Astrophotography isn’t your average hobby. It’s technical, time-consuming, and incredibly rewarding—if you have the right tools. Joshua McBride, an ON1 Photo RAW user and passionate astrophotographer, spends his nights capturing galaxies, nebulae, and other wonders of the universe. After trying just about every editing program out there, he landed on ON1 Photo RAW as the best choice in photo editing software for getting the most out of his images.

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From Skydiving to Stargazing

Joshua’s photography journey goes back over 20 years. He started with basic astro gear—a Meade ETX125 telescope, a Meade DSI-Pro camera, and an f/3.3 focal reducer. “I got some decent results,” he says, “but it was just too time-consuming back then.”

Life got busy after college with new hobbies like skydiving, flying RC aircraft, and eventually raising two daughters. “As life slowed down, we started RVing as a family. That’s when I looked up again,” Joshua says.

He returned to astrophotography with a Sony A6000 and a 135mm f/2 lens, later upgrading to a 300mm lens, guide camera, and the ZWO ASI183MC Pro cooled astro camera. His setup also includes an iOptron CEM25P equatorial mount, Celestron 6” SCT, and ASIAIR for remote imaging control.

Why Deep Space Objects Are His Focus

For Joshua, deep space photography offers a unique mix of difficulty, creativity, and meaning.

“I’ve always been drawn to challenges—and astrophotography is the most challenging type of photography there is,” he says. “But it’s also peaceful. Being out under the stars, capturing light that’s traveled millions of years… it’s a spiritual experience. It connects me with God’s creation.”

Joshua’s Gear and Photo Editing Workflow

Each image Joshua creates starts with several nights of shooting and hundreds of long exposures, typically between 1 to 2 minutes each, which he stacks using Siril. After stacking, he removes gradients in Seti Astro Suite, reduces noise with Graxpert, and uses Starnet++ to separate the stars from the nebula or galaxy.

From there, the files are stretched and exported as three separate 16-bit TIFFs, each with different sigma stretches (10%, 20%, and 30%). “These give me highlight, midtone, and shadow data to work with,” he says. He also saves a stars-only image as a separate layer.

Then it’s time to open ON1 Photo RAW.

“I bring all of those files into ON1 and stack them as layers. The bottom layer is the 30% stretch (shadows), then 20% (mids), then 10% (highlights), with the stars-only layer on top set to ‘screen’ blend mode,” he explains.

“ON1’s non-destructive workflow is a game changer. I can turn layers on and off and try different adjustments without ever damaging the original data.”

Joshua starts with the HDR tool to combine the exposures and then moves into tone and color correction using Curves, Color Enhancer, Dynamic Contrast, and Edit Color. He uses masking and blending options to apply effects selectively—often targeting specific wavelengths like Hydrogen Alpha.

He adds, “Being able to apply an effect to just a certain color range, or protect the shadows and highlights with blending options, gives me very fine control. Each object in the sky is different, and ON1 helps me bring out what’s special in each one.”

Color-enhanced image of the Heart Nebula (IC 1805) edited using ON1 Photo RAW, showcasing detailed hydrogen emission regions

What Makes ON1 Photo RAW Stand Out

Joshua has tried just about everything—Adobe, PixInsight, AstroPixelProcessor, Affinity, Corel, and more. None of them measured up to ON1.

“The first thing I noticed was how much better ON1 handles color,” he says. “Then I found out how powerful the layering, masking, and blending tools are. I get better results in less time—and the tools actually fit the way I work.”

He also appreciates how ON1 helps him speed up his workflow without compromising quality. “I often begin editing before I’ve collected all the exposures. Later, I can bring in new data, copy the layers and effects, and just keep refining. It saves so much time.”

Using the Color Enhancer tool in ON1 Photo RAW to adjust Hydrogen Alpha hues in a deep space photo

Favorite ON1 Photo RAW Tools for Astrophotography

  • ON1 NoNoise AI – “It enhances the fine details without adding grain. I use it on every image now.”
  • HDR Tool – “I combine multiple stretches to get the best dynamic range possible. ON1 makes this part quick and smooth.”
  • Color Enhancer + Edit Color – “Being able to target and boost specific colors—like Hydrogen Alpha reds—really makes the photo pop.”
  • Layer Masks + Blending Options – “The control is incredible. I can apply effects exactly where I want them and protect highlights or shadows.”

Before and after comparison using ON1 NoNoise AI on a stacked astro image showing reduced noise and improved detail

His Advice for Other Astrophotographers

Joshua encourages other astrophotographers to keep exploring—not just the sky, but their editing tools too.

“Don’t stick with software just because it’s popular. A lot of those tools are outdated or overly complex. ON1 gives me full creative control and a better experience.”

“Better image processing can make up for equipment limitations. Your editing tool matters as much as your telescope or camera.”

Astrophotography image of two interacting galaxies edited in ON1 Photo RAW, highlighting color contrast and deep space detail

Where ON1 Fits in the Astro Community

Joshua believes ON1 Photo RAW has a lot of potential in the astrophotography world. “If ON1 added even more tools specifically for astrophotography—especially AI-based ones—I think the community would be all over it,” he says.

“There’s a need for modern, intuitive editing software that still delivers pro results. ON1 already checks most of those boxes.”

High-resolution close-up photo of the moon’s surface edited in ON1 Photo RAW, showing detailed craters and surface texture

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is ON1 Photo RAW used for in astrophotography?
    ON1 Photo RAW is used to fine-tune stacked astro images. It’s especially useful for enhancing color, controlling contrast, managing layers and masks, and reducing noise using AI tools.
  • Why do astrophotographers use multiple layers in editing?
    Astrophotographers often stretch different parts of the image separately—shadows, midtones, and highlights—and blend them using layers to achieve high dynamic range results.
  • Can ON1 Photo RAW replace tools like PixInsight or AstroPixelProcessor?
    ON1 Photo RAW is not designed for stacking or calibration like PixInsight or APP, but it’s a powerful post-processing tool many astrophotographers use after stacking their data.
  • Does ON1 Photo RAW work with FITS files or only TIFFs?
    ON1 Photo RAW doesn’t support FITS files directly. Most users export 16-bit or 32-bit TIFFs from tools like Siril or PixInsight before editing in ON1.
  • Is ON1 Photo RAW good for color control in astro images?
    Yes. ON1 has excellent tools for color enhancement, masking, and blending that allow astrophotographers to isolate and boost specific wavelengths like Hydrogen Alpha.

See Joshua McBride’s Work

Want to see the results for yourself? Check out Joshua’s latest image of the Horsehead and Flame Nebula here.

Try ON1 Photo RAW Today

If you’re ready to bring pro-level style and control to your astrophotography photo edits, ON1 Photo RAW is the ultimate photo editing software in 2025. It’s fast, flexible, and built by photographers, for photographers. Try the free trial today and see the difference it makes in your workflow.

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