Showing the solar corona

[guille2306 (Guillermo Rozas)]

I’ve finally got around to properly edit some of my 2020 solar eclipse images:

I’m quite happy about the ‘technical’ result: this is an exposure stack across 8EV (LuminanceHDR), each exposure level itself being an average of 4 images with dark and bias frames subtracted (Siril).

However, I’m still not convinced on the ‘artistic’ part of the edit. I’m running around in circles in darktable regarding the level of detail, contrast and exposure. The image above has both highpass and local contrast applied.

Maybe a bit less of detail (local contrast disabled)? It looks more calm, not so punchy:

Maybe bit more global contrast (increased black relative exposure in filmic rgb)? It goes the other way, it looks more dramatic:

For reference, this is the image before highpass (that module is doing magic ):

What’s your opinion? Feel free to critique or make suggestions on any aspect of the image.

[Tim (Tim Cuthbertson)]

I don’t know enough about your image and processing to make any worthwhile critique, but I prefer the first and third images in your post, simply because the lines you are bringing out are the most defined.

[paperdigits (Mica)]

I think this is lovely! If it were my image I’d take the 2nd one and crop it to a square, I don’t think you need all that vignette.

[guille2306 (Guillermo Rozas)]

Thanks!

[guille2306 (Guillermo Rozas)]

By ‘second’ you mean the one without local contrast?

Yeah, the crop is now pretty much fixed because I want to use it as 16:9 wallpaper. But if the end result is worth it I may print it, and then I will certainly consider a square crop. Thanks!

[paperdigits (Mica)]

Sorry its the third one in the post.

[guille2306 (Guillermo Rozas)]

Great, thanks!

[guille2306 (Guillermo Rozas)]

Something like this?

[paperdigits (Mica)]

Yes, just like that. I’m a sucker for the square though