Tag: Topaz Adjust

More Playing with Topaz Adjust

Posted on by Nick Roberts
He Retired in Kansas
Retired Kansas Farm Truck

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Here’s another image from Cawker, Kansas. I had a polarizer on my Nikkor 12-24 mm lens which really cut down on the glare and saturated the colors before any processing was done. Once again the sun was almost directly overhead but by using Topaz Adjust with the Spicify preset I was able to bring out the texture and patina on this old Ford farm truck. Spicify really enhanced the crazed windshield glass as well as the reflections inside the headlights.

The current version of Topaz Adjust has the ability to create layers of effects and control the amount and transparency they apply. Not only that, they have added a robust Vignette and Borders feature that didn’t exist in earlier version. I can also apply sharpening within the Topaz application which allows me to finish the image inside Topaz and eliminate the added step of returning to Aperture 3 for final sharpening.

Playing with Topaz Adjust

Posted on by Nick Roberts
Kansas Tractors
Kansas Tractors

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Today I thought I’d play around with some images of old tractors I came across in Kansas a couple of years ago. I was riding through there on my way to Utah when I spotted a junkyard full of farm equipment. As you can see from the shadows it was high noon which is usually thought to be a time of day to avoid shooting anything. I have found over the past few years that photos taken at this time of day seem to really respond to Topaz Adjust treatment.

This was a single frame that I first opened in Topaz Adjust. I used the Adjust 4 presets and chose Spicify as my starting point. I dialed it down a little before adding some color adjustments to the Cyan and Blue in Aperture 3. Before that I applied one of the vignettes and a black border in Topaz Adjust.

West of the Wharf

Posted on by Nick Roberts
Louisville Shoreline
Louisville Shoreline

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This image was taken on the west end of the Louisville riverfront between the Third Street Wharf and the McAlpine Locks. The source files are all bracketed HDR images that were merged in NIK HDR Efex Pro 2 where they were first tone mapped before returning the merged file to Aperture 3 and then processing it in OnOne Perfect Effects where I applied a slight vignette.

Under the Interstate
Under the Interstate

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This image is from under Interstate 64  just past 6th Street. The view is looking east toward the Kennedy Bridge. Once again NIK HDR Efex Pro 2 was used to merge the three bracketed files. After that was done I opened it in OnOne Perfect Effects where I experimented with stacking several different effects to bring out the colors and contrast in the scene. I really should write down what I use but many times I am experimenting and go through many different filters before settling on a particular one. One feature I really like about using the OnOne Perfect Effects filters is that they can be stacked and that I can control the amount of strength I want by varying the opacity of each one and stacking several filters together using the layers feature. I then finished the image in my normal way using Aperture 3.

Solitary Sentinel
Solitary Sentinel

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This is an image from a merged bracket set processed in NIK HDR Efex Pro 2 and finished in Aperture 3. The bridges in the background are K&I Railroad bridges that connect west Louisville to New Albany, Indiana.

Ninth Street Ramps
Ninth Street Ramps

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This final image is also Processed in NIK HDR Efex Pro 2, OnOne Perfect Effects and Aperture 3.

Combining Different Maker’s Software

Posted on by Nick Roberts
Big Four Lighting #1
Big Four Lighting #1

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Last night I was playing around with some images I shot last week from the Big Four Bridge at sunset. I was intrigued by the patterns that the lights cast on the deck and how they contrasted with the somber sky above. The images were all created from three frame bracket sets of, -2, 0, +2 Exposure Values. The artificial lights on the ramp were set to red and I thought I would experiment with the resulting photos after merging and tone mapping them in NIK HDR Efex Pro 2.  For this image I took the HDR image into Aperture 3 and adjusted several sliders in the exposure, enhance and sharpening panels before loading it into OnOne Perfect Effects where I added a vignette. The OnOne suite is another iceberg that I have barely seen the tip of; the range of effects that are available and the ability to combine them in layers within the software leads to an infinite range of looks to explore. Anything you build up in the layers can be exported as a custom preset which you can then apply to similar images and get consistent results.

Big Four Lighting #2
Big Four Lighting #2

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 This image is another HDR that I merged in NIK HDR Efex Pro 2. I was pleasantly surprised by how the colors of the red lights combined with the silvery blue of the overhead LED lights to create such an incredible color palette. I kept the anti-ghosting set at 20%  which allowed the fast moving clouds to soften and blur as well as keeping the lone runner on the bridge in a state of motion too. I used Photoshop CS5 to do some lens correction and straightening to the image before finishing it with Aperture 3.

Big Four Lighting #3
Big Four Lighting #3

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This image too is a three frame HDR but in this case I stayed within NIK HDR Efex Pro 2 to enhance and play around with the colors before taking it into Aperture 3 where I further altered them with the Vibrance slider. After that I simply sharpened the image and adjusted the horizon using the straighten tool in Aperture 3.

Big Four Lighting #4
Big Four Lighting #4

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This final image is also an HDR with some OnOne adjustments and final finishing in Aperture 3. I’m beginning to discover more and more ways that combining different software from different makers can open more avenues of expression in my photography.

On a similar note there seems to be a price war going on right now between the software makers, NIK has some incredible pricing like their entire Suite for $149.00, you can add in a 15% additional discount if you use the discount code MOATS at checkout. OnOne is having a spring sale at 40% off; you can see what they are offering by clicking on the OnOne Banner in the sidebar on this page. Topaz hasn’t announced anything yet but I suspect they will be joining in on this discount war soon. There is also a link for Topaz in the sidebar. I am an affiliate for OnOne and Topaz so clicking on the banners allows me to earn a small commission should you decide to order anything.

One more plug here is for my good friends at Outdoor Photo Gear whose banner is also in the sidebar. These guys and gals are the friendliest and most knowledgable photo gear suppliers I have ever done business with. They run specials all the time and I would recommend you take a look at their site too.

 

The Rivet Choppers

Posted on by Nick Roberts
The Rivet Choppers
The Rivet Choppers

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Another crop from Thomas and Perry shows how different an image can be made through thoughtful cropping. I am not suggesting that photographers should not attempt to frame the final image in camera; I’m only showing that one needs to be open to the possibilities that thoughtful cropping offers.