Short Editing Tutorial using Stellar Studio + Lightroom Mobile
Here's how I edit my astrophotography using just the Stellar Studio and Lightroom Mobile
Step 1:
Open the Dwarflab app and head into your Album where your images are waiting.
Step 2:
Tap into Stellar Studio — this is where the transformation begins.
Step 3:
Inside Stellar Studio, I start with Star Correction to tidy up the stars, followed by Denoise to smooth out the image.
You can watch the progress by tapping TASK in the top-right corner. It takes a moment because the file is being processed in the cloud, but the results are worth the wait.
Step 4:
Once it’s done, go back to TASK and download your freshly processed image. Now it’s ready for the creative part.
Step 5:
Open Lightroom Mobile, tap Gallery at the bottom left, and choose the image you’d like to work on. This is where the colours, contrast, and final touches come to life.
Once your image is in Lightroom Mobile, this is where the real creative fun begins. At the bottom of the screen, you’ll find all the tools you need — sliders for colour, light, texture, sharpness, and so much more. With just a few gentle adjustments, you can make your image come alive: brighten hidden details, add a touch of clarity to the stars, or subtly sharpen the shapes within the nebula.
For Cosmic Calm images, I prefer to keep things soft, natural, and toned down. These aren’t meant to look overly dramatic; they’re meant to feel soothing, atmospheric, and true to the night sky we experienced together. A little goes a long way — sometimes a tiny shift in contrast or colour temperature is all you need.
If you ever feel unsure about the direction to take, you’re not alone. There are countless reference images online that can spark ideas or guide your style. Have a look, experiment, and let your creativity wander. Editing is part technique, part instinct, and part play — so enjoy exploring what feels right for your Cosmic Calm moment.
My Lightroom Mobile workflow
In Lightroom Mobile, tap Edit at the bottom of the screen. This opens a fresh row of tools — your creative toolbox.
Step 1:
We’ll begin with the Light panel, where you shape the overall feel of your image.
I won’t give exact numbers, because every image has its own personality. Instead, think of this step as balancing the story your photo wants to tell. For my Cosmic Calm images, the aim is simple: bring out enough detail to reveal the beauty of the scene, keep the highlights bright without blowing them out, and let the shadows stay dark without swallowing the delicate structure of the nebula.
You’re not hunting for perfection — you’re guiding the image into the atmosphere you want it to have. Take your time, adjust gently, and let the details emerge naturally.
Step 2:
Next, move over to the Colour panel. This is where your image starts to breathe a little more life. The two sliders I use the most here are Vibrance and Saturation — but they behave very differently.
I personally lean towards Vibrance. It gently boosts the colours that are naturally more muted, giving the image a richer feel without overpowering it. Think of it as a subtle enhancement that respects the balance of the scene.
Saturation, on the other hand, turns everything up at once. It boosts all colours equally, which can quickly make the image look too intense or unnatural if you’re not careful.
For Cosmic Calm images, I like keeping things tasteful and atmospheric, so Vibrance is usually my go-to.
Step 3:
Next up is the Detail panel — where we handle sharpening, noise reduction, and colour noise.
When it comes to sharpening, a little goes a long way at this stage. I won’t give exact numbers because every image behaves differently, but this is the place to start refining the edges and bringing out subtle textures. Once you move the sharpening slider, a few additional options appear. The ones I focus on most are Amount, Radius, and Masking.
Radius controls how wide the sharpening effect spreads around edges. I usually keep it low — in this example, I used +0.70.
Amount determines the overall strength of the sharpening. You decide this by observing how it affects your image; subtlety is key.
Masking is particularly powerful. It lets you control where the sharpening is applied. If the slider is at 0, sharpening is applied across the whole image, which can sometimes introduce unwanted noise. As you move it up, sharpening is gradually limited to the areas that need it most — edges and details — leaving smoother areas untouched. The higher you go, the more selective the effect becomes, helping you enhance detail without adding extra noise. This stage is all about finesse — sharpening enough to make your image pop while keeping it clean and natural.
Step 4:
Next, we move to the Effects panel. Here you’ll find three sliders: Texture, Clarity, and Dehaze — plus the Grain slider.
I usually focus on Texture and Clarity first. I turn the Texture slider down quite a lot. This may seem unusual, but it makes a big difference for the stars. Adding too much texture can make the stars dominate the scene, overpowering the delicate nebula details. Reducing texture keeps the stars present but balanced, allowing the nebula to shine through.
Then I add a gentle touch of Clarity. This brings out subtle details and contrast, giving the image a little more definition while maintaining a soft, atmospheric feel. The combination of low texture and light clarity creates a beautiful balance between crisp stars and smooth nebulae — exactly the mood I aim for in Cosmic Calm images.
Finally, I add a small amount of Grain. This isn’t about fixing anything — it’s a creative choice. A little grain gives the image a natural, organic feel and adds texture in a subtle way. As a professional photographer, it’s a simple trick to make the image feel more alive and artistic, enhancing the overall aesthetic without overpowering it.
Step 5:
Finally I did a simply crop with the crop tool and I'm now very pleased with my image.
Final Note
Please keep in mind that these steps reflect my personal workflow and how I like to edit my Cosmic Calm images. I know there are more advanced methods and software out there, especially for astrophotography, but my goal is simple: to create beautiful final images that people at my Cosmic Calm events can enjoy.
I hope this guide inspires you and helps you bring out the best in your own photos, giving you results you’re proud of — all using just your mobile device. Editing should be fun, creative, and personal, so take these steps as a starting point and make them your own!