Tag: NIK HDR Efex Pro

Miles Lake Morning / Using Reflections to Add Interest

Posted on by Nick Roberts
Miles Lake Morning #1
Miles Lake Morning #1

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When I went out to the Parklands the other morning I was hoping to get a dramatic sunrise but the eastern sky was empty. I decided to hike along the southern shore of Miles Lake to see if there might be something else in there to photograph. About half way to the end of the lake I looked behind me and saw that there was a weather front moving in from the west. I noticed that the clouds were creating an interesting reflection in the placid surface of the lake so I set up my tripod and shot a three frame bracket at -2, 0, and +2 EV.

Back home in my studio I opened the three images in NIK HDR Efex Pro 2 where I merged them and since the morning had been calm I only applied 20% anti-ghosting to the merged files. Once they were merged I applied the Deep #1 preset and made some adjustments to the contrast, white, blacks, shadows and highlights sliders. I then returned the image to Aperture 3 where I adjusted the recovery and vibrance sliders very slightly before sharpening and saving the image.

Beckley Creek Panorama

Posted on by Nick Roberts
Beckley Creek Morning
Beckley Creek Morning

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This is another 3 exposure HDR image processed in NIK HDR Efex Pro 2 and Aperture 3. I used the Balanced preset in NIK HDR Efex Pro 2 after merging the three exposures with a 20% anti-ghosting setting. My goal was to recreate the scene in as realistic a way as I could while still exploiting the increased tonal range that HDR provides.

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Memo From the Department of Shameless Self Promotion

I am still accepting participants for my next HDR Workshop on May 17-18, 2013 here in Louisville. The last session was a great success; the participants all felt that it was time well spent and were applying the things they learned the next day. Here’s a link to the sign up page at Outdoor Photo Gear.

http://outdoorphotogear.ticketleap.com/using-hdr-photography/

 

“Using HDR Photography to Create Your Own Personal Style” Workshop Scheduled

Posted on by Nick Roberts
Alabama Morning #3
Alabama Morning #3

The link below will take you to the registration page for this session.

http://outdoorphotogear.ticketleap.com/using-hdr-photography/

I will be conducting a workshop  “Using HDR Photography to Create Your Own Personal Style” at Outdoor Photo Gear’s classroom facility May 17 and 18 here in Louisville, KY.

In this workshop, I will cover the techniques and tools that are needed to enter the fantastic world of High Dynamic Range photographs, and how to give those images your own personal style.

Workshop times are Friday May 17 from 7:00 – 9:00 PM and Saturday May 18 from 9:00am – 5:30 pm.

I will be teaching workshop attendees how to use the powerful NIK HDR Efex Pro 2 software as well as other NIK plugins for Photoshop, Lightroom and Aperture 3 to create HDR images that range from Hyper Realistic and Super Saturated to pleasing realistic photos. This small group workshop will be extremely hands on, and each attendee will leave understanding the key elements of processing HDR images to create their own style.

Swing Garden Spring

Posted on by Nick Roberts
Swing Garden
Swing Garden Spring

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I think one of my favorite parts of Louisville Waterfront Park is the Swing Garden. I like the peaceful feeling that it instills in me as I gently swing and watch the river or listen to the sounds of the city humming in the air. I especially like to be there in the morning when there aren’t many other people using it. The geometric design of the plantings and the landscape elements as well as the man made structures take on so many different aspects as the sun rises and shadows play across the garden.

As usual I shot a three frame bracket which I merged in NIK HDR Efex Pro 2 and finished in Aperture 3. I used the Deep 1 preset which I dialed back slightly in NIK HDR Efex Pro 2 before making some vibrance, contrast and sharpening adjustments in Aperture 3.

Black and White HDR

Posted on by Nick Roberts
Untitled
Untitled

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Sometimes simple is better….

I like using NIK HDR Efex Pro 2 for preparing black and white images. Using the bracketed exposures really helps intensify the textures and contrasts within an image. After merging the three exposures -2, 0, and +2 EV I returned the image to Aperture 3 where I applied a B&W setting with a blue filter. Some sharpening and contrast adjustments were applied and a slight vignette was used to finish the image.