

[@richardallan2331]

Great video. Editing the images is what was really holding me back from doing a bit more astrophotography. I don't have all the fancy gear you have but I believe I can still get good shots. Now I know how to edit them quite simply and effectively to get the best results. Thanks.

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Yes you're so right Richard. Editing these nightscape images is where the magic really happens. Thanks for watching.

[@gavinheppenstall766]

Great video Richard 🖖

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Really appreciated Gavin

[@shupingyin8082]

Great video thanks for sharing

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

You're very welcome. Thanks for watching.

[@Kamalphotosnice]

0:12 you said recent panorama image a tracked pano I shot where is the video explaining how to take this amazing photo?

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

My previous video featured this image as well as quite a few others. However I didn't go through the capture of this particular image step by step. But I did list the capture settings on the image in this video. kzbin.info/www/bejne/f5m8fHqQZq94bs0

[@Kamalphotosnice]

@@nightscapeimages.richard Thank you

[@marshysterrs1011]

Спасибо Сэр Ричард 👍

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

You're very welcome indeed Mars.

[@keithhanssen7413]

I also like to desaturate my foreground a bit just to mimic our inability to see colors in the dark. It also allows the sky colors to pop more. Just my preference.

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Yes we all have our different methods Keith .. and that's a good thing.

[@elbass0]

This was excellent

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Thanks so much for watching. Really appreciated.

[@kerrykroberts7809]

Awesome! Can never get to much training on post processing and always looking for new tips! I still need to buy that star terminator program!

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Thanks a lot Kerry. It's a great plug-in and really easy to use.

[@martyntorode7126]

Fantastic tutorial Richard, thank you. I think there is a trend to over process milky way images at the moment making it look as solid as a brick wall. MS ICE is an awesome little programme, been using it for a while now. Have a great Christmas.

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

I really appreciate you tuning in Martyn, thank you.

[@aps5150]

Richard, have you used a nodal rail for your panoramas? Allegedly it'd help the programs which merge the images have a better chance of getting them correct. Just curious -- I have not yet tried it myself. Thanks for the editing video!

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Thanks so much for watching. No I've never used a nodal rail. I think they are most useful for ensuring close foreground objects are placed more correctly in the frame.

[@aps5150]

@@nightscapeimages.richard aha, you're probably right. We must just need to overshoot as you always recommend!

[@markegan2974]

Great image mate , excellent tutorial , I was surprised you aren’t using generative fill to fill in the corners it’ does a great job, it as only a small area you done so cloning was easy but for a bit larger areas gen fill reduces the chance of duplicate patterns , have you ever tried the pro panel for photoshop , it’s got some nice Astro buttons but is also great for normal photos with plenty of tools available and has a free trial , I ended up buying it not just for Astro but it’s handy for my other photography

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Thanks Mark. Yes I have used Generative Fill on occasions. I haven't used the Pro Panel for Photoshop.

[@RafaelCBeltrame]

Dear Richard, thank you for this helpful tutorial. I learn a lot from you! I didn't notice that the video has 45 minutes! Do you consider to analyze the astro nightscapes of your subscribers in a video in the future? Best Wishes from Brazil!

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Thanks for your ongoing support Rafael. I may get to look at peoples images at some stage in the future again.

[@Shetlandin360]

Amazing work. Would you happen to know if there is a an equivalent program on Mac for stitching panorama’s like this?

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Thanks for watching. The only really good one I know of is PtGui . .but it's expensive.

[@ViratShah]

Thanks Richard for a great video and so good to watch and we follow very similar processes.. Also, there are action steps available with RC-Astro star removal that takes away all the steps to duplicate layers and do the substraction.. Have you tried those actions? Let me know if would like me to share the actions as they are super handy and makes it very quick

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Thanks Virat. Yes I've heard about those actions. I guess I like to show the basic steps for those who are not sure what is happening with these programs. That's the reason I rarely use keyboard shortcuts in these videos . .even though I may when I do my own edits . .people get lost very easily when they can't see what is actually done to get the end result.

[@steveh1273]

I didn't catch why you needed to erase the stars; that entire process baffled me. A lot of time and work goes into producing your images.

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

These images are quite time intensive. There are 2 reasons why I would remove the stars. The first and most obvious is that I can do far more editing on the nebulosity and milky way dust lanes without blowing out the stars by having them separate. Stars lose color and don't look great when blown out due to over processing. The nebulosity needs a lot of editing but the stars don't . .Reason number 2 is that it also gives me the option to highlight the brighter stars as I demonstrated in this video and this makes the final image look more like the view I see with my naked eye. The camera will capture all the dim stars and basically blot out the brighter stars unless I do something about it. People go to a lot of trouble to "Minimize the Stars" and this method does this by default. Hope that helps.

[@viviandaly5110]

Hi Richard, i saw this come in 3days ago but only got time to watch now as was doing photos at christmas partys & other partys as Santa & printing on the spot also so very busy at this time of year for me. Doing Santa in creche for young kids for next few days. The video of this image & the editing was fantastic & the final image is amazing. I sent you some money on paypal & was wondering if you received it 🙏. Best wishes for Christmas to you & family 🎅🤶❄️☃️🎄🇮🇪

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Thanks so much for your kind generosity .yes did receive it. Happy Christmas to you as well.

[@viviandaly5110]

@@nightscapeimages.richard great cheers 👍

[@treeman3663]

Hi Richard is ice free software

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Yes it is .. . but it's not supported by Microsoft anymore.

[@johnhall9378]

Another great tutorial Richard! Do you know a reasonable way to make the reflection of the stars in the lake more closely match the position of the stars in the sky?

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Thanks so much John. The only way to do that is to use the sky image and reverse it as a reflection .. but you really need to make it very dim and perhaps blurred as well to look realistic. I'd suggest using an Overlay blend mode or similar in photoshop to help with this.

[@YoBroz-ix5rq]

Thank you Richard! Top level! Just a question: did you ever talked about how you actualy operate the ballhead and camera etc. while taking panos? Is there maybe a dedicated video? thnx Reimund

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

I don't think I have a dedicated video showing that exactly. But that's why I use the MSM V-Mount under the ball head. It gives a level platform to make shooting panoramas a lot easier. Even though the tracker eventually gets un-level due to the slow rotation, it's still basically the same procedure as using a standard tripod for shooting panos.

[@timvincent5035]

Awesome informative video mate. Where did you get your camera Astro modified? Love your content and can never get enough

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Thanks so much Tim. I had my camera modified at Imaging by Design in Melbourne. imagingbydesign.com.au/

[@stevemeier7876]

Awesome Richard, for a non astro modded camera the sky shots would you just take more sky shots and stack them per shot to get the extra details and colours?

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Well if I was shooting a panorama I probably wouldn't Steve .. but you could. I'd probably shoot a longer shutter speed as well. If I wasn't shooting a panorama I would certainly stack to get more details out of Orion.

[@johncarter591]

I prefar Topaz too as it isn't as resource heavy as the Adobe noise reduction !

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Yes very true indeed John.

[@akkarparkiamopas3401]

That program you are using for pano stiching allows you to adujust the horizontal line?

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Yes it does, but it's not as adaptable as PtGui.

[@ahiemstra]

The water cannot be brighter as what it reflects. Here you could copy the sky, and imprint it on the water. Also: the work you did on the branches can be done much quicker by creating a mask. Beautiful pics btw.. I think I have to visit Australia… 😂

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Thanks so much for your insights my friend.

[@carmelthomson9917]

What about us Apple users 😅. Do you know if there is an ICE equivalent??? Superb image....didnt know there was a milly way equivalent in summer!!!

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Nothing is free for Mac's . .you should know that Carmel. You can use PtGui with the mac . .but it's not cheap.

[@timbradley5848]

Richard...... are you doing calendars for 2025? I didn't see any links for it.

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Hey Tim. I did release my 2025 calendars back in August but they all sold out a week or so ago.

[@ianelliott9467]

Richard, as Microsoft does not support ICE anymore do you know where to get a download of if or what do you suggest as an alternative?

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

I think you can get it here Ian. download.cnet.com/image-composite-editor-64-bit/3000-2192_4-75207152.html?rex=true

[@barryashenhurst2071]

I like your videos, I think you know that, but to be honest Richard, I think the camera without astro modification produces a better photograph and nicer colour. I realize the colours are accurate but they just dont look, well, real. Only a personal opinion of course, but there you are.

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

That's quite ok Barry. We all have our preferences. Lots of the colours we see in photographs can't be seen with the naked eye and that contributes to the "Un-Real" characteristics I suppose. In these particular images you wouldn't see much of the red colours at all with the standard camera.

[@Kamalphotosnice]

Hi Richard do you have a free video or a free educational playlists so that I can learn how to take such amazing pictures? I know it is not fair that it is free because you spend time, effort, energy and money. I am just asking because, frankly, at the present time, my financial capabilities are very limited.

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Yes I have plenty of free recourses on my website. See here: www.nightscapeimages.com.au/workshops---online.html or here: www.nightscapeimages.com.au/editing-tutorials.html

[@Kamalphotosnice]

@@nightscapeimages.richard I really appreciate that.

[@akkarparkiamopas3401]

These days I do like more subtle adjustment on the shky same as yours.... too much pushing adjustment does not make it look natural to my eyes.

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Yes there are a lot of "Lip Stick" astro images around these days. .but everyone has their own style.

[@Kamalphotosnice]

Unfortunately I only have a canon RF 24-105 mm f 4 usm. This means I won't be able to shoot at night.

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Well you can use that lens but you are already behind the eight ball as far as low light performance is concerned. You'd need to shoot higher iso's and use a star tracker for longer exposure times.

[@wellwhatthen10101]

Loosing interest in your videos lately.. Every video has gone is all about trackers modified cameras. You need to go back to basics as most people don't use this crap. 80% of people just use camera and tripod.

[@MsDeepblue2]

What a ridiculous comment! Richard is explaining what equipment he uses to obtain the shot. Generally, photographers want to know the technical details of the equipment used, even if it is not what they are using. I'd love to know where you got the statistical data that backs up your statement that 'most people don't use this crap'. The serious astrophotographers that I know all have and use trackers when necessary. 90% of them have a camera body that they've astro modded (usually an old body when they've upgraded). I personally use a lightweight tracker, (MSM Nomad) but I don't bother with modding my camera body as I'm not interested in maximising the H-alpha. Not having the exact same tech spec equipment as Richard doesn't detract from the fantastic detailed explanations of the processes he goes through to obtain the images he has. Part of being a competent photographer is being able to squeeze the very best performance out of the equipment that you do have, and certainly watching and listening to Richard's techniques is a part of that.

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

I'll be very interested to watch your processing videos that you provide free of charge here on youtube. Regardless of equipment used, these types of videos are hard to come by.

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Thanks for your support my friend, really appreciated.

[@angryjaymz7641]

Remember every video is free, are you aware of how much work is behind any of these videos? Probably not. So better think about and if not try to find better instructional videos about astrophotography for free, Good luck with that BTW.