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!

Nobody enjoys cloning out dust bunnies from their digital images in Photoshop or Lightroom.  It pretty much just blows.  So if there’s a way to go about it more efficiently, you’d probably like to hear it, right?  This tip, from Scott Martin, will make your digital life a little less aggravating.  Thanks, Scott!       

“When I was a drum scan operator in the early 90’s I had to be systematic about cleaning dust on every single scan. In Photoshop, start by zooming to 100% (option command 0)and hit the home button to go to the upper right corner. Holding down the command key turns the page up and down buttons into page left and right buttons. That trick worked in Photoshop 2 and still works today. 

Lightroom improves upon this functionality nicely. Zoom to 1:1 and hit the home key to fill the screen with the upper left most corner of your image. Hold down the shift key while pressing the page down key. Not only will it act as a ”Page Right” key, it will take you to the next column once you’ve reached the right side, like an old typewriter would.  You can continue hitting Shift-Command-PageDown until you’ve spotted your entire image. It a systematic way of “combing over” your entire image without worrying about missing anything.”

Scott Martin is the founder of onsight, a capture-to-print training and consulting business that helps digital imaging professionals optimize their workflows for quality and efficiency.  I’ve worked with Scott at workshops in Moab and can attest to the fact that he knows his stuff, he’s a heck of a teacher and an all-around cool dude.

I recently engaged in a lively conversation on twitter with a fellow nature photographer about “getting it right in the field.”  Those of you who know me, especially those who have taken one of my workshops, are familiar with “get it right in the field” as I used to preach it regularly.  I frequently declared that using graduated neutral density filters in the field was superior to doing HDR or image blends on the computer.  Admitting that I’m wrong has never come easy for me.  Just ask my wife.   However, here and now, I admit that I was wrong and maybe even a little arrogant to make such a blanket statement.

As I now see it, there isn’t anything at all wrong with using GND’s, HDR, manual image blends or exposure fusion interchangeably.  Different situations call for different tools.  Is it wrong to stitch a panoramic image from several digital captures instead of using a dedicated pano camera?  Absolutely not!  Is it cheating to convert a color digital image to black and white instead of using black and white film to capture the image in monochrome?  Of course it isn’t.  So why should we frown upon combining exposures to increase dynamic range?

I still carry 2 and 3 stop graduated neutral density filters.  I’ll break them out at times when using a filter works better, or easier, than doing blends.  But there are times when a digital solution exists that works better than the analog equivalent.  And there are times when there is no analog equivalent.  If you’re photographing a waterfall inside a dark forest there isn’t a filter available that will even out the exposure.  The solution?  Bracket exposures and combine them in the digital darkroom.  It’s the right tool for the situation and there isn’t a darn thing wrong with that.

I experimented with high dynamic range imaging (HDR) back in 2008 using Photomatix Pro.  The possibilities were exciting but I never really received satisfactory results and I abandoned it’s use.  There are nature photographers who are creating stunning HDR images, but I wasn’t one of them.  Royce Howland of Canada is, in my opinion, one of the best of the best when it comes to creating gorgeous HDR photos that maintain a very natural appearance.

After HDR I started experimenting with manual image blends.  The results can be pretty spectacular but the process of blending multiple images by hand is tedious and time consuming.  And, it isn’t a technique that is easily mastered.  It takes time and practice to learn, although the learning curve can be minimized through a workshop or one-on-one instruction.  Of all the photographers who frequently use this technique, one of my favorites is Guy Schmickle.  He’s also a heck of a nice guy who now offers custom photo tours and Photoshop training for those who don’t want to waste any time learning to blend images.

Recently I read a good blog post by Kevin McNeal describing a relatively new technique called Exposure Fusion.  In essence, Exposure Fusion is an automated technique for combining multiple exposures for increased dynamic range.  The primary difference between Exposure Fusion and HDR is that Exposure Fusion creates images that are much more natural in appearance without having to do additional processing such as tone mapping.  Photomatix Pro includes HDR and Exposure Fusion, allowing you to choose the technique that will work best for your situation.  I started experimenting with Exposure Fusion in Photomatix Pro recently and am very excited about the possibilities offered with this technique.  In my admittedly limited tests, the results have been very natural with no visible artifacts common to HDR, i.e. haloes, ghosting, etc.

In the end we’re all photographers who like to create beautiful images.  We’ve all got our preferences whether Canon vs. Nikon, digital vs. film or filters vs. the digital darkroom.  There is no right or wrong.  Find the tools that work best for you and use them honestly and unapologetically.

Got a thought you’d like to share on this topic?  Feel free to post a comment.

When it comes to finding my way around the digital darkroom I’m a little on the lazy side.  I don’t mind doing things the hard way if the hard way is the only way.  But when an easy way exists it’s a pretty sure bet I’m gonna take it, so long as the results are at least as good as those gained from doing things the hard way.  Such is the case with black and white image conversions done using Nik Silver Efex Pro.

I started using Photoshop in 2002.  In the 8 years since I’ve converted a few color images to black and white.  Some turned out well, others not so well.  Okay, they sucked.  As Photoshop, and now Lightroom, have progressed it has become easier to do conversions with the built-in tools.  Even so, the results I’m getting with Silver Efex Pro are far better.  Remember that part about how I like things to be easy?  Well, Silver Efex Pro is pretty much idiot proof once you watch the free video tutorials on the Nik website.

Enough chatter.  Here’s what I like about Silver Efex Pro:

• Film types – Waaaaaaaay back before digital capture we used this stuff called film.  Photographers were weird about film.  We all had our favorite films, in both color and black and white, and we used them religiously.  Silver Efex Pro has a library of black and white film types that includes 18 popular films.  Mouse over a film type and you see an instant preview of your image as if it were photographed on that film.  When you find one you like just click on it to select it.  Cool!
• Here’s where things get super duper interesting.  Let’s say you select a film and you mostly like the results, but you’d like more or less grain, more or less contrast, a vignette, or a brighter or darker image globally or locally.  No problem!  All of this and more can be accomplished within Silver Efex Pro, making it easy for you to quickly customize your black and white image.
• Remember using colored filters with black and white film to darken skies or brighten foliage?  No?  Me either.  But, Silver Efex Pro includes a selection of filters that digitally create a similar effect.  With film if you didn’t like the effect you didn’t find out about it until after you processed the film, which resulted in wasted time and money.  With Silver Efex Pro if you don’t like the result, just de-select the filter and you’re right back at square one.

Those are the technical bullet points.  From a less technical, more emotional standpoint, what I really like about Silver Efex Pro are the results.  As I’ve mentioned, I’ve never been all that good at conversions.  It was an area of the digital darkroom where I was certainly deficient and that’s a bummer because I thoroughly enjoy good black and white photography.  With Nik Silver Efex Pro, I can now enjoy my own good black and white photographs.

What don’t I like about Silver Efex Pro?  Honestly, I haven’t found anything I don’t like.  It’s intuitive, it works and the results speak for themselves.  It’s just a solid piece of software that does exactly what it’s supposed to do.

UPDATE: I had to call Nik regarding a minor issue I had with the software download at purchase.  I expected the typical tech customer service nightmare.  What I got was a friendly, knowledgeable and very helpful person on the end of the line who resolved the issue within minutes.  Say what?  Yeah, good customer service from a tech company!

Wanna see some black and white images created with Silver Efex Pro?  Okay…see below.

I have no affiliation with Nik Software.  I’m just a happy customer.  There are lots of us, too.  If you’re one of ‘em, or even if you aren’t, feel free to leave a comment with your thoughts about Silver Efex Pro.

Today’s “Ask An Expert” question is an outstanding one.  I’d never given much thought to the difference in sharpening an image using unsharp mask in Photoshop vs. using the sharpening tool in Lightroom.  Apparently Nat Coalson hasn’t only given it a lot of thought, he’s developed some really solid logic behind why you should use Lightroom to sharpen your images.  Nat is an Adobe Certified Expert and the author of Lightroom 2: Streamlining Your Digital Photography Process.  He’s also co-leading our “Wildflowers and Reflections in the Tetons” workshop June 10 – 13, 2010.  Here’s the question I received and Nat’s thorough response.

The Question:

How does the sharpening in Adobe Lightroom compare to unsharp mask sharpening in PhotoShop. I have heard several people claim it is good to use for capture sharpening for images submitted to agencies that will be licensed by clients who will then resize and do additional output sharpening.

What is the difference in Lightroom sharpening and Unsharp mask??

Nat Coalson Responds:

The sharpening on Lightroom’s detail panel is very different from Photoshop’s Unsharp Mask.

Unsharp Mask was developed many years ago in the early days of digital imaging. Though it has been the de facto standard on which many other methods of sharpening are based, it’s crude in comparison to newer algorithms, and can produce destructive artifacts relatively easily.

On the other hand, Lightroom’s sharpening is designed to be “gentler” in it’s application, and will produce fewer haloes and other artifacts if used properly.

Modern sharpening workflows involve several steps of sharpening, unlike older techniques of the past, when it was believed that the optimal amount of sharpening could (and should) be done in a single pass.  These days, sharpening is broken down into three stages: capture, creative and output.

Capture sharpening overcomes the loss of sharpness resulting from the pixel grid itself. Every digital image capture suffers from some amount of softening as a result of the real, organic world being mapped to a discrete grid of pixels. The sharpening on the Detail panel is intended to be capture sharpening only and to simply overcome this inherent loss of sharpness.

Creative sharpening is used to enhance specific areas of the image.  Lightroom’s local adjustment brush provides the ability to “paint” on sharpening in localized areas.

Finally, output sharpening is applied when the file is Exported or printed. Output sharpening is applied using the appropriate method and strength for the inteded output destination. For example, if you’re printing to a matte fine art paper, you would apply more sharpening than if printing to a glossy coated paper.

My default settings for sharpening on the Detail panel:

Amount 60 > The strength of the sharpening to be applied.

Radius 1.1 > The width of the sharpening along the “edges” of contrast. For images with lots of fine detail, I might go down to .8 pixel radius, and increase the Amount. Images that don’t have lots of fine detail might go up to 2.0 radius, but never more than that.

Detail 50 > Similar to radius, if the photo has lots of fine detail, use higher levels of Detail.

Masking 15 > Masking restricts the application of sharpening from being applied to areas of smooth, solid color and limited contrast. For example, blue sky or the skin in a portrait usually should not be sharpened; masking keeps the sharpening from being applied to these areas.

For all the controls, holding the option or alt key while moving the slider will show you a grayscale preview of the effect being applied.

To see the sharpening previews on the image itself, you need to be zoomed in to 1:1 or greater.

I usually fine tune these settings on an image by image basis, but these settings will give me close to the ideal amount of sharpening to begin my processing, on the majority of images.

I often apply standard or high levels of output sharpening, too.  Though there’s not a lot of direct control over this in Lightroom, the levels of output sharpening they’ve included work pretty well, and are very simple to apply.

All of this is based on raw capture; if you shoot JPG then some sharpening is already applied in the camera, and the settings would be different. (But in the Lightroom workflow, there is no reason to ever shoot JPG!)

If you do as much of your work as possible in Lightroom, you may find that you never need to go into Photoshop, especially for sharpening.  Though there will be special cases and images that need the pixel-level editing that Photoshop provides, using Lightroom’s sharpening options properly may be all you need.

Share your techniques for sharpening in Lightroom and/or Photoshop in the comments below.  Someone just might learn something and that’ll send good karma your way.  We can all use a little extra good karma!

I’m starting a cool new interactive feature on my blog called “Ask An Expert”.  The concept is pretty simple: you send me a question related to photography and I round up an expert to answer it for you.  I’ll post your question on the blog along with the expert’s answer.  I’ll accept questions on just about any photography topic including technique, business & marketing, digital darkroom, equipment, etc.  Just try to keep it relevant to nature, landscape and/or adventure photography.

Questions we can’t answer:

• Which is better, Canon or Nikon? (Everybody knows Canon is best.)
• Is Photoshop cheating? (No.  I mean yes.  No, I mean no.)
• Should I get up for sunrise if it’s cloudy outside? (No.  Stay in bed so those of us who do wake up for it don’t have to fight with so many photographers.)
• Is it acceptable to yell at the Griswolds for standing under Delicate Arch for a family portrait just as the sky turns pink and the arch begins to glow? (Absolutely not!  While annoying, they have just as much right to be there as you do.)
• And finally my favorite…If I had a nice camera and lens like yours I could take really good pictures, too. (Okay, so that’s not a question but seriously, do people really believe it’s all about the gear?  Ugh!)

Now that we’ve got all that out of the way, let’s hear some great questions!  Please email your questions to me at bret (at) bretedge (dot) com.  If you’re wondering why I typed my email like that it’s because if I don’t, the spambots will launch a massive attack on my inbox.  I’d hate to miss any of your awesome questions.

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/.