Using the Nik Collection

[Ruidoso Bill]

I have been using Topaz plugins for years, Think I have 4 of them now but to purchase more will cost me as much as the NIK collection so think I'll give it a test drive this weekend. Always gotta look at the best bang for the buck.

 

[Don Kuykendall_RIP]

The nice thing about Nik is it is all there to start with. They recently added a new module and did not even mention it. It just showed up in the collection for everyone.

 

[jrleo33]

I use Lightroom 4.4, and it does provide a great deal of latitude between highlights and shadow recovery, but after watching a (1) hour video on NIX, I like what I see. So it seems, when shooting RAW and processing in Lightroom, one is able to refine the image as much as possible, and then open this image in NIX for further refinement?
The other question, on my D600, I can shoot of series of either (3) or (5) JPEG images at different exposures, and from Lightroom, merge these images into NIX for processing?
Thanks for any help.
John

 

[Don Kuykendall_RIP]

I use Lightroom 4.4, and it does provide a great deal of latitude between highlights and shadow recovery, but after watching a (1) hour video on NIX, I like what I see. So it seems, when shooting RAW and processing in Lightroom, one is able to refine the image as much as possible, and then open this image in NIX for further refinement?
The other question, on my D600, I can shoot of series of either (3) or (5) JPEG images at different exposures, and from Lightroom, merge these images into NIX for processing?
Thanks for any help.
John

"open this image in NIX for further refinement? " Yes

" shoot of series of either (3) or (5) JPEG images at different exposures, and from Lightroom, merge these images into NIX for processing?" I don't use Lightroom so I can't answer that but I pull mine into Photoshop and then do all my HDR work there using NIK.

 

[WhiteLight]

You have to share with the class what you did with Nik to get the shot.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2

Sorry.. i didn't realize.
These are older pics, so don't really remember exactly what i did with them, but i think i can take look in the system to get an idea at least.
Just stepped out, will get home & update the posts individually.
Sorry about it & thanks for the update [MENTION=6277]Don Kuykendall[/MENTION]

 

[Don Kuykendall_RIP]

Sorry.. i didn't realize.
These are older pics, so don't really remember exactly what i did with them, but i think i can take look in the system to get an idea at least.
Just stepped out, will get home & update the posts individually.
Sorry about it & thanks for the update @Don Kuykendall

Not meant as a admonishment just interested in how people use NIK. I don't always remember how I get the results I get either. What I find most interesting in the workflow that different people use to get more or less the same results. I think with enough of us using and sharing we can all learn.

 

[Moab Man]

Shot this of the Ogden Train Station upper hall. The building is 100 years old and was a player in the development of the west. A number of those early pioneers worked and died here and supposedly still haunt the premises.

I felt it just didn't have the look I wanted with its haunting history. Opened up Nik Tools, Analog Efex Pro, and added Vintage Camera 7 filter to give the picture some age.

​There were a number of other filters that could be applied, but I liked this one.

 

[Deezey]

I just downloaded the Nik Tools a few hours ago. They really are an amazing addition to my workflow.

Now I am off to watch more videos!

 

[Ironwood]

Here is one I was playing around with, I used Color Efex Pro 4, preset called Infared Film.

Original

​Version

 

[Ironwood]

I did this one a while ago using the NIK tools, I dont remember how I did it though.

Original

Version

 

[BackdoorArts]

I use Lightroom 4.4, and it does provide a great deal of latitude between highlights and shadow recovery, but after watching a (1) hour video on NIX, I like what I see. So it seems, when shooting RAW and processing in Lightroom, one is able to refine the image as much as possible, and then open this image in NIX for further refinement?
The other question, on my D600, I can shoot of series of either (3) or (5) JPEG images at different exposures, and from Lightroom, merge these images into NIX for processing?
Thanks for any help.
John

John,

You can integrate the Nik tools at any point in your workflow. If you're used to Lightroom you can do as much processing as you like in there and then, if you feel more work needs to be done, send it to one or more of the Nik tools.

One very important point about using the Nik Collection with Lightroom is that Nik does not work with RAW files, so when you send a photo into one of the tools it will convert it either to a Tiff or a PSD file (your choice, Tiff is the default). This file will get added to your Library when you're done, so you now have 2 files. If you then make additional LR adjustments prior to sending it to another Nik tool then it will give you the option of sending the original or sending a copy with LR adjustments. Since you've made changes you're going to want to send the copy, in which case you now have a 3rd copy of the image when it comes back. This can make for a crowded library, and can consume space very quickly, so remember to delete the in-progress files when you're done. PS makes things easier by doing each copy in a new layer (you can also select to do it destructively in the current layer). Your file size increases with each layer, but it's easier to manage since it's all in the same place and you can simply flatten the image or delete unneeded layers when you're done.

As for the merging of bracketed images in an HDR series, yes, that's what HRD Efex Pro 2 does. I would strongly recommend that you do this with RAW images (Nik will convert them to Tiffs on the way in) as the amount of light information available is much higher than with their JPEG counterparts.

 

[BackdoorArts]

Shot this of the Ogden Train Station upper hall. The building is 100 years old and was a player in the development of the west. A number of those early pioneers worked and died here and supposedly still haunt the premises.

View attachment 61926

I felt it just didn't have the look I wanted with its haunting history. Opened up Nik Tools, Analog Efex Pro, and added Vintage Camera 7 filter to give the picture some age.

View attachment 61927

​There were a number of other filters that could be applied, but I liked this one.

I am really liking what Analog Efex Pro can do to lend emotion to certain images. I like what it's done in your image, though personally I'm not a huge fan of the digital-photo-as-old-print thing when it's not being used in a specific setting. Using your example, I really like the way the film effect altered the look of the bricks and floor, and as a photo alone would have personally removed the frame and light-leak components. That said, if this were used to illustrate a story about the place it was shot then the other components can really add to the feeling the photo is meant to bring.

And just so I'm clear, this is not a knock of what you've done but more an explanation of the wonderful flexibility available in this set of filters. Save this as a Smart Layer in your PS document and you can go back in and toggle the light leak and frame components on and off for each use as you see fit (though it should be noted that Smart Layers make for big files).

Love both versions of the photo, btw.

 

[hark]

Save this as a Smart Layer in your PS document and you can go back in and toggle the light leak and frame components on and off for each use as you see fit (though it should be noted that Smart Layers make for big files).

Love both versions of the photo, btw.

*Chuckle*

So this must be a nightmare for D800 files, yes?!!

 

[BackdoorArts]

Just curious, is there a way we can turn off the "Copyright Protection" in this thread? If I'm going to be posting full-res images from Flickr so people can look at the real results of the editing it would be good for them to actually be able to look at them. As linked they will only display at screen size and you get a copyright notice when you try and right-click. If not I will instead post 1000px images here and a link to the full res image on Flickr.

 

[BackdoorArts]

*Chuckle*

So this must be a nightmare for D800 files, yes?!!

Actually, it depends on how you invoke them. It's possible to stack the filters in a single smart layer, in which case you only incur the overhead once. Truth is, this is something I didn't realize until I tested it for the purposes of this post. I can stack all invocations of Nik in a single smart object and only incur the overhead once.

As you can see here, I've created on Smart Object that carries information from 5 different calls to various Nik Collection tools. At the bottom left you can see that the image has doubled in size from the original call. Double-clicking on any one of those calls to a Nik Tool will open the filter at the point at which it was invoked and allow you to tweak the settings. You can only see changes to the image at that point in the edit stream while editing, and not the additional effects that were applied over top, but PS will reapply each of the new tools in order once you are done (this can be time consuming).

The nice thing is, you can flatten everything when you're done, and until then you have a non-destructive workflow that is ultimately tweakable at the cost of one additional layer.

So I retract my earlier statements. I believe that had to do with invoking Nik as a Smart Object directly from Lightroom. It behaves much better in PS.

In other words, I believe you have just helped me enhance my work flow.

 

[BackdoorArts]

Perhaps I should better explain the image above. If you look in the Layers palate you will see a Smart Filter layer with a list of Nik Tools underneath. These filters are listed top-to-bottom with the most recently used filter listed at the top. So, if I were to double-click on Analog Efex Pro it will bring up the image precisely how it looked when I got out of Analog Efex, with those setting intact. So I will be working on it as if I had just come out of Viveza 2 and you will not see any of the work done in Color Efex Pro 4 or Sharpener Pro. Once I am finished making the adjustments Photoshop will automatically reapply the edits in the filters above it in order to the newly changed image. This can take some significant time depending on the amount of work I did in the other programs.

I should note here that I invoked Color Efex Pro 4 twice. I didn't have to do that and I could have stacked the filters within a single call to Color Efex Pro 4. This was just a hurried garbage edit to produce an illustration (and reset my own memory).

 

[Scott Murray]

*Chuckle*

So this must be a nightmare for D800 files, yes?!!

Not on my u-beaut 27inch iMac

 

[Horoscope Fish]

Does the Nik Collection come on a disc rather than a download? I don't see anything for it. If it doesn't, how many computers will it work on? I don't normally download software so I'm not sure how the process works. After downloading, do you save the folder and transfer it to another computer, or do you download it for each computer and use some type of key for activation (*if* it can be used on more than one computer).

Would someone please explain if the Nik Collection can be installed on more than one computer, and if so, do you download to each computer, or do you download it once and transfer it? Thanks for any info!

I just recently downloaded and installed Nik Tools and once paid for it had me download the installer file which I could have copied to a CD, DVD or what have you. Surprisingly, there was no activation code or registration required for installing; I have my copy of Nik tools installed on three computers at the moment.

Personally, I keep all downloaded software installer files in a separate folder on my computer along with any order confirmation or registration type emails associated with the purchase.


......

 

[hark]

Actually, it depends on how you invoke them. It's possible to stack the filters in a single smart layer, in which case you only incur the overhead once. Truth is, this is something I didn't realize until I tested it for the purposes of this post. I can stack all invocations of Nik in a single smart object and only incur the overhead once.

As you can see here, I've created on Smart Object that carries information from 5 different calls to various Nik Collection tools. At the bottom left you can see that the image has doubled in size from the original call. Double-clicking on any one of those calls to a Nik Tool will open the filter at the point at which it was invoked and allow you to tweak the settings. You can only see changes to the image at that point in the edit stream while editing, and not the additional effects that were applied over top, but PS will reapply each of the new tools in order once you are done (this can be time consuming).

The nice thing is, you can flatten everything when you're done, and until then you have a non-destructive workflow that is ultimately tweakable at the cost of one additional layer.

So I retract my earlier statements. I believe that had to do with invoking Nik as a Smart Object directly from Lightroom. It behaves much better in PS.

In other words, I believe you have just helped me enhance my work flow.

I will have to watch some YouTube videos on how this program works. I am totally lost by your explanation, but I also don't have PS (just PSE). Terminology such as single smart layer and smart object leave me clueless, but I don't mean to imply your explanation is flawed. *I* need to educate myself further on how this stuff works so it isn't on your end (and I read the 2nd response you posted, too)!

In other words, I believe you have just helped me enhance my work flow.

Umm okay. If you say so (as I sit here scratching my head because everything just went right over it)! :highly_amused: Lol!

 

[hark]

I just recently downloaded and installed Nik Tools and once paid for it had me download the installer file which I could have copied to a CD, DVD or what have you. Surprisingly, there was no activation code or registration required for installing; I have my copy of Nik tools installed on three computers at the moment.

Personally, I keep all downloaded software installer files in a separate folder on my computer along with any order confirmation or registration type emails associated with the purchase.


......

Thanks, Horoscope Fish! Good to know!