seattleddc
Junior Forum Member
Posts: 82 
Open to constructive criticism of photos: Yes
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Post by seattleddc on Jul 25, 2016 9:11:34 GMT
Kind of a general question, but I'm wondering which plug ins people use, and more importantly, why? I have Topaz Adjust, Detail, Remask, Denoise, Imagenomic Portraiture, and Tiffen dfx. I use Portraiture for my skin smoothing, and Denoise for my shots at higher ISO's. But for things like Adjust, or Tiffen dfx, I think I just got them to get them, and I'm definitely not using them to their full effect. What are folks using, what are they happy with, and why? Thoughts?
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Post by Sydney on Jul 25, 2016 12:32:25 GMT
I have been enjoying the Google Nik collection of late, particularly Silver Efex Pro and Color Efex Pro. Silver Efex gives one the ability to create some very artistic looking black and white images while Color Efex, with its 54 filters, allows for some very creative effects, especially through filter stacking. Google has made it totally gratis. If you don't have it already you can download it from www.google.com/nikcollection/ |
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Jul 25, 2016 17:14:20 GMT
I started off using the Topaz products when I first started with PSE, but I am now using Lightroom for almost all of my post processing and only step into PSE if I do a composite project (as I have lately done) or need to do something that is better achieved in PSE than LR. I don't use Topaz as much any more and although I have OnOne and the Nik collection I haven't used them other than take a look.
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Post by Sepiana on Jul 25, 2016 17:34:13 GMT
I use the Topaz plug-ins quite often; they are my go-to plug-ins most of the time. I like that Topaz is always updating them, adding new features, etc.
I hardly use On1 Photo 10. I don't really see the need for it if you have Elements or Elements + Lightroom.
I have had the Nik Collection since the days you had to purchase it. I cannot remember the last time I used it. It has become a very "stagnant" set of plug-ins. Since Google took over Nik the only update was the addition of the Analog Efex plug-in. |
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Post by BuckSkin on Jul 25, 2016 18:28:03 GMT
We have had VirtualPhotographer (OpticVerve? I believe) --- FREE --- for some years now; I use it maybe on 5% of my images and my wife uses it and likes it a lot.
Although it will not plug-in to our E7, we have OnOne Perfect Effects 9.0, also FREE at the time; I use it a lot; what I really like about PE-9.0 is the ability to make and store your own effects for one-click use later on; I also really like the way it will display big previews of every effect in any particular folder; and another bonus that I find very handy, it will save a two-layer PSD with the beginning image on bottom and the PE image on top, both as PSD image layers; thus, I can apply/save several effects in PE-9.0 and alter them and stack them to a fare-the-well in E7
Thanks for reading.
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Post by BuckSkin on Jul 25, 2016 18:39:40 GMT
I have been enjoying the Google Nik collection of late, particularly Silver Efex Pro and Color Efex Pro. Silver Efex gives one the ability to create some very artistic looking black and white images while Color Efex, with its 54 filters, allows for some very creative effects, especially through filter stacking. Google has made it totally gratis. If you don't have it already you can download it from www.google.com/nikcollection/I just had a quick look at the google/Nik link; it says it will plug-in to E9-E13. We have E7. Does anyone know if this will work as a stand-alone, or does it only work as a plug-in ? I am going to download it either way while the getting is good --- and FREE. Thanks for pointing it out. |
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Post by Sepiana on Jul 25, 2016 18:52:00 GMT
I just had a quick look at the google/Nik link; it says it will plug-in to E9-E13. We have E7. Does anyone know if this will work as a stand-alone, or does it only work as a plug-in ?
I also have Elements 7. Yes, the Nik Collection is compatible with this version.
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Post by BuckSkin on Jul 25, 2016 19:44:35 GMT
I just had a quick look at the google/Nik link; it says it will plug-in to E9-E13. We have E7. Does anyone know if this will work as a stand-alone, or does it only work as a plug-in ?
I also have Elements 7. Yes, the Nik Collection is compatible with this version.
Thanks for clarifying that. |
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Post by hmca on Jul 26, 2016 0:09:45 GMT
A good question and one that all of us had at one time or another. It took me awhile before I ventured into using plug-ins.
Topaz. I have many of their plug-ins but the ones I like the best and use most often are Impression (I love the painterly looks that can be achieved but be sure to download a trial to see how this program works with your computer), Simplify and DeNoise (I have just discovered that DeNoise 6 has profiles built in for specific cameras and ISO pairings......it worked well on an image I was about to give up on just yesterday).
NIK Suite.....my go to plug-in for photo editing beyond PS/PE. Color Efex - The Polarizer, ProContrast, Remove Color Cast, Skylight and Reflector Effect are just a few of my favorites. Silver Efex....my go to plug-in for B/W images. Define...quick noise reduction. HDR Efex....occasionally
OnOne.....has become my starting place for images I want to add textures to. They have some presets that provide a good starting point and allow you to add your own textures. I prefer the results that I get with OnOne to Topaz Texture Effects....but that's just personal preference. Effects.....similar to NIK Color Efex but with built in masking. ReSize...great for enlarging images for print.
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Post by Sydney on Jul 26, 2016 4:17:58 GMT
I have been enjoying the Google Nik collection of late, particularly Silver Efex Pro and Color Efex Pro. Silver Efex gives one the ability to create some very artistic looking black and white images while Color Efex, with its 54 filters, allows for some very creative effects, especially through filter stacking. Google has made it totally gratis. If you don't have it already you can download it from www.google.com/nikcollection/I just had a quick look at the google/Nik link; it says it will plug-in to E9-E13. We have E7. Does anyone know if this will work as a stand-alone, or does it only work as a plug-in ? I am going to download it either way while the getting is good --- and FREE. Thanks for pointing it out. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ No worries mate - I am glad to have helped you. |
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Post by BuckSkin on Jul 31, 2016 0:58:14 GMT
Kind of a general question, but I'm wondering which plug ins people use, and more importantly, why? I have Topaz Adjust, Detail, Remask, Denoise, Imagenomic Portraiture, and Tiffen dfx. I use Portraiture for my skin smoothing, and Denoise for my shots at higher ISO's. But for things like Adjust, or Tiffen dfx, I think I just got them to get them, and I'm definitely not using them to their full effect. What are folks using, what are they happy with, and why? Thoughts? I forgot to mention probably my most used plug-in and it was FREE --- WireWorm Living in rural hill country like we do, it is nigh impossible to point a camera in any direction without a dozen wires being in the scene; WireWorm comes to the rescue. Also, we must live under a major jet airplane highway; one cannot look up without seeing half-a-dozen or more smoke trails across the sky; WireWorm works wonderfully in getting rid of those eyesores. |
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Post by srmoment on Jul 31, 2016 5:12:20 GMT
I start out with Elements, move into OnOne Enhance and Effects (love the ability to save my own presets), into Topaz Impressions2, other Topaz filters depending upon what I am trying, Topaz Texture Effects and finally finishing with OnOne Effects and Topaz Restyle. I found watching videos of various experts using both Topaz and OnOne was really helpful. I am currently trying to figure out how to achieve this elegant, simple effect [see link below] and haven't found a plug-in or technique that will enable me to do this. It's so sad that the creator of these images, Bahman Farzad, recently passed away. www.flickr.com/photos/21644167@N04/15183674869/in/faves-131260513@N07/ |
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Post by Sepiana on Jul 31, 2016 5:24:41 GMT
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Post by srmoment on Jul 31, 2016 5:28:51 GMT
Oh yeah!!! I am certainly going to check this out! Thanks Sepiana.
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Post by Sepiana on Jul 31, 2016 5:35:33 GMT
Pat, you are most welcome! Glad to help.
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