Nik Software Captured: The Complete Guide to Using Nik Software's Photographic Tools (Paperback)

About the Authors vii Introduction xvi About This Book xvii Two Points of View xvii Why This Book and Why Now xviii Conventions Used in This Book xviii Chapter 1: Editing Basics 2 Fundamental Editing Techniques 3 Evaluating an image before editing 3 Planning your edits based on the human visual system 5 Editing Terminology 10 Chapter 2: The Digital Workflow 18 A Basic Workflow 19 Use the correct settings 19 Organize your images 19 Identify images to edit 21 Apply any RAW-based adjustments 22 Apply lens-based enhancements 23 Crop the image 23 Apply noise reduction 25 Do panorama stitching or HDR merging and tone mapping 25 Retouch dust or other imperfections 25 Use Viveza 2 to balance light and color 25 Stylize with Color Efex Pro or Silver Efex Pro 27 Make a final round of clean-up 27 For Photoshop only: Save a master version 27 For Photoshop only: Resize based on output 28 Sharpen based on output 29 For Photoshop only: Save your sharpened working file 29 Print or upload your masterpiece 29 Creating a Custom Workflow 31 Noise reduction 31 Resizing 32 Cropping 32 RAW presharpening versus sharpening 32 Output sharpening 33 Living in the land of 2 percent versus the real world 34 Your Personal Workflow 35 Chapter 3: The Nik Software Editing Environment 36 Differences in Host Applications 37 Adobe Photoshop 37 Adobe Photoshop Elements 39 Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 42 Aperture 43 Standalone Nik Software plug-ins 44 Other Host Applications 45 Which Host Application to Use? 46 Standardized user interface 47 Left pane 47 Top toolbar 48 Right pane 48 Bottom toolbar 48 Image area 50 Batch Processing in Photoshop 50 Chapter 4: UPoint 54 U Point Technology Explained 55 How U Point Technology Works 58 Using Anchor Control Points 61 The Different Uses of U Point Technology 61 What Is Noise? 67 Chapter 5: Dfine 2.0 68 How Dfine 2.0 Works 70 Step 1: Measuring Noise 71 Step 2: Reducing Noise 72 Reducing noise globally and selectively with control points 74 Reducing noise globally and selectively with color ranges 77 Using the Advanced Noise Reduction tools77 Using the Modes Popup Menu to Review the Noise and Selection Masks 82 When to Use Dfine 2.0 to Reduce Noise85 Chapter 6: Viveza 2 88 The Viveza 2 Interface 90 Adding control points 90 Grouping and ungrouping 90 Global and selective indicators 91 Expand and Collapse buttons 92 Enhancement sliders 92 Color picker and Eyedropper tool 94 Control Point List 95 Levels and Curves control 96 Applying Viveza 2 to Your Photographs 97 Working with landscape images98 Working with portrait images103 Chapter 7: HDR Efex Pro 3.0 110 HDR Imaging Explained 111 The two stages of HDR image processing 112 How to Capture and Process the Image Series for Best Results 117 Reducing motion 117 Optimal camera settings 118 Processing a series of images 118 Working with HDR Efex Pro 120 Merging with HDR Efex Pro 120 Alignment and ghost-reduction settings 124 Tone mapping with HDR Efex Pro 128 HDR panoramas 136 Setting up to shoot an HDR panorama 137 Creating the panoramas 137 Create the HDR panorama 139 Chapter 8: Color Efex Pro 4 140 Working with the Filter List and Presets141 Basic Controls144 Taking Advantage of Recipes149 Th e Powerful History Browser151 Example Images and Enhancements152 Example 1: A portrait photo152 Example 2: A landscape photo156 Example 3: An architectural photo159 Chapter 9: Silver Efex Pro 2 162 Creating Amazing Black-and-White Images 163 Working with Silver Efex Pro 2 164 Starting with presets 164 Brightness controls 165 Contrast controls 168 Structure controls 170 Selective Adjustments section 173 Color filters 176 Film types 178 Finishing Adjustm