My decade-long wait for a clear shot of the Milky Way core has me torn on processing ethics.

Some say patient, unedited captures are PURER, while others argue that stacking and editing reveal beauty we'd otherwise miss. What's your take on where to draw the line?

2 comments

2 Comments

patriciab8712h ago

Define what "pure" even means when our eyes can't see the Milky Way that clearly anyway. Stacking techniques just amplify what's already there, don't they? Where do we separate enhancement from fabrication? Is the ethical line crossed when we add data that wasn't captured or when we merely make the existing signal visible? After a decade, what feels more honest to you, the single shot or the processed composite?

maxt9512h ago

Totally get that purity is a weird standard when even our eyes do post-processing. Stacking just fights sensor noise, but once we start color grading or using synthetic data, we're making aesthetic choices, not revealing truth. Honestly, the single shot feels more like a document, but the composite is closer to the emotional experience of being there.