Milky Way over Lake Ontario

Last night I decided to go for a walk before going to bed. Naturally I brought my camera along to take some pictures of the night sky over the lake. Even with the heavy haze and light pollution from both The Golden Horseshoe and Rochester,NY, I got some pleasing results.

Settings and Processing: 18mm f3.5 3min45sec total stacked from 15x 15sec at 1600ISO and 2 dark frames, stacked with DeepSkyStacker 3.3.2, processed in RawTherapee 4.2.238 and Gimp 2.8.

Rawtherapee Profile for Nikon D3200

I've been using Rawtherapee to develop my Nikon D3200's .NEF raw files for a few months now, but I've never quite got the same results as the off the camera jpegs. That is until now!

I've decided to bite the bullet and spend some time trying my best to create a profile within Rawtherapee that most closely approximates the great results I get straight from the camera on properly exposed photos. So here are my results (click for full resolution 6000x4000):

First the camera processed jpeg (top) vs Rawtherapee's "Default"  (bottom) profile:

The camera processed jpeg (top) vs my best attempt (bottom):

The camera processed jpeg (top) vs the my profile plus some tone mapping (bottom):

Below is the contents of the pp3 file (wordpress won't allow for non media files to be uploaded...). You must change the  "LCPFile=" parameters (I've highlighted it  in red) to fit the directory where you keep your lens correction files.

[Version] AppVersion=4.2.208 Version=323

[General] Rank=0 ColorLabel=0 InTrash=false

[Exposure] Auto=false Clip=0.02 Compensation=0 Brightness=0 Contrast=0 Saturation=0 Black=500 HighlightCompr=0 HighlightComprThreshold=0 ShadowCompr=50 CurveMode=Standard CurveMode2=Standard Curve=1;0;0;1;1; Curve2=0;

[HLRecovery] Enabled=true Method=Color

[Channel Mixer] Red=100;0;0; Green=0;100;0; Blue=0;0;100;

[Black & White] Enabled=false Method=Desaturation Auto=false ComplementaryColors=true Setting=NormalContrast Filter=None MixerRed=43 MixerOrange=33 MixerYellow=33 MixerGreen=33 MixerCyan=33 MixerBlue=30 MixerMagenta=33 MixerPurple=33 GammaRed=0 GammaGreen=0 GammaBlue=0 Algorithm=SP LuminanceCurve=0; BeforeCurveMode=Standard AfterCurveMode=Standard BeforeCurve=0; AfterCurve=0;

[Luminance Curve] Brightness=0 Contrast=0 Chromaticity=0 AvoidColorShift=false RedAndSkinTonesProtection=0 LCredsk=true LCurve=0; aCurve=0; bCurve=0; ccCurve=0; chCurve=0; lhCurve=0; hhCurve=0; LcCurve=0; ClCurve=0;

[Sharpening] Enabled=true Method=usm Radius=0.90000000000000002 Amount=250 Threshold=20;80;2000;1200; OnlyEdges=false EdgedetectionRadius=1.8999999999999999 EdgeTolerance=1800 HalocontrolEnabled=false HalocontrolAmount=85 DeconvRadius=0.75 DeconvAmount=75 DeconvDamping=20 DeconvIterations=30

[Vibrance] Enabled=true Pastels=40 Saturated=40 PSThreshold=0;75; ProtectSkins=false AvoidColorShift=true PastSatTog=true SkinTonesCurve=0;

[SharpenEdge] Enabled=false Passes=2 Strength=50 ThreeChannels=false

[SharpenMicro] Enabled=false Matrix=false Strength=20 Uniformity=50

[White Balance] Setting=Camera Temperature=5848 Green=1.089 Equal=1

[Color appearance] Enabled=true Degree=83 AutoDegree=true Surround=Average AdaptLum=16 Badpixsl=0 Model=RawT Algorithm=ALL J-Light=0 Q-Bright=0 C-Chroma=0 S-Chroma=0 M-Chroma=15 J-Contrast=25 Q-Contrast=25 H-Hue=0 RSTProtection=0 AdaptScene=3.6749999999999998 AutoAdapscen=true SurrSource=false Gamut=true Datacie=false Tonecie=false CurveMode=Lightness CurveMode2=Lightness CurveMode3=Chroma Curve=0; Curve2=0; Curve3=0;

[Impulse Denoising] Enabled=false Threshold=50

[Defringing] Enabled=false Radius=2 Threshold=13 HueCurve=1;0.16666666699999999;0;0.34999999999999998;0.34999999999999998;0.34699999999999998;0;0.34999999999999998;0.34999999999999998;0.51366742600000004;0;0.34999999999999998;0.34999999999999998;0.66894457100000004;0;0.34999999999999998;0.34999999999999998;0.82877752459999998;0.97835991;0.34999999999999998;0.34999999999999998;0.99088838270000001;0;0.34999999999999998;0.34999999999999998;

[Directional Pyramid Denoising] Enabled=true Enhance=false Median=true Auto=false Luma=0 Ldetail=50 Chroma=20.73 Method=Lab LMethod=SLI CMethod=MAN C2Method=AUTO SMethod=shal MedMethod=33 RGBMethod=soft MethodMed=Lab Redchro=9.1999999999999993 Bluechro=-3.2999999999999998 Gamma=1.7 Passes=1 LCurve=1;0.050000000000000003;0.5;0.34999999999999998;0.34999999999999998;0.55000000000000004;0.040000000000000001;0.34999999999999998;0.34999999999999998; CCCurve=1;0.050000000000000003;0.5;0.34999999999999998;0.34999999999999998;0.34999999999999998;0.050000000000000003;0.34999999999999998;0.34999999999999998;

[EPD] Enabled=false Strength=0.5 Gamma=1 EdgeStopping=1.3999999999999999 Scale=0.29999999999999999 ReweightingIterates=0

[Shadows & Highlights] Enabled=true HighQuality=false Highlights=0 HighlightTonalWidth=80 Shadows=0 ShadowTonalWidth=80 LocalContrast=0 Radius=40

[Crop] Enabled=false X=0 Y=0 W=6026 H=4004 FixedRatio=false Ratio=3:2 Orientation=Landscape Guide=Rule of thirds

[Coarse Transformation] Rotate=0 HorizontalFlip=false VerticalFlip=false

[Common Properties for Transformations] AutoFill=true

[Rotation] Degree=0

[Distortion] Amount=0

[LensProfile] LCPFile=--whatever-dirctory-you-use--\\Nikkor_18-55mm_f3.5-f5.6.lcp UseDistortion=true UseVignette=true UseCA=false

[Perspective] Horizontal=0 Vertical=0

[Gradient] Enabled=false Degree=0 Feather=25 Strength=0.59999999999999998 CenterX=0 CenterY=0

[PCVignette] Enabled=false Strength=0.59999999999999998 Feather=50 Roundness=50

[CACorrection] Red=0 Blue=0

[Vignetting Correction] Amount=0 Radius=50 Strength=1 CenterX=0 CenterY=0

[Resize] Enabled=false Scale=0.14999999999999999 AppliesTo=Cropped area Method=Lanczos DataSpecified=3 Width=900 Height=900

[Color Management] InputProfile=(camera) ToneCurve=false BlendCMSMatrix=false DCPIlluminant=0 WorkingProfile=ProPhoto OutputProfile=RT_sRGB Gammafree=default Freegamma=false GammaValue=2.2200000000000002 GammaSlope=4.5

[Wavelet] Enabled=false Strength=100 Balance=0 Iter=0 MaxLev=7 TilesMethod=full DaubMethod=4_ ChoiceLevMethod=all BackMethod=grey LevMethod=4 DirMethod=all Contrast1=0 Contrast2=0 Contrast3=0 Contrast4=0 Contrast5=0 Contrast6=0 Contrast7=0 Contrast8=0 Contrast9=0 Chroma1=0 Chroma2=0 Chroma3=0 Chroma4=0 Chroma5=0 Chroma6=0 Chroma7=0 Chroma8=0 Chroma9=0 ContExtra=0 HSMethod=with HLRange=50;75;100;98; SHRange=0;2;50;25; Edgcont=0;0;0;0; Level0noise=0;0; Level1noise=0;0; Level2noise=0;0; ThresholdHighlight=5 ThresholdShadow=4 Edgedetect=80 Edgedetectthr=20 EdgedetectthrHi=0 ThresholdChroma=5 CHromaMethod=without Medgreinf=none CHSLromaMethod=SL EDMethod=CU BAMethod=none TMMethod=tm ChromaLink=0 ContrastCurve=1;0;0.25;0.34999999999999998;0.34999999999999998;0.5;0.75;0.34999999999999998;0.34999999999999998;0.90000000000000002;0;0.34999999999999998;0.34999999999999998; Pastlev=0;2;30;20; Satlev=30;45;130;100; OpacityCurveRG=1;0;0.5;0.34999999999999998;0.34999999999999998;1;0.5;0.34999999999999998;0.34999999999999998; OpacityCurveBY=1;0;0.5;0.34999999999999998;0.34999999999999998;1;0.5;0.34999999999999998;0.34999999999999998; OpacityCurveW=1;0;0.34999999999999998;0.34999999999999998;0;0.34999999999999998;0.75;0.34999999999999998;0.34999999999999998;0.59999999999999998;0.75;0.34999999999999998;0.34999999999999998;1;0.34999999999999998;0;0; OpacityCurveWL=1;0;0.5;0.34999999999999998;0.34999999999999998;1;0.5;0.34999999999999998;0.34999999999999998; HHcurve=0; CHcurve=0; WavclCurve=0; Median=false Medianlev=false Linkedg=true Lipst=false Skinprotect=0 Hueskin=-5;25;170;120; Edgrad=15 Edgval=0 ThrEdg=10 AvoidColorShift=false TMr=false ResidualcontShadow=0 ResidualcontHighlight=0 ThresholdResidShadow=35 ThresholdResidHighLight=65 Residualchroma=0 ResidualTM=0 Residualgamma=1 HueRangeResidual=0 HueRange=-260;-250;-130;-140; Contrast=0

[Directional Pyramid Equalizer] Enabled=true Gamutlab=false Mult0=1.3 Mult1=1.25 Mult2=1.2 Mult3=1.1499999999999999 Mult4=1.1000000000000001 Mult5=1.05 Threshold=0.20000000000000001 Skinprotect=0 Hueskin=-5;25;170;120;

[HSV Equalizer] HCurve=0; SCurve=0; VCurve=0;

[Film Simulation] Enabled=false ClutFilename= Strength=100

[RGB Curves] LumaMode=false rCurve=0; gCurve=0; bCurve=0;

[ColorToning] Enabled=false Method=Lab Lumamode=true Twocolor=Std Redlow=0 Greenlow=0 Bluelow=0 Satlow=0 Balance=0 Sathigh=0 Redmed=0 Greenmed=0 Bluemed=0 Redhigh=0 Greenhigh=0 Bluehigh=0 Autosat=true OpacityCurve=1;0;0.29999999999999999;0.34999999999999998;0;0.25;0.80000000000000004;0.34999999999999998;0.34999999999999998;0.69999999999999996;0.80000000000000004;0.34999999999999998;0.34999999999999998;1;0.29999999999999999;0;0; ColorCurve=1;0.050000000000000003;0.62;0.25;0.25;0.58499999999999996;0.11;0.25;0.25; SatProtectionThreshold=0 SaturatedOpacity=0 Strength=50 HighlightsColorSaturation=60;80; ShadowsColorSaturation=80;208; ClCurve=3;0;0;0.34999999999999998;0.65000000000000002;1;1; Cl2Curve=3;0;0;0.34999999999999998;0.65000000000000002;1;1;

[RAW] DarkFrame= DarkFrameAuto=false FlatFieldFile= FlatFieldAutoSelect=false FlatFieldBlurRadius=32 FlatFieldBlurType=Area Flatfield FlatFieldAutoClipControl=false FlatFieldClipControl=false CA=true CARed=0 CABlue=0 HotPixelFilter=true DeadPixelFilter=true HotDeadPixelThresh=100 PreExposure=1 PrePreserv=0

[RAW Bayer] Method=lmmse CcSteps=0 PreBlack0=0 PreBlack1=0 PreBlack2=0 PreBlack3=0 PreTwoGreen=true LineDenoise=0 GreenEqThreshold=0 DCBIterations=2 DCBEnhance=true LMMSEIterations=2

[RAW X-Trans] Method=3-pass (best) CcSteps=0 PreBlackRed=0 PreBlackGreen=0 PreBlackBlue=0

I hope you find this helpful and let me know if it works for your pictures!