I need help with the processing of this raw (see below). Here is my sooc jpg:
The color of the lighttowers should actually be really green and red.
This file is licensed Creative Commons, By-Attribution, Share-Alike.
DSCF3620.raf (19.8 MB)
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I never before saw red and green lighthouses. Looks like some kind of banding around the two big lights
DSCF3620_RT-1.jpg.out.pp3 (14.8 KB)
As dark as it is there is missing data in the lights …some of the raw data is clipped so it seems you can get the cast around the light close to the right color but it would be hard without cheating and coloring it in with a tint to get that as your eyes may have perceived them…
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DSCF3620.raf.xmp (11.6 KB)
DSCF3620_02.raf.xmp (37,0 KB)
First one without high quality resampling. The second with enabled high quality resampling. Which leads to a somewhat brighter output in the mid tones.
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DSCF3620-2.jpg.out.pp3 (19.7 KB)
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Ding Ding Ding Ding Ding
@jonathanBieler First one to remove the starlink string. 
I guess these lights mark the entrance to the harbour and are not strictly speaking lighttowers.
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Thanks. I used this xmp as a starting point to get a much better result than what I started with. It still looks a bit artificial but that is acceptable I assume.
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holy smokes - this is interesting. It took me a long time to modify it to my taste but the result is stunning. Much appreciated.
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I’m primarily a Lightroom user, so I can’t really help you with Darktable editing specifics, but the primary issue with this image for everyone here is the completely nuked highlight detail of the the two lights. If you want to retain more of the original color (not really an issue with white lights which you want to render white), you have to keep those colored light sources below the clipping threshold - in this case, that would mean shooting at base ISO for maximum dynamic range, and dropping the exposure as needed to keep those lights just below clipping. There will be a price to pay in terms of noise in the shadows, andthere may very well be too much dynamic range here to capture with a single shot, but that’s what you’ll want to try next time out. Still, a very nice image…
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Hi Erik, you are 100% correct - the lighttowers are blown out.
But if I had exposed for these lights I think none of the stars in the sky would show.
I have some variations of this shot at home with what you mentioned in mind. If I find the time and they look promising I will show them here too.
Thanks for you comment.
Shooting at ISO 160 (base ISO) rather than ISO 640 would have gained you 2 full stops of additional highlight headroom without reducing the sensor exposure at all. there would have been a little extra read noise to deal with, but not much, and your stars would be exposed the same. Problem is, while I think 2 stops would help significantly, I suspect you’ll still be clipping those lights somewhat (they must be very bright indeed as I’ve shot in similar situations with my Fujis without having having such a huge discrepancy between the stars and the terrestrial lights to deal with). I think you could probably get away with the same 10 second exposure, but at ISO 160 and f/2 for 3 three extra stops of highlight headroom and only 1 stop less exposure, probably worth a try. Otherwise, blending two exposures in post is going to be the only way around this particular scene.
Generally, unsolicited feedback is frowned upon in the play raw category. Play raw are for helping one another edit.
It is also faux pas not to post a sidecar file for your edit, as well as using proprietary software.
Probably to do with Port (red) and Starboard (green) …
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