We all know just how much I love the Nik Software Complete Collection of Lightroom and Photoshop plug-ins.  So, it goes without saying that I’m stoked about Nik’s announcement that Silver Efex Pro 2 has landed and will begin shipping in February.  Yeah, I said it didn’t need to be said and then I went right ahead and said it.

If you enjoy black and white photography but haven’t quite mastered the conversion process, Nik’s Silver Efex Pro makes it easy to achieve outstanding results with minimal effort.  You can read my short review of the original Silver Efex Pro on the Moab Photo Workshops website.  As much as I love version 1, it appears that version 2 will offer even more options for creative conversions.

Here’s a short list of new features in Silver Efex Pro 2 that I’m looking forward to using in my own black and white digital photography:

• Brightness, Contrast and Structure all allow you to make what I’m calling “globally local” enhancements.  What is that?  Instead of having to make complicated selections to apply specific adjustments you can now control the brightness, contrast and/or structure of an using sliders labeled Highlights, Midtones and Shadows.  Need darker shadows but want everything else to remain as-is?  Easy – just click on “Brightness”, then “Shadows” and lower the brightness level to your liking.  Only the shadows will be affected while all midtones and highlights remain untouched.  Soooo much easier!
• Entirely new in Silver Efex Pro 2 is the ability to easily add borders to your images.  Nik knows that photographers like to have the option to customize things and has made it simple to make hard or soft borders, wide or narrow, rough or smooth.  I’m not one to add borders to my photos but this is a cool feature that will likely be quite popular.
• A new History Browser allows you to see every edit you’ve made since you began working on an image.  Even better, hover your cursor over each edit to see how that edit affected your image in real time.  This I like…a lot.
• Finally, the presets have been organized into a few categories, making it easier to find just the preset you’re seeking without having to scroll through the entire list.

Nik was kind enough to post a video on YouTube explaining all the new features of Silver Efex Pro 2.  I hadn’t quite decided whether to upgrade to version 2 until I watched the video.  I’ll definitely be an early adopter.  Be sure to watch some of their other videos for a more in-depth look at this killer new software.

Speaking of upgrades, here’s how it works: If you already own Silver Efex Pro, you can upgrade to version 2 for $99.95.  If you don’t currently own the first version, you can pick up version 2 for $179.95.  If you purchased Silver Efex Pro version 1 after Dec. 6, 2010, you’re eligible to upgrade to version 2 at no cost.  Learn more or pre-order Nik Silver Efex Pro 2 here.  And, because I like you, use coupon code “BEDGE” at checkout to receive a discount off the prices quoted above.

If you’re new to the world of Nik plug-ins and would like to get up to speed quickly, you can start by watching the video tutorials on their website.  Here you’ll find both live webinars and pre-recorded videos.  Still need help?  Come to Moab and register for a private guided photo tour with me.  We’ll spend some time in the digital darkroom helping you process your landscape photos using several Nik plug-ins.

Need some monochrome inspiration?  Here’s a little gallery of some of my favorite recent black and white images.  Enjoy!

This will be my last “Favorite Stuff” post of 2010 as I’m taking a blogging break until January.  I’ve got a ton of great stuff planned for the blog in 2011 and am looking forward to unleashing it on the world.  Until then, here’s some cool stuff to keep you occupied.

Favorite Photos of 2010/Happy Solstice – Carl Donohue
Anyone who knows me knows that I’m obsessed with bears, grizzlies in particular.  Carl is one of the best wildlife photographers I know and this collection of grizzly photos is guaranteed to make your heart skip a beat.  Enjoy!

Best of 2010: Our Favorite Photo Blog Posts of the Year – Photoshelter
This is the very best collection of links to the very best photo blog posts I’ve seen.  I’ve been sifting through all evening and I’ve got A LOT of reading to do.

Using Manual Mode in Nik Software Dfine – Ron Mart
As you all know by now, I’m a big fan of Nik Software Lightroom & Photoshop plug-ins.  Dfine is a remarkable noise reduction plug-in that does a phenomenal job retaining fine detail while zapping pesky noise.  This blog post is an excellent tutorial on using the manual mode in Dfine to more accurately eliminate noise.  Good stuff. (Save 15% on Nik Software at their store using coupon code “BEDGE”)

The Price of Prints: Part 1: Pricing Practices & Motivating Buyers – Photoshelter
Ever agonized over what to charge for your fine art photographic prints?  I know I have.  This article is the first in a series of 4 that promises to be quite enlightening.

Self-Promo Likes and Pet Peeves…From the People You’re Sending Them To (Part 1 of 3) – Jasmine DeFoore
This is an awesome discussion of what works and what doesn’t when designing a self-promo piece to be mailed to photo editors, potential clients, etc.  If you’re not a talented photographer AND a talented graphic designer (like Jesse Speer or Mike Cavaroc), you’ll find this series to be very insightful.  Here’s a link to Part 2 and a link to Part 3.

A blog post from my archives:

Unleashing the Mad Scientist Within – This blog post from June of 2010 is all about stepping way out of your comfort zone when processing an image to really get your creative juices flowing.

And a couple of my recent images on flickr:

Buckwheat and Calf Creek Falls, Utah

Reflection on Ice, Utah

That’s it for this week.  I hope ya’ll find something interesting and useful.  Come back Jan. 3 for an exciting trip through the last decade of my photography career as I’ll be posting my top 10 favorite images from 2000 to 2010.  Should be fun!

At long last, every single one of the killer Nik Software Photoshop plug-ins are now available in full 64-bit awesomeness.  Already using Nik?  Click here to download the latest 64-bit versions of Dfine 2.0, Viveza 2, HDR Efex Pro, Color Efex Pro 3.0, Silver Efex Pro and Sharpener Pro 3.0.

I’ve been using the Nik tools quite a bit lately as I’m re-processing images prior to printing them for my first print portfolio.  As you all know, I’ve got no shortage of love for Nik’s plug-in’s.  Now that the entire suite is 64-bit compatible, I love it even more.  There’s defininitely a noticeable increase in speed, which means you’ll work more efficiently when churning out gorgeous images in the digital darkroom.

Don’t forget, if you’re not already a member of the Nik posse you can get a 15% discount on your purchase at the Nik store, which includes their new HDR Efex Pro.  Just use code “BEDGE” in the coupon code field when checking out.

It isn’t often that I get all fired up about software.  However, the announcement that Nik Software’s newest Lightroom and Photoshop plug-in, HDR Efex Pro, will be available for public consumption in October has me as giddy as a girl in a prom dress.

I’ve experimented with HDR in the past using what most consider the current industry standard software – HDRSoft’s Photomatix.  Frankly, I wasn’t terribly impressed.  Now, that isn’t to say that stunning images can’t be created using Photomatix, or for that matter, any other HDR software.  To the contrary, just read Royce Howland’s guest post on my blog last week, “Why I Love HDR - Part 1“.  Then pay a visit to his galleries to see some of the most amazing HDR landscape photography I’ve ever seen.  Clearly, Royce has mastered Photomatix.

After failing at HDR I went back to using filters to tame dynamic range.  Then I tried my hand at manual exposure blends.  While I love the control and final result of blending images by hand, I don’t love staring at a computer monitor for hours on end doing the tedious work required of the technique.  So, I’ve gone back to using filters.  Again.

Now, in walks Nik Software and their badass new HDR Efex Pro plug-in.  Okay, fine – I’m being a little sensationalistic.  I can’t really call it badass yet because I’m not one of the chosen few who was given a pre-release copy to run through the wringer.  But, if it’s even half as good as their other plug-ins it will in fact be badass.  Nik Software knows how to make software for people like me, who would much rather be outdoors photographing than sitting at a desk.  I have complete faith that HDR Efex Pro will allow me to create stunning, natural looking images in less time than blending by hand.  Naturally, you’ll all be the first to hear my initial impressions once I’ve had some time to spend under the hood with it.

Nik is currently taking pre-orders  on HDR Efex Pro, slated for release in October.  Anyone who purchases the Nik Complete Collection after July 25, 2010 will receive HDR Efex Pro free upon release.  And, if you don’t feel like paying full price for any of the Nik plug-ins, you can always use coupon code “BEDGE” at checkout to receive a 15% discount on your order from the Nik Store.

Until October, tick-tock…

Are you excited to try out Nik Software HDR Efex Pro?  What HDR software are you using now?  Let us know in the comments section!  

I’ve been using the Nik Software Complete Collection set of Lightroom and Photoshop plug-ins now for about 8 months.  You may have read my short review of Nik Silver Efex Pro, their black and white conversion plug-in that makes it easy to create stunning monochrome images.  I’m thrilled to announce that I’ve negotiated a deal with Nik Software that allows you to receive a 15% discount in the Nik Software Store using coupon code “BEDGE” at checkout.

My workflow now makes regular use of Nik’s Viveza 2, Color Efex Pro 3.0 and Sharpener Pro 3.0 plug-ins.  Viveza 2 allows you to easily and selectively control light and color in your images.  Color Efex Pro 3.0 puts 52 photographic filters and over 250 effects at your fingertips.  You can probably figure out what Sharpener Pro 3.0 does on your own.  I’ll just say that it does what it does very well and with the greatest of ease.  When needed, I also use Dfine 2.0 to reduce noise without compromising image detail.

The Complete Collection is available in two versions; the regular and the Ultimate Edition.  The regular version provides you with all of Nik’s plug-ins for Lightroom or Aperture.  The Ultimate Edition provides plug-ins for Lightroom, Aperture and Photoshop.  I purchased the Ultimate Edition because I wanted the ability to selectively apply effects using the brush tool in Photoshop.  This functionality is not available in Lightroom or Aperture.

Here’s the thing with Nik’s plug-ins.  They don’t really do anything you can’t already do in Lightroom or Photoshop.  What makes them so amazing is that you don’t have to spend days, weeks or months mastering Photoshop to arrive at the same result.  They’re powerful and they’re simple.  I love the outdoors, not my office.  Nik’s plug-in’s allow me to spend more time outside making images and less time in the office processing them.  That alone is worth the price of entry.  And, Nik makes it easy for you to master their plug-ins with dozens of short video tutorials available on their site and free daily webinars.  Perhaps less tangible but equally important, Nik hasn’t forgotten that we the customer keep them in business and they provide top-notch service when you need it.

Now that you know how I feel about the Nik Complete Collection, why not visit their website and download a free, fully functioning 15 day trial so you can form your own conclusions.  I think you’ll love working with their plug-ins.  If you don’t, it doesn’t cost you a dime.  If you do, head on over to the Nik Software Store and use coupon code “BEDGE” to receive a 15% discount on your purchase.

Give the Nik Software Complete Collection a try, then check in and let me know what you think of it!

If you haven’t yet begun to use Adobe Lightroom to convert your RAW images and manage your image database now might be a really good time to start.  Adobe is offering 15% off the purchase price of Lightroom 2 through December 25, 2009. 

Here’s the hitch: You have to receive a referral email that includes the discount code.  How do you get the referral email, you might wonder?  It is sent through Adobe by someone currently using Lightroom, like myself.  So, if you’d like to purchase Lightroom at a 15% discount send me an email at bret@bretedge.com with your email address.  I won’t use your email address for any other purpose nor will I share it with anyone else.

If you’re wondering why I would do this the answer is simple.  For every two people I refer I receive a $50 gift card.  So, it’s a win-win situation.

If you are interested in participating in the program you can find information about it here: http://www.referadobelightroom.com/.