Nik Colour Efex Pro - Worth it?

Tom Tom

Tom Tom

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Just wondering how people rate this?

Been looking at some online tutorials, looks quite useful but I'm wondering does it take PP a little too far? Currently i just use Lightroom to boost some contrast and vibrancy. I like shooting with my 10 stop filter and some of the Efex Pro filters (tonal contrast etc) you can apply seem to extract good detail and colour.
 
Whilst it's perfectly possible to create retina-searing monstrosities in a matter of seconds with Color Efex, it's also capable of some very subtle and useful adjustments.

It's very tempting to jump on the Detail Extractor (aka the Instant Drama tool), but there are other tools, such as the Warmth tool with its "perceptual saturation" slider which are much more understated in their results. I also make a great deal of use of the Dynamic Contrast tool for adding "punch" to images without actually punching the viewer in the face.

Edit: Don't forget that when you buy Color Efex, you also get Silver Efex, the noise management tool Dfine, the thing I never use called Viveza, and an instagram-a-like photo ruiner called Analog Efex.
 
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For me, its one of those things that are nice to have but not completely necessary. I used to use it quite a a lot, and it is of course possible to take the PP way too far when using it (much like any other PP software) I found that with practise I could just apply similar effects using layers/masks etc. Its a longer method of course, but when I got to the point I was happy with my edits, colour Efex became a completely redundant piece of software on my PC.
 
Nikon_Nick said:
For me, its one of those things that are nice to have but not completely necessary. I used to use it quite a a lot, and it is of course possible to take the PP way too far when using it (much like any other PP software) I found that with practise I could just apply similar effects using layers/masks etc. Its a longer method of course, but when I got to the point I was happy with my edits, colour Efex became a completely redundant piece of software on my PC.
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you don't get layers in lightroom
 
Muzzieman said:
the OP did
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Yes, i see that now, thanks.

In that case, the OP now needs to pay for the photographers package of Adobe CC so that he can also use Photoshop then. There you go...sorted...easy :D
 
I do already have Photoshop CC but i don't really use it much tbh, i have been experimenting with blending multiple exposures but i have quite mastered it yet and thats about it.
 
ST4 said:
I love it. I do a lot of my landscapes with it. Trick is to be subtle, slight polarising effects, skylight filters, grads, etc. Brilliant suite.
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Would you mind sharing an example? Maybe a before and after?

I saw a photographer on 500px who produced wonderful dreamy/atmospheric images and i hazard a guess it was achieved through Colour Efex through the use of filters.
 
Tom Tom said:
I do already have Photoshop CC but i don't really use it much tbh, i have been experimenting with blending multiple exposures but i have quite mastered it yet and thats about it.
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The above was obviously just my opinion. Im sure that for a lot of people is a fantastic bit of software to have. I got a little obsessed with learning as much as i could with photoshop a few years back, so just stick with that now. Im not saying it is rubbish, or anythng like that, just not worth it to me.
 
Tom Tom said:
Would you mind sharing an example? Maybe a before and after?

I saw a photographer on 500px who produced wonderful dreamy/atmospheric images and i hazard a guess it was achieved through Colour Efex through the use of filters.
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I assume you are asking me?
 
Nikon_Nick said:
I assume you are asking me?
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Sorry Tom, thought you were asking me. There appears to be others on the thread whos content I dont see as I have them on 'Ignore'. I just checked and see that you were asking Steve.

Cheers

Nick
 
Tom Tom said:
Would you mind sharing an example? Maybe a before and after?

I saw a photographer on 500px who produced wonderful dreamy/atmospheric images and i hazard a guess it was achieved through Colour Efex through the use of filters.
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I've posted three ones. I'm quite a conservative PPer to be fair, but you can go proper wild with it. The trick is, not to.
 
ST4 said:
I've posted three ones. I'm quite a conservative PPer to be fair, but you can go proper wild with it. The trick is, not to.
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Thank you for posting. Looking at the photo i can't see many adjustments which couldn't be made in Lightroom but in the second pic seems to add some nice golden light on the foreground rocks.

Nikon_Nick - I was responding to ST4 but of course feel free to post an examples yourself :)
 
I use the Nik suite quite a lot - the 'trick' is not to be subtle but to do whatever the Hell you like with it - its your image PP it to your desires & style however OTT others think it might be

If you have software that allows for layers then you have all you need with layer masks to apply it subtly, or not, wherever you like in your images

PP to please your own tastes, don't worry about others unless they are paying you - then it matters what their taste is as they are the client :)

Dave
 
DG Phototraining said:
I use the Nik suite quite a lot - the 'trick' is not to be subtle but to do whatever the Hell you like with it - its your image PP it to your desires & style however OTT others think it might be

If you have software that allows for layers then you have all you need with layer masks to apply it subtly, or not, wherever you like in your images

PP to please your own tastes, don't worry about others unless they are paying you - then it matters what their taste is as they are the client :)

Dave
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I was meaning my own tastes. It is every easy to over process and turn something you (and I can only talk my tastes) like into something you think...jeez, what was I thinking.
Tom Tom said:
Thank you for posting. Looking at the photo i can't see many adjustments which couldn't be made in Lightroom but in the second pic seems to add some nice golden light on the foreground rocks.

Nikon_Nick - I was responding to ST4 but of course feel free to post an examples yourself :)
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I use Aperture. LR may have more features and tools than Aperture.
 
ST4 said:
I was meaning my own tastes. It is every easy to over process and turn something you (and I can only talk my tastes) like into something you think...jeez, what was I thinking.

.
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We've ALL done that mate - LOADS of times :D

Wasn't having a 'go' btw :)

Dave
 
I've been doing some fungi photography which by definition is in dark overgrown places. The Gold reflector tool in Color Efex works wonders on them.
 
Nik software plugins are great for quick and easy enhancements, especially if you shoot in raw. You can of course achieve the same effects by other pp means but I find they make the workflow quicker and easier.
The trick is to know what and how much to apply. Its a good idea to step away from the screen and come back as you may then notice that you have overcooked something. Use the layer opacity or fill slider to change the percentage of the effect to suit your style. You can also apply the effect selectively to some parts of the image only.
 
canon_togger said:
Nik software plugins are great for quick and easy enhancements, especially if you shoot in raw. You can of course achieve the same effects by other pp means but I find they make the workflow quicker and easier.
The trick is to know what and how much to apply. Its a good idea to step away from the screen and come back as you may then notice that you have overcooked something. Use the layer opacity or fill slider to change the percentage of the effect to suit your style. You can also apply the effect selectively to some parts of the image only.
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I tend to do that, I look at some and think OMG overdone . A nights sleep can do wonders. But I am very conservative with PP
 
pjm1 said:
Steve - I think what your photos highlight is the quality of the SOOC shots. Any PP or tool is only going to polish something. If you start off with cr@p, you're going to end up with polished cr@p. And a messy duster.
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Oh aye. Rubbish in, Rubbish out. I tend to ETTR to improve signal to noise, cut shadow recovery needs down and simply, I prefer bright and colourful to dark and contrasty. It's just my style. Colour fx cannot polish turds, but it can give subtle, simple improvements not possible in Aperture 3. If you use LR/PS, I am sure you can do it all without it, but it makes editing very easy and simple. Both things I like. I am not into IT, I am into photography.
 
ST4 said:
Oh aye. Rubbish in, Rubbish out. I tend to ETTR to improve signal to noise, cut shadow recovery needs down and simply, I prefer bright and colourful to dark and contrasty. It's just my style. Colour fx cannot polish turds, but it can give subtle, simple improvements not possible in Aperture 3. If you use LR/PS, I am sure you can do it all without it, but it makes editing very easy and simple. Both things I like. I am not into IT, I am into photography.
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Unfortunately, I'm into turd polishing at the moment ;)
 
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