M45, the Pleiades star cluster, in a series of exposures to test stacking images with HDR techniques. I shot the cluster in a

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M45, the Pleiades star cluster, in a series of exposures to test stacking images with HDR techniques. I shot the cluster in a series of 1, 2, 4, and 8 minute exposures, four of each exposure, all using the Nikon D750 and 92mm TMB refractor. A set of 1,2,4, and 8 minute exposures was stacked in Camera Raw using its HDR mode to create a new merged DNG file. I did this for four sets of 1 to 8 minute exposures, then processed each of the HDR stacks with Shadows and Highlights in ACR to bring out faint detail but retain detail in the bright core. Each of the 4 HDR stacks was then mean combined stacked in Photoshop and processed with Curves, S&H, B&C etc. So in total this is a stack of 16 images, 4 each x 1, 2, 4, and 8 minutes. Diffraction spikes added in Photoshop with Astronomy Tools actions.

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Size: 5400px × 3597px
Photo credit: © Alan Dyer / VWPics / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: 1, 2, 4, 8, 92mm, acr, astronomy, cam, cluster, contellations, d750, exposure, exposures, hdr, images, m45, messier, minute, night, nikon, nocturnal, pleiades, pliades, refractor., series, set, shot, sky, stacked, stacking, star, stars, techniques., test, tmb