How To Draw Milky Way In Photoshop

In this tutorial, I show many techniques to heighten your Milky Way images. As with whatsoever image in that location are many means that you can reach your desired issue. At that place are many means to achieve outcomes in mail service processing and this tutorial is a guide only. The steps don't necessarily need to exist used on all images. At that place isn't a set lodge things need to be completed. This tutorial will requite you tips and tricks to achieve certain effects in your Milky Way images. Nosotros suggest you effort them and change them to suit your style of imagery.

In this tutorial, we employ Photoshop for greater control. We also employ Luminosity Masks for much greater control over the areas we are effecting.

To follow along yous can download the video and the RAW file using the links beneath.

Link to download video: https://vimeo.com/250034514

Link to download RAW file: Milky way Tutorial Raw File

Note: you lot don't crave a Dropbox account to download the RAW file. Just click the option to proceed without signing up for Dropbox.

Step i: White Balance Adjustment

Start Time: 01:12

The white balance you choose can vary depending on your personal sense of taste or to match the foreground. In this tutorial, we are only showing the editing of the Galaxy as foregrounds are typically handled independently. The original RAW file has a potent magenta cast, and was shot with an Auto White Residuum. Our cameras have a difficult time determining the correct white balance at night.

In this example, we apply Camera Raw as our Raw processor, but yous can employ whatsoever RAW processor yous adopt. The RAW image has a very strong magenta bandage. We remove this by countering the magenta in the Tint, by reducing the green to -twoscore. This gives a much more natural white balance. Yous tin can also accommodate the warmth of absurd in the image by adjusting the temperature. In this example we warm the image slightly (+5).

Pace 2: Brighten Stars

Showtime Time: 05:15

We wanted to make the core of the Milky way be the main feature in the image. To add greater emphasise to the core we darken the sky around information technology, helping the Milky Fashion stand out more. Before nosotros darken the sky, we want to ensure the duller stars are non going to be effected. To prevent this, the first step we take is to lighten the stars.

To make certain that we are only lightening the stars nosotros use Luminosity Masks to restrict the areas affected. We also desire to be conscientious not to select the bright areas of the gas clouds. They can become much to bright, creating solid blocks of light, which can be distracting. Selecting the Lights iii Luminosity Mask we're able to eliminate the gas clouds and the rest of the sky. This allows an adjustment to the stars just. This may not always be the case with all images. You will need to experiment to become the right selection for each prototype.

Using the Lights 3 selection we create a Curves adjustment layer and brighten the stars significantly. This may not be overly evident when you brand the aligning. Go a better view of the adjustments past zooming in and turning the layer on and off.

Step 3: Darken Sky

Start Fourth dimension: 06:55

Here we brand a global adjustment to all the darker areas in the epitome, but not darkening the gas clouds or stars. To avoid darkening the gas clouds or stars we utilise a Luminosity Mask to select the nighttime areas.

With each image, this selection may be slightly different depending on the conditions and setting yous used at the time of taking the image. Having said that the process for making the pick would be the same. Start by making a pick in the dark areas of your image with a Darks i Luminosity Mask. You now want to expect to run across if at that place are any areas in your image that you don't want effected, included in the mask. If there are yous will want to restrict your mask by either using the Levels Aligning Layer or selecting a more restrictive mask. In this example, we ended up using a Darks iv and and so restricted the blacks a little further to ensure that the gas clouds would not be darkened.

Step 4: Darken & Remove Calorie-free Pollution

Commencement Time: 09:01

The need to remove light pollution will not exist mutual in all images of the Milky Way. Due to the light pollution in the bottom of this image, we utilise further darkening and colour removal to bring greater balance to the image and ensure the viewers eye goes to the core.

Using the same methodology as nosotros used in Pace 3 we make a Darks Luminosity choice to ensure only the night areas of the heaven are effected. We and then utilize the luminosity mask to a curves adjustment layer and darken the sky further. During this process though nosotros end up darkening areas of the heaven that we don't want afflicted.

To prevent the other areas of the sky from existence darkened, we put the curves adjustment into a grouping with a black mask and paint the adjustment dorsum into the areas we desire.

By darkening of the bottom half of the image we are not able to remove all the colour that was present in the low-cal pollution. To remove the colour, we utilize a Hue & Saturation aligning layer and driblet the saturation in the colours that are present, in this instance reds and magentas. We also drop the lightness in those colours to remove some of the lightness left behind. By placing this aligning layer inside the same group equally the curves layer, information technology is also restricted to working in but the areas inside the group mask.

Footstep 5: Racket Reduction

Start Time: 14:twoscore

One of the big issues that we face when shooting the night sky is noise. This is caused by the high ISO's that nosotros need to apply to expose for the stars. This can't be completely avoided, but can exist reduced past using prime lenses with wider apertures. With wider apertures (i.e. f1.4, f1.8) we can reduce our shutter speeds and ISO's which will give usa cleaner images.

There are other techniques we tin can apply to reduce noise as well, and I'll cover these in a tutorial on shooting the Milky way at a later engagement.

When nosotros employ dissonance reduction in our Milky Fashion images we also desire to make sure that it's only effecting the areas we want. We don't want to utilise dissonance reduction to our stars and possibly our gas clouds as it will soften them. Using the noise reduction tool in ADP Pro v3 information technology will utilize a global racket reduction in our images, and it applies a blackness mask to the layer, hiding the noise reduction. So we tin can pigment on the black layer mask to bring in the noise reduction where we want it. This is difficult with a Milky way image as there are stars throughout the image that nosotros don't want to effect. Instead of painting on the mask, we'll apply it by putting a luminosity mask on the noise reduction layer and applying it to only the dark areas.

With the Racket Reduction layer selected, press the Apply – Suit – Replace button in ADP Pro v3. What this will do is supplant the black mask on the layer with a Luminosity Mask. You lot can switch between the mask and epitome view to brand a mask and view the upshot. In this example, we utilise a darks luminosity mask to ensure only the dark areas of the image are effected.

Step 6: Enhance Colour in the Galaxy Gas Clouds

Start Fourth dimension: 18:00

Information technology may not always exist evident from your Raw files, but depending on your location and time of year, at that place can be a significant amount of colour in the gas clouds of the Milky Way. In this step, we draw out the colour that exists in the gas clouds. We'll use two different methods for adjustment to give you multiple options.

The commencement method nosotros apply is creating a Hue & Saturation adjustment layer. With this layer we choose the blues, which are nowadays in the outer areas of the gas clouds. We increment the saturation in the blues, across our desired result. Then invert your layer mask to blackness, hiding the upshot of the saturation. Using a soft edge and depression opacity brush nosotros pigment the colour back into the areas of the gas clouds we want to enhance.

The 2nd method we use is the Saturation Painting tool built into the console. This is a very effective method when working in areas that take low colour and would not be impacted through saturation sliders. Using a very low opacity brush, 1% to three%, and the red brush, paint in the areas you want to increment saturation. This will not pigment red onto the image, information technology will only increase saturation in the areas that you paint.

Step seven: Dodge Milky way Gas Clouds

Starting time Time: 24:00

In this pace, nosotros're going to lighten the gas clouds throughout the core of the Milky Mode. There are many methods for lightening an paradigm, in this case we're going to employ dodging with colour. By dodging with colour, nosotros tin maintain the colours that already exist within our image without washing them out.

The first thing we desire to practice is ensure that we are but dodging within the gas clouds, and other areas of the image won't be adapted. In this instance, we employ the restricted tonal masks inside the Quick Masks. The restricted masks in quick mask are a little more restricted in their selection, with smoother transitions between tones. Opening the quick mask panel, select the restricted tone picker and select the gas clouds. This volition create a luminosity masks based on the tones that you select. You can then adjust the mask to further exist restricted the tones of interest. In this instance we darken the blacks off to ensure that merely the gas clouds are effected.

After nosotros accept completed our selection, we now desire to apply the mask to a dodging layer. We have three options (Transparent, Middle Greyness & Curves), the transparent method allows u.s.a. to dodge or burn our images with coloured brushes. Once you have chosen the method, transparent, press the dodge button and a new layer with your luminosity selection is created.

Now you can dodge with a white castor, or choose a colour directly from your prototype, so choose the blues in the gas clouds. To dodge, you desire this to be a light colour, so if your choice is in the darker tones of that colour, just move your selection up to the brighter versions of that color. Using a depression to medium opacity soft edge castor, kickoff to pigment the lightening into the areas of involvement. You can also use the layer to paint in with other colours, as nosotros practice in this example, besides using the same layer to pigment the ruddy colour into the core of the gas clouds.

Step 8: Fire Dust Lanes

First Time: 28:thirty

If you lot expect closely at the core of the Milky way you will notice that there are a lot of channels of darkness throughout, we call them grit lanes. If we darken these, we tin create a lot more detail and interest in the Milky way.

Using the aforementioned method that we used in a higher place to dodge the gas clouds, we tin darken the dust lanes. In this case we want to work in the nighttime tones. Selecting the Quick Mask Luminosity Mask, you lot tin can work in the dark tones, or select the tones directly from your prototype with the Restricted Tonal Picker. Change the mask until yous have restricted the mask to work in just the night areas of your image and the gas clouds are not affected.

To darken the dust lanes, we're going to fire. In this case we don't want colour to be affected, so choose curves every bit the called-for method. This volition set the burning layer to a luminosity blending style, which means that colour will not be effected. This volition create a burning curves layer and hide that layer inside a group with a blackness mask. Using a white soft edge, low opacity brush, start to pigment in the concealment throughout the dust lanes until you have reached your desired result.

Step 9: Add Glow to Stars

Start Fourth dimension: 33:30

This technique is a fun tip and not necessarily something that you lot will desire to use, merely can add together some involvement to your images. We add a glow to a few of the stars throughout the paradigm to add some points of interest.

Create a transparent layer, by selecting the new layer icon at the bottom of your layers window. Change the blending mode of the layer to Soft Light, this will allow us to lighten areas of the image without painting with a solid colour. At present you lot want to select a colour from your stars, this will go on consistency in your colours in the image. Stars typically have a slight blueish colour, so press on your foreground color and zoom in and select a blueish from your stars.

With your pigment castor, set it'south opacity down to 10% – 15% and make the brush size slightly larger than the star y'all want to add a glow to. Click on the star once, so increment the brush size with your square subclass keys, and press once more. Repeat this process, increasing and decreasing your brush size until you accept added your desired glow.

Stride 10: Sharpen The Milky Way

Commencement Time: 37:05

We take many methods that we can acuminate our images congenital into ADP LumiFlow. One of the most effective way to make stars sparkle is to use High Laissez passer sharpening. Open up the sharpening panel at the lower right corner of the console. Using the Auto Web Sharpening department, select High Laissez passer as the sharpening method, and then choose the size yous desire for your finished image.

As with most things, we don't want to apply them globally at the same strength throughout the image. In the example of images of the stars we don't typically want to sharpen the nighttime areas of the paradigm or even the gas clouds. Instead, nosotros want the stars to be pin points of low-cal, and are the areas nosotros typically simply want sharpening practical.

Get out from the sharpening, past pressing shut at the top, and enter the Utilise – Arrange – Supersede, so that nosotros tin can modify the mask on the High Laissez passer layer to only effect the stars. Select Mask View, so you can see the mask and apply a Lights mask. Restrict this mask to merely effect the stars in the image, this will probable exist a Lights 3 or 4. When you're done, press close on the Apply – Suit – Replace and you lot are finished.

Nosotros hope that you take establish some useful tips in this tutorial that you can utilize to you lot own images. Experience free to go out us a annotate below.

Source: https://adplumiflow.com/edit-milky-way/

Posted by: sharpsellike.blogspot.com

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