I’m a professional photographer and I have a confession to make. I use my iPhone camera more often than my 5D Mark II.  It’s true.  My iPhone is with me about 100% of the time.  The 5DII – not so much.  It just isn’t practical to lug around a bulky, three pound camera everywhere I go.  As a result, it isn’t uncommon to find me pointing my iPhone at a nuclear sunset, a funky tree or a buddy shredding on his mountain bike.  The photo above was made last night while guiding a couple clients on a lovely afternoon in Arches National Park.  I used two apps: Autostitch to create a pano from several frames and Nik Software’s Snapseed to process the image on my iPhone.  Photoshop? What’s that?

No doubt many of my colleagues find this amusing, maybe even annoying.  I don’t care.  You see, I believe that even serious photographers can improve their skills using an iPhone, point and shoot or other unsophisticated little camera.  I enjoy the process of making photographs.  I get fired up when I’m able to make a photograph of a beautiful, fleeting moment in nature.  Sure, given the opportunity, I’d reach for the 5DII.  When it isn’t available but my iPhone is, should I just not make an image?  There are times I just sit back and enjoy the moment.  Not every sunset needs to be photographed.  But, there are also occasions when I’m stoked to have my iPhone so I can share the moment with friends and family.

When you first became serious about photography, what one thing helped you to become a better photographer?  Was it reading how-to books and articles?  Was it trolling internet photo forums?  Maybe it was sitting at the local bookstore flipping through the pages of some famous photographer’s coffee table book?  No?  Let me guess – it was getting out as often as possible to make photographs, wasn’t it?  That’s what worked for me and in conversation with my workshop clients, the act of making images has consistently been a key factor in improving one’s ability to see and to compose a dynamic photograph.  Given that logic, isn’t it safe to assume that making photographs with any camera on a regular basis is bound to make you a better photographer, even if it is just a silly little iPhone?

I’ve heard it said that the process of creating a photograph isn’t complete until you’ve made a print.  I don’t know that I’m in complete agreement but I will confess that I derive tremendous satisfaction in the art of printmaking.   In a blog post I wrote last year tittled “Pixels vs. Prints” I wrote about how viewing a photograph on a monitor and in print are two wholly different experiences.  A master printmaker I am not.  I’ve only been making my own prints, on an Epson Stylus 2880 printer, for a little over a year.  But, I’ve learned some lessons in that time that I’ll share here with the hope that your own foray into the wonderful world of printing may be a bit less intimidating.

Printer Selection

There are three primary manufacturers of printers capable of producing fine art photographic prints: Epson, Canon and HP.  HP printers use a dye-based ink while Epson and Canon both use a pigment-based ink.  I don’t have the time to fully discuss the pro’s and con’s of each, but you’ll find a good basic explanation of each here.  Most photographers I know, including a few who are master printmakers, use pigment-based ink printers.  The primary point I want to discuss here is selecting printer size because yes, size does matter.

I can make prints up to 13″x19″ on my Epson 2880.  This was fine for a few months but once I got the hang of things I quickly discovered that I wanted to print bigger.  How much bigger?  I’d like to be able to print 24″ wide prints.  So, I’m now saving my pennies to buy a large format printer.

My advice to you is to give serious thought to how big you may want to print one year from now, when you’ve gotten past being overwhelmed with the whole process.  Generally speaking, most professional level printers on the market today come in one of four sizes: 13″, 17″, 24″ and 44″.  There are even bigger printers but seriously, who has enough space to park a car-sized printer in their home office?  If you’re inclined to go with a 13″ printer, it’s worth noting that there isn’t a huge difference in the physical size of a 13″ and 17″ printer.  There is, however, a significant price increase.  Jumping up to a 24″ printer requires a sizable chunk of real estate in your office.  These printers usually ship with their own stand and typically weigh in at over 150 pounds!

Some additional thoughts: Consider how large you are able to print based on the camera you use.  If your primary camera is on your iPhone it’s probably a waste of money to buy a 24″ printer.  That’s an extreme example but you get the point – don’t let your ambitions overreach your abilities.  As printer size increases so does the size of the ink cartridges they require.  Larger cartridges are expensive but they contain significantly more ink, which means that your per print costs decrease with larger printers.  Larger printers require larger media (paper) and you’ll need a place to store it all.

Paper Selection

This is the fun part.  There are dozens of media types to choose from and they’re all unique.  Matte, luster, glossy, metallic, canvas – the list goes on.  And, just because you’ve got two papers that are both matte doesn’t mean they’re going to print the same.  Oh no, one may be warmer or thicker or more or less matte than the other.

How do you choose a paper?  Order a few sample packs and start making prints.  Seriously, it’s such a subjective thing that you’ve got to make prints on a bunch of different papers before you can start to develop a taste for what you prefer.  I like matte papers, so I knew going into it that I didn’t need to experiment with anything else.  But, there are so many manufacturers making matte papers that I had to order a few sample packs and make a bunch of test prints before I found a favorite – Moab Entrada Rag Bright 190.

Here’s a few manufacturers to consider whose papers are well respected: Moab Paper, Red River Paper, Canson-Infinity, Hahnemuhle and Ilford.  Epson, Canon and HP also sell their own branded papers.

The Myth of the Perfect Monitor to Print Match

Many novice printmakers are quickly frustrated when they find that their prints don’t match the image on their computer monitor.  Your first few prints are usually darker and less saturated than intended.  This is common. Very common.  Don’t lose your cool, you probably aren’t doing anything wrong.

There are several things you can do to combat this problem.  First and foremost, you should be working on a properly calibrated monitor.  If you aren’t, I probably wouldn’t even bother buying a printer.  Next, you should always soft-proof prior to printing using the appropriate ICC profile.  Wait, what?  In very simple terms, soft-proofing allows your monitor to simulate as closely as possible what your image will look like on any given paper using a profile designed for that paper.  It isn’t perfect, but it’ll get you pretty close.  Here’s a great soft-proofing tutorial on the Luminous Landscape website and another more in-depth one on the Cambridge in Color website.  Finally, until you learn how each paper prints you’ll save yourself some headaches by making a small (8″ x 10″-ish) artist proof before making your final print.  Is your artist proof too dark?  Use a curves adjustment to lighten it up.  Not saturated enough?  Add saturation to compensate for the loss when printing.

Care and Feeding of Your New Printer

Just a few years ago a common problem with inkjet printers was clogged printhead nozzles.  Newer and better technology has mostly eliminated this problem although it does still happen from time to time.  One of the main reasons for this is lack of usage.  Luckily, there’s an easy fix: use your printer!  Make a couple 8″x10″ prints each month and you probably won’t have to worry about clogged nozzles.

Don’t leave your paper in the feeder tray or on the roll when not in use.  Dust may settle on the paper, which can fall off after you make a print, leaving small areas that are void of ink.  It’s best to store paper in a dust-proof environment, such as the package in which it was shipped.

While we’re on the topic of dust, keep your printer covered when not in use.  Most printers have custom fitted dust covers available at minimal cost.  Buy and use one.  Dust inside your printer can cause the same problems as dust on your paper and even bigger issues as it works it’s way into the sensitive internal mechanisms of your printer.

You’re going to burn through a lot of ink, especially in the first couple of months.  I keep three extra cartridges of each color on hand because I don’t want to get caught without it.  If you run out of just one color of ink, you’re done making prints until it is replaced.  I order all my ink through the good folks at Atlex, which is also a great place to buy your printer.  I bought my printer through B&H but my next one will most likely come from Atlex.  They seem to consistently offer the best prices and occasionally they’ll throw in extras (like a complete set of inks or a couple packages of paper) to sweeten the deal.

Sharpening for Print

Sharpening images for presentation, whether on the web or in print, may well be the cause of more gray hairs than anything else in photography.  It doesn’t need to be.  There are old pro’s who still insist on manually sharpening their images using the Unsharp Mask in Photoshop or the sharpening tools in Lightroom.  I’m not one of them.  I cheat.  I use Nik Sharpener Pro 3 for all my sharpening needs.  I couldn’t be happier with the results and it’s incredibly easy to use.  You simply open the image you wish to sharpen in the Nik Sharpener Pro 3 software and make a few selections.  The software does the rest and it does it beautifully.  I recommend that you download the free 30-day trial, try it out and when you’re ready to purchase, use coupon code “BEDGE” for a 15% discount.

When viewing your newly sharpened image on-screen it will likely appear over-sharpened.  Fear not, the printed image will look just fine.  This is true whether you use Nik Sharpener Pro 3 or some other software like PK Sharpener, or you manually sharpen the image.

Other Considerations

You may need to trim the edges of your beautiful new prints to create even borders all the way around the image.  The easiest way to accomplish this is to use a high quality rotary trimmer.  I use a Dahle trimmer and couldn’t be happier with its performance.  They aren’t cheap but they will make trimming your prints completely hassle free and the edges will be nice, crisp and professional looking.

Unless you’re fortunate enough to sell every print you make you’ll want a place to store them.  I use an underbed box with a lid to store the prints flat.  If you roll them and keep them in tubes they’ll be a pain in the neck to share or eventually frame.  The underbed box also does a nice job of keeping them dust free.

I hope you find these tips to be useful.  As I said, I’m not an expert and am still learning as I go but these tips should help you avoid some of the common headaches.  I invite anyone with additional thoughts, suggestions or tips to please leave a comment below.

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.

A little over one year ago we packed up and headed south to Phoenix.  Our plan was to escape winter’s final icy assault by visiting the land of sunshine and warm weather.  As you can see by this photo our trip didn’t exactly go as planned.  We spent four nights camping in a too small tent, in the rain, with a one year old, with little opportunity to hike and photograph.  We did manage to squeeze in a few short hikes in between squalls and when the torrential rain slowed to a shower I’d quickly run from the tent to find a composition before the next downpour arrived.

In this photo you can see the next storm swirling around the most iconic face of the Superstition Mountains.  The Flatiron is in there, somewhere, hidden by low clouds.  Although the light wasn’t optimal the conditions did make for some fascinating and unusual photography.  It isn’t often that the Sonoran Desert puts on this kind of show but when it does, you’d better be able to take advantage of it.  I opted to convert the original color image to black and white using Nik Silver Efex Pro 2.  I also used Nik Viveza 2 and Nik Color Efex Pro 3.0 to further enhance the image.

If you’re interested in purchasing any of the Nik Software plug-ins you can save 15% by using code “BEDGE” at the Nik Online Store.

Tonight I was doing my normal nightly routine and scanning a couple of the internet forums I frequent for interesting topics.  I saw one on the Rocky Mountain Nature Photographers forum that piqued my interest titled “Nik Silver Efex – Is It All That?“.  No one who has been here for longer than a week will be surprised to hear me make this admission: I’m a Nik Software fanboy.  I love their stuff.  I do.  I preach about it on my blog, at my workshops and to my private guided clients.  I sing their praises on Facebook and twitter.  I use Nik plug-ins in the development of every single photograph I make.

So, what makes Nik plug-ins so great?  Is it because they can make a bad image good?  Or maybe it’s because they have powers far beyond those natively contained within Photoshop and Lightroom.  Nope.  Nik plug-ins don’t contain crazy voodoo magic that instantly converts an average photo into a masterpiece.  Truth be told, they don’t do anything that can’t be accomplished in the old fashioned digital darkroom using tried and true practices like layer masking, complicated selections, luminosity masks and blends, and other technical mumbo jumbo.

I’ve been using Photoshop since 2002.  That’s 9 years, folks.  The first 2 years almost don’t count since I was basically just floundering around in software that was way over my head.  I’m one of those freaks who would rather be outside playing than staring at a computer monitor.  Photoshop forced me to spend way too much time in a chair, at my desk, processing images.  Over the years I learned to navigate the myriad options pretty efficiently.  All was well and I was happy with my images.

Then one day, while guiding a client and talented photographer named Ray (who eventually became a friend), my eyes were opened to something new.  While hiking together in Arches NP he mentioned how amazed he was with these cool Nik Software Photoshop plug-ins he’d been using.  Ray told me how easy and powerful they were to use, and that he’d seen a dramatic improvement in the quality of his processed images.  A few days later, after Ray had headed back home to Texas, I downloaded a trial version of the Nik Software Complete Collection.

I was particularly interested in Silver Efex Pro for converting color images to black and white.  In all my years of using Photoshop and Lightroom I still hadn’t mastered the monochrome conversion.  In fact, I sucked at it.  I went to work on a few images with Silver Efex Pro and after an hour or two of experimentation, I was churning out pretty damn amazing black and white photos that made my previous attempts look like nothing more than sad, sad little pictures.

Next I tried Viveza 2, then Color Efex Pro 3.0.  They both rocked my socks off.  Dfine 2.0 for noise reduction?  Rocks.  Sharpener Pro 3.0?  Yeah, it rocks – especially if you’re new to printmaking, but that’s a whole other post.  The free trial offered by Nik lasts 15 days.  In less than a week I’d busted out my credit card and sprung for the whole enchilada.  That was over a year ago and never have I regretted that decision.  What’s so special about them?  I’m glad you asked.

Nik Software doesn’t make “magical” products.  That’s the domain of Apple.  The Nik plug-ins don’t allow you to do anything in the digital darkroom that wasn’t already possible within Photoshop and Lightroom.  What the Nik plug-ins do is flatten out the learning curve.  To become truly proficient with Photoshop takes months, at the very least.  For most of us it takes years to really attain a high degree of proficiency.  Here’s a bad analogy: Nik Software plug-ins are like the Slap Chop of image processing, but without the annoying infomercials.  Sure, you could slice and dice all those vegetables by hand with a knife but it’ll take a lot less time if you just Slap Chop them into juicy submission.  Nik plug-ins will save you time and headaches, and they’ll take you from a RAW un-processed file to a beautiful, finished image in a fraction of the time it would take using only the native controls in Lightroom and Photoshop.

As I’ve already mentioned, I’d rather spend more time in the field making new images and less time in the office staring at a computer monitor.  Thanks to the good folks at Nik Software, I’m able to do that now.  Every single image I process is touched at some point by at least one Nik plug-in.  Usually, I’ll use three of them: Viveza 2, Color Efex Pro 3.0 and Sharpener Pro 3.0.  For black and white images I’ll use the freakin’ amazing Silver Efex Pro 2, Color Efex Pro 3.0 and Sharpener Pro 3.0.  Nik plug-ins allow me to do more in less time.  They allow me to spend more time hanging out with my family, making new images, marketing and selling my work or napping in a grassy field filled with alpine wildflowers.  Only in the summer, though.  The bottom line is that Nik plug-ins allow me to spend more time doing anything else and less time tied to my desk.  If you’re content without them, good on you.  They’re not for everybody.  But if you want to go farther, faster – download the Nik Software Complete Collection 15 day trial now.  I promise not to say “I told ya so.”

Use discount code “BEDGE” to receive 15% off your purchase of Nik Software plug-ins at the Nik Software Store.

If you’ve been around here for any length of time you’re well aware that I’m a huge fan of the Nik Software Complete Collection for Photoshop and Lightroom.  Last week Nik released Silver Efex Pro 2, which is a significant update to their already stellar Silver Efex Pro plug-in that gives photographers the ability to create dynamic black and white images with ease.  The great thing about Silver Efex Pro 2 (and all the Nik plug-ins, for that matter) is that it affords tremendous creative control to those of us who aren’t and never will be Adobe Certified Experts.  I like anything that allows me to spend more time outside making images and less time chained to my desk.

A few weeks back I wrote a short pre-review of Nik Silver Efex Pro 2.  In that post, I guessed that I would really dig the new features like Dynamic Brightness, Soft Contrast and selective edits using the enhanced Brightness, Contrast and Structure controls.  Now that I’ve had a few days to experiment with the new features I’m happy to say that my predictions were accurate.  Silver Efex Pro was good.  Silver Efex Pro 2 is phenomenal.  What better way to show you just how awesome it is than to take you on a step by step tour of the development of my latest black and white image?

Click here to download this tutorial as a PDF document.

Last summer in Glacier National Park I made the photograph above of a false hellebore plant glistening with raindrops.  I love the color version but I needed some black and white images for a recent project.  I chose this photo as a good candidate for monochrome conversion because of the rich tones and wonderful patterns.  I won’t go into detail about the processing of the color image since we’re focused on how to convert a color image to black and white.

I use the Nik plug-ins within Lightroom mostly because I like to keep all my files in one place for easier reference.  The black and white image above is a straight conversion with no adjustments or modifications.  I clicked “Edit in Silver Efex Pro 2″ and this is what I got.  It’s a good starting point but it’s flat.  There isn’t much tonal separation and the patterns within each leaf don’t have much pop.  The raindrops aren’t very luminous, either.  Not to worry, we’ll fix some of that with global changes we’ll make in the next step.

There are two types of image editing adjustments: global and local.  Global adjustments affect the image as a whole.  Local adjustments target a specific area of an image.  When processing an image, regardless of whether it’s color or black and white, it is best to start by making global adjustments before moving on to local adjustments.  In the image above, I made the following global adjustments within Silver Efex Pro 2: Brightness = 4%, Contrast = 8% and Structure = 20%.  Brightness and contrast do just what you think they do.  If you’ve never used Nik plug-ins you’re not familiar with Structure.  In short, Structure is a micro-contrast control that emphasizes details within an image.  It can also be used to de-emphasize details but that’s a topic for another tutorial.  As you can see, with just these three simple adjustments the image is already coming together.  Total time spent processing the image, including importing to Lightroom from the CF card, making adjustments to the color image, converting to black and white and making these global adjustments in Silver Efex Pro 2: 5 minutes.

Next, the local adjustments.  In Photoshop, you’d have to make a whole mess of complicated selections and masks to do what I did in a matter of minutes using the new controls in Silver Efex Pro 2.  The image above is almost a finished product.  I made these local adjustments: Using the “Brightness” sub-controls, I increased the “Highlight Brightness” by 20%, the “Midtone Brightness” by 6% and decreased the “Shadow Brightness” by -18%.  This provided greater separation in the tonal values, meaning the highlights and midtones are brighter and the shadows are darker/richer.  Next, under the “Contrast” sub-controls, I increased “Amplify Whites” by 20% and “Amplify Blacks” by 12%.  Next, I increased the “Soft Contrast” by 5%.  So far, all the adjustments I’ve made have impacted tonality.  Next, I’ll work on enhancing details with the “Structure” sub-controls.  I really wanted the raindrops to have more “pop”, for lack of a technical term.  Since they are pretty bright, I was able to achieve this with an 11% increase in “Highlight Structure”.  I also wanted the patterns on each leaf to stand out more, and an increase of 9% to the “Midtone Structure” caused them to do just that.  I experimented with the “Shadow Structure” but in the end, I left it at 0% because I preferred that the shadows be a bit softer.  Finally, I felt the image was a little too warm.  This was super easy to fix using the “Toning” control.  I selected “Blue #7″ and reduced the strength to 8% – just enough to cool things off without going overboard.  Total time working on local adjustments: 3 minutes.

At this point I’m quite satisfied with the image.  I do wish the patterns were more pronounced, though.  It’s time to switch to the “Tonal Contrast” filter in Color Efex Pro 3.0.  I boosted the Highlight, Midtone and Shadow Contrast by 10% each (as opposed to the default 30%, which is almost always much too strong).  The change was subtle, but the patterns are better defined.  Total time in Color Efex Pro 3.0: less than 1 minute.

The final step was to re-size and sharpen the image for web presentation.  For this I used a custom action in Photoshop to resize the image and Nik Sharpener Pro 3.0 set to “Display” and with the following adjustments to sharpen it: “Adaptive Sharpening” = 50% and “Output Sharpening” = 20%.  On a side note, if you have a difficult time making sharp prints you won’t find a more powerful or easier to use way to achieve the perfect level of sharpening every time than Nik Sharpener Pro 3.0.  It takes all the guesswork out of the equation.  Yes, all of it.  Total time spent sharpening the image: less than 1 minute.

Total time invested in the conversion using Nik Silver Efex Pro 2, Color Efex Pro 3.0 and Sharpener Pro 3.0: 10 minutes, from import to final image.

As you can see, I was able to go from a color image to what I think is a pretty amazing black and white image in just 10 minutes.  I’ve done monochrome conversions using selections and masks, and never has it been this quick and easy.  If you’ve never used the Nik Software products it will take some time to familiarize yourself with each plug-in before you’re able to achieve results so quickly.  But, with all the free video tutorials on the Nik Software website and a little experimentation, you’ll be up and running in no time.  Visit the Nik Store to download a free, fully-functioning trial of any or all of their awesome plug-ins.  When you’re ready to buy them, use coupon code “BEDGE” to receive 15% off your purchase at the Nik Store.

Was this step-by-step guide helpful?  I’ll write more of them detailing my workflow using Adobe Lightroom and Nik’s other plug-ins if there is demand for the information.  I encourage you to leave comments and questions below.

This is just a quick note to let you all know that Nik Software’s Silver Efex Pro 2 is now available.  I just downloaded mine and can’t wait to try it out on a few images.  Silver Efex Pro made it so easy to create stunning black and white photos, and all the new features in Silver Efex Pro 2 promise to make the process easier while putting more power in your hands.  Read my pre-review of Silver Efex Pro 2 to learn more about the new features.

As a bonus, use coupon code “BEDGE” at the Nik Software store to receive a 15% discount on your purchase.  This is valid not only on Silver Efex Pro, but all Nik Software plug-ins.

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 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!

25% Off All Fine Art Prints

As we all know, the holidays have officially arrived.  What always accompanies the holidays?  Shopping and sales!  In keeping with tradition I’m offering a 25% discount on every print purchased at Bret Edge Photography.  No silly coupon codes needed – prices have already been adjusted so all you have to do is choose an image, select a size and add it to you cart.  Simple!  We can easily ship your print to any address you provide, making it a piece of cake to send a beautiful, fine art print as a gift to friends, family or your boss – you know, if you need to suck up to him for an upcoming promotion.  Don’t forget, we also offer gift certificates in any denomination that can be used to purchase a print, register for a group workshop or pay for a private guided photo excursion.  Just send me an email to order a gift certificate.

Huge Discount on Nik Software

If you’ve been on the fence about whether or not to invest in the Nik Software Complete Collection, now’s the time to bust a move.  Use coupon code “BEDGE” at the Nik Software Store to get the Nik Complete Collection Ultimate Edition for $419.95, a whopping $180 off the normal retail cost!  If you do almost all of your processing in Lightroom or Aperture, you can pick up the Nik Complete Collection for Lightroom/Aperture for $219, saving you $80 bones.  Don’t forget about Nik’s newest kick ass plug-in, HDR Efex Pro.  Coupon code “BEDGE” will hook you up for only $139.95, a $20 savings over retail.

Don’t slack though, these prices are only valid through Nov. 30, 2010 at 11:59 PM.

Happy Holidays

Most importantly, I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season.  Gifts are great, discounts are dope and sales are splendid but let’s remember that nothing is more awesome than spending quality time with our family and friends.  Give hugs freely, thank your spouse for putting up with your antics all year long and make it a point to tell everyone you care about just how much they mean to you.  Have a wonderful holiday season!