[APML] Gamma Cygni Imaging Processing Challenge

["Ulrich Beinert" <analemma@gmx.de>]

Here's my try: www.analemma.de/hermsadr.jpg

BTW, if you go about 280 pixels to the right of Sadr, there's a bright
orange star there. Travel back 1/10 of that distance, and there's an
elongated smudge. Any idea what it is? Reflection, double star (physical,
optical), galaxy, comet (discovered/undiscovered?)?

As for my processing methods, just kinda what felt right. First I adjusted
contrast and brightness. I think then I smoothed the image with BGSmooth
(when is this normally done?!?), then tried to remove some of that
vignetting at the edges with a blurred mask, didn't really work so I went on
with setting the background at 0-0-0, probably too dark. Then, after
increasing the saturation, I tried removing some of the blue halos around
several of the brighter stars by selecting this blue color and turning blue
towards yellow in the color balance dialog. Finally, I adjusted the
brightness and contrast again to make the picture look "nice" in my eyes,
then cropped the ugly stuff around the edges and applied a light blurring
filter (don't know why, but it looked nicer).

And for those who are going to shout at me for "ruining" an image by
blurring it: I want an aesthetically pleasing picture, not something a
scientist would want to get data out of. I'd love to hear comments and
suggestions on this - it's the first image I've actually put some time into
processing!

Ulrich


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