[APML] Pixel Gun Technique for PW Users

[Jon Kolb <jkolb@mindport.com>]

As many of you know, I don't use Photoshop, only Picture Window.  In
processing recent images over the last couple of weeks, I believe that I
have arrived at the PW analog to Tony's "Green Ray Gun" technique in PS.
Here's how it goes-

After you've got the colors very close to what you want them to be with the
Color/Curves transformation:

1) Zoom in until you can easily see the pixels (zoom to 1:1 first to save
some time).

2) Select the Color/Correction transformation from the menu bar.

3) Make sure that the probe size is set to 1x1 by using the "OPT" button.

4) Activate the probe.

5) Find the green or blue-green (or whatever color is giving you trouble)
pixels and click on one or more of them.  Selecting more than one hue will
allow a more thorough cleansing of the offending color.  I've been selecting
only pixels in the halos of stars, in order to remove a greenish cast to
dense star fields in wide-field shots.

6) On the color block that shows your selections, click and hold on a
selection and drag the cursor toward the center.  Experiment with how much
to drag by clicking on "Apply" once in awhile to see what effect you are
creating.  Try it with just one pixel first and you will see a difference.

7) Stare in stunned silence at the results, especially if you just spent an
hour with the color curves and didn't get nearly as good a result.

Since PW represents your work as small arrows, or rays, on it's color block,
I think it's entirely appropriate to call this the PW Ray Gun Technique. 

This technique has really improved some of my recent E-200 shots, but you
have to be careful and not get carried away since it's possible to create
some unintended effects if you take this too far.  I hope to have some fresh
work that includes this method in the processing posted soon.

Sincerely,
Jon Kolb
Adventures in Astrophotography
http://home.datawest.net/jkolb/
jkolb@mindport.com



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