Mono Lake Milky Way RAW file
Critique Style Requested: Standard
The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
I had a problem with the f-stop on my lens and did not realize I had to change it on the lens until after the shoot, so I did not have it wide open.
Specific Feedback
General feedback, especially regarding how to process a night shot like this.
Technical Details
Sony a7iv with a Sony FE 1.8/14 GM lens on a tripod. ISO 3200, f/3.5, 25 sec.
Processed in LR and PS using luminosity masking to edit the color. I was trying to lessen the cyan and magenta tones near the horizon. I also tried dodging the stars to increase their brightness.
You have a good starting image here! There is sone distortion in the stars, especially in the corners, but that is to be expected of all but 1-2 lenses – pinpoint light is just a problem that is too difficult/expensive to design out except for specialty lenses. Yours looks like one the better normal-use ones. It is also normal to have an underexposed raw file, in order to avoid star movement. I doubt that stopping down here cost you a lot.
I think the blues are too strong in the processed file, and the distant mountains are much flatter than they could be. Here’s a quick trial, with better results obtained by doing the two adjustments on the raw file (virtual copies), then open both as layers in PS and mask.
The only part of the curve that counts is the part overlaying the histogram, so this is a crude attempt. Denoise will help due to the necessary underexposure.
I love the muted and blurred reflections in the water on this one. I ran this through my workflow real quick. I used Lightroom to create a mask for the sky and added to the mask for reflection in the water. Reflections are always darker and more saturated than what is reflected so I usually try to edit them at the same time to maintain the proper balance there. I brought the exposure up, brought up the whites and took down the blacks. Then I used the tone curve in the whole image. I Tend to slide the darkest part of the curve up a bit and then about halfway to the right side I bring that up a bit more. Then I ran it through the Ministars action in Photoshop to reduce the appearance of the brightest stars. This really accentuates the core, which is not for everyone, but is what I like! I am jealous of the relative lack of noise compared to my images on the Nikon D850. I stack to reduce noise, which would help this image a bit, but isnt really required. I suspect your exposure time is just a tad too long for perfect spot stars and as you mentioned, it would be a lot lighter if you’d shot it at 1.8 or 2.
