Advice for Moon Surface

Software RawTherapee
1

Hi, I’m new to RawTherapee and learning. For typical shots, I’m doing OK. Still more to learn, but my results are usable. For more non-typical shots (like this moon shot), I’m having problem getting results that I want. So looking for your advice.

This first photo is straight out of camera JPG and resized.

960×937 105 KB

This 2nd photo is edited in Lightroom.

1080×1080 116 KB

My edits in LR are:
WB: 4000
Exposure: +1.0
Contrast: -50
Highlights: -12
Shadows: 0
Whites: +50
Blacks: -10
Clarity: +10
Vibrance: +30
Saturation: +10

I’m trying to bring out the contrast of the moon’s using RawTherapeen, but not successful. I am not trying to duplicate LR result. Just looking for advice on how to go toward similar direction.

Thanks

2

I spend more time in RawTherapee and just randomly tried different Exposure settings. This is what I got. It is closer, but still not sure how to bring out the surface texture and contrast.

WB: 4000

Exposure:
EC 2.3
Highlight Compression 25
Highlight Compression Threshold 80
Black 940
Shadow Compression 55
Contrast -15
Saturation 19
Adjusted the tonal curve to increase highs and decrease lows (like S curve).

Sharpening: USM, radius 0.8, amount 284.
Edges: Qty 50

3

Hi @JimmyK,

try using the tone curve in the exposure tab. This picture should hav one peak. Make sure that the curve is step in the the area of the peak.
Use Contrast by details in the details tab to further bring out the details.

if you want more help, post the raw, then we can play with your picture and give you better advice. :slight_smile:

1 Like
4

If you want more texture, head over to the Wavelets tab and add some wavelet contrast.

5

Here is the Raw image.
IMG_3420.CR2 (18.3 MB)

OK, I haven’t touched wavelet yet. I guess now is good time to read up and try it.

6

OK, I just tried Details Tab > Contrast by Detail. Just hit Contrast+. Definitely bring out the details/texture.

Then on Wavelet tab, there is another Contrast tool, which has similar slider bars as Contrast by Detail mentioned earlier. I will have to read up on this.

7

You probably won’t need the wavelet contrast after CbD for this one as it is quite small. But try it anyway.

Here’s a quick breakfast processing using CbD:

782×782 72.7 KB

1 Like
8

If it’s texture you want, use Tone Mapping in the Exposure tab, and Edge Sharpness in the Wavelet tab.

9

Why not use the free Canon DPP 4.5.1 software that came with your EOS 6D? Here is my attempt with that software:

1119×1119 116 KB

With the recipe file (just change the .txt extension to .dr4 before you use it): moon.txt (7.4 KB)

In case you really want to try out Rawtherapee, here is the same image processed with RT:
IMG_3420-1.jpg.out.pp3 (9.9 KB)

900×900 46.9 KB

10

IMG_3420_morgan.jpg.out.pp3 (9.4 KB)

997×665 191 KB

3 Likes
11

Maybe I’m cheating, because I used Fitswork to develop the Raw, a bit deconvolution and wavelets. Thereafter GIMP and G’MIC for some local contrast.


Diego CrazyToneMap (value):

Next try developed in Rawtherapee:
IMG_3420-1.tif.out.pp3 (10.0 KB)

Thereafter crop in GIMP, levels and detailst in G’MIC (tone enhance, freaky details, local variance normalization, octave sharpening):

934×772 167 KB

12

EDIT …
Sorry I missed the link

13

Just for fun :slight_smile:
IMG_3420.jpg.out.pp3 (9.9 KB)

1680×1050 263 KB

While playing with retinex in combination with raw_Black_levels I took this …
These are in fact unpredictable retinex artifacts … or else we could call them “artistic tools” :wink:

With the black levels I was trying to substitute the “Bias Frame Subtraction” that astrophotographers use to eliminate the light polution influence …

1 Like
14

And instead you recovered the light from the Oort cloud.

1 Like
15

Try using this module :blush:

3329×2193 995 KB
)

2 Likes
16

:smile: not only this … If you look at the thumbnail … Ι prooved there is a hole up there … something went out recently puncturing the cloud shell … :laughing:

17

Thanks guys. I think there is enough here to give me direction to play with in RawTherapee: Contrast by Detail, Wavelet (Contrast, Edge Sharpness), and Tone Mapping.

I do want to stay with single RAW editor, just to make my workflow easier/faster. I was using Lightroom. I decided to move away from LR. I mainly looked at RawTherapee and DarkTable. I very rarely do local edits and I never use layers. After playing with RT and DT, I find RT has better interface and more intuitive to me.

By the way, I don’t use Canon DPP because it is just is just not efficient in copying and pasting edits to multiple photos.

18

Glad you’ve found a raw program you like! RawPedia is a great source of information and so is this forum. Welcome!

19

I had a look at your raw file. It’s underexposed by at least 2 steps. Also f/11 is not optimal for making pictures of the moon, because of diffraction. Would you have chosen f/8 at same exposure time you would have get less noise and also more details.

2 Likes
20

Of course, you can copy and paste recipes without even opening the photos in DPP.