This post comes to us from enthusiastic and talented photographer Ray Beair in Texas.  Most of you know that I have a love affair with Nik Software plug-ins and that I utilize their amazing tools on every photo I process.  What you may not know is that Ray, who I first met several years ago while guiding him in Moab, is the reason I decided to give the Nik plug-ins a shot.  He raved about how easy they were to use and how they’d made it possible for him to fully express his creative vision.  Ray is well traveled and his photography shows an eye for the creative and inspired.  He’s also one of the kindest and most thoughtful people you’ll ever meet.  Have a look at Ray’s flickr photostream or check out his website for more inspirational photos.  Thank you, Ray, for taking time out of your schedule to write this post and for allowing me to publish it on my blog.  Enjoy!

Surprising results from HDR Efex Pro by Nik Software

It’s the middle of the afternoon and lighting conditions are borderline at best. I’m six hundred miles from home so it’s not too easy to just come back and try for the shot another day. Unfortunately, I’m facing a dilemma because I like what my eye sees in the scene before me.

You know the feeling, don’t you? Your eye sees the shot, but your experience says the camera won’t be able to process the dynamic range you need to make a successful image. With these thoughts in your mind, do you capture it anyway, or walk away with nothing because you know it won’t be a trophy shot?

A photographer’s life is full of borderline situations. If we walk away, we still have the memory, but little else. If we try to capture the moment, at least we will have a snapshot for future reference. To my way of thinking, by recording the scene, and with no expense other than the bytes the file takes up in our computer, why not take the shot and hope for a breakthrough in processing techniques?

By using HDR Efex Pro from Nik Software, I turned one such situation into a more successful image. From almost nothing usable, I brought out details that were well hidden, and enhanced the dynamic range to something much closer to what I witnessed at the moment of capture. Keep in mind, I did all of this from one original image, as this had been a handheld shot and bracketing was not available. To top it all off, I invested less than thirty minutes processing time using tools that are both intuitive and effective.

The following is the workflow I used to convert this image from snapshot to printable image. 

Problems: dark interior of building, no detail in shadow areas, no bracket to work with

Assets: Impression at time of capture was of interesting lighting contrasts, potential for HDR processing

Goal: Process an image representative of the original scene

Workflow:

·         Import and open original image in Lightroom

·         Virtual copy of the original made in Lightroom and saved with one stop overexposure

·         Virtual copy of the original made in Lightroom and saved with two stops overexposure

·         Virtual copy of the original made in Lightroom and saved with one stop underexposure

·         Virtual copy of the original made in Lightroom and saved with two stops underexposure

·         All five images (-2, -1, 0, +1, +2) exported to HDR Efex Pro

·         Minor corrections made to HDR Efex Pro default image

·         Saved back to Lightroom for display or export to printer

HDR Efex Pro by Nik Software opened the image and gave me several versions to choose from. Since I was looking for minor enhancements, the first default image gave me a great starting point. Very minor adjustments were then made with control points to enhance smaller details.

With the image open again in Lightroom, my normal workflow combined results from Nik products such as Viveza 2 and Color Efex Pro to further build the image I want to present to the public.

For some of us, and I certainly place myself in this category, HDR processing has always been considered overly dramatic or too exaggerated for landscape photography. With HDR Efex Pro, I found a tool that will give me exaggeration if desired, but will also give me an easy to use tool that simply enhances what I need help with. When I consider the inability of my camera to express the dynamic range my eye takes for granted, this is welcome help indeed.

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!