[MrB]

Good image, Graham, showing appropriate use of the HDR technique. It's a wonderful structure - what is it and where?

Cheers.
Philip

[GrahamS]

Philip, its St Albans Cathedral. You can read more about the history of the cathedral here: https://www.stalbanscathedral.org/histor...f-st-alban

Here is another interior shot also processed from three exposures, same exif data as the previous:
   

This is the Cathedral; Canon 30e, EF 28-105mm f3.5-5.6 USM, Kodak Gold 200
   

[WDHewson]

Great thread guys, about post processing.

Who knows what really goes on in our cameras that is not within our control with all the processing algorithms and wavelength sensitivities of the sensor. Then, too, our computer displays are full of "processing" which is probably not within our control.

Then compound this with the human eye and our "cranial algorithms" built up during decades of life.

It all seems to reduce to the "eye of the beholder"

Then talk about image processing, we have the pano by iphone of Ball's Bridge across the Maitland River. Had to offer an image............

[Jocko]

Interesting image. I like that.

[GrahamS]

Amazing what can be done with a P&S ....

[MrB]

Philip, it's St Albans Cathedral.

I wondered if it might be. Living only a few miles away, I have lots of images of the cathedral, interior and exterior. There is a small set in the "Buildings & Homes" thread:
http://www.shuttertalk.com/forums/Thread...#pid104694

Cheers.
Philip

[Freeman]

Jeff,
I do my conversion from raw using Lightroom 6.5.1. I have all the noise reduction and sharpening switched off in Lightroom and I have all sharpening switched off in camera.
My first edit in Nik is Dfine 2 Noise Reduction. I do all my Nik processing in TIFF, ProPhoto RGB, 16 bit and 300 resolution. I find that the default setting for Dfine is perfect for all bar noisy images. I then use Sharpener Pro 3: RAW Presharpener. I usually use the default setting, but sometimes I increase the Adaptive Sharpening to 55 or 60% and may also increase the Sharpen edges.
I use Viveza 2 if I have an area I want to either increase or decrease the Structure. I use Structure decrease to throw background that little bit out of focus.
I use Color Efex Pro 4 quite a bit for the Graduated ND filter. Great for slightly darkening the top of the sky (or sometimes the immediate foreground). I sometimes use the colour Grad filter for sky effects.
Silver Efex Pro 2 is great for creating Black and White conversions. Or for "old fashioned" looks and making images look like old faded images.
To finish off I use Sharpener Pro 3: Output Sharpener. I use this in two stages. I do any Creative Sharpening first, turning Output Sharpening off altogether. I then export that image as a 16 bit TIFF file. This is my default storage.
When I come to use the image, either for printing, for display, or for posting here, I first resize it for the use I intend it for, then, using Sharpener Pro 3: Output Sharpener, I sharpen it for the output medium (usually display). I then convert to JPEG, and use that image for the output.
John.

Hi all

This is a highly informative and helpful thread so huge thanks for all the contributions. I liked Graham's second image of the inside of the cathedral enormously and will aim to replicate that approach and style in some of my images. I'm pleased the water rail raised a positive comment. It's very different waiting for a fleeting glimpse of a small bird among the reeds and I was pleased with the shot and also the NIK impact. Totally sympathise with Dave1712 clear thinking on creativity and realism and I think the forum is pretty embracing and tolerant of differing styles but this thread suggests there is room for more of the same.

But I reserve a special word about John's contributions because I think to take the time and troubles he has to provide a blow by blow account of the use of NIK and provide examples at different stages is priceless. My questions now are:

1. John, why employ define 2 before pro sharpener 3? I though sharpening in itself could produce a little noise so t'other way round would have been intuitive.

2. Do you use PS print mode for your final export? What resizing process do you use?

So thanks again. I am now quickly enough using NIK but I remain to process in my mind and perhaps adopt John's default storage and final output procedure.

Regards all, Jeff

[Freeman]

Here's two more very different images I NIK'd for your thoughts.

1. Galapagos you do not visit for landscapes or beauty. This image was pretty drab to the effect that I couldn't see it being used. I think it now is actually a little evocative all thanks to NIK.

2. This marine iguana was to be honest a bit shaky and lack lustre but he is looking quite nice in the eye of this beholder now though I dithered about darkening the bottom of the picture. He's about 15-18 inches long.

Any re-edits most welcome...

Learning process continues....

Regards

Jeff

[Jocko]

My questions now are:

1. John, why employ define 2 before pro sharpener 3? I though sharpening in itself could produce a little noise so t'other way round would have been intuitive.

2. Do you use PS print mode for your final export? What resizing process do you use?

The reason I use noise reduction before RAW Sharpening is because any noise that is there is sharpened and enhanced. It was either a YouTube video or one of the books I bought, on Nik Software, that told me to do it that way round. I am not adversed to a further round of Dfine 2, later in the process, if required.

I use Lightroom to export my images, but only to file. I very seldom make a physical print. With regard to resizing, to resize for publishing here, I use ACDSee 19's batch resize function.

[Jocko]

By the way. Two nice images, Jeff.

[GrahamS]

Jeff, those images certainly grab my attention, but I need to think about the reason why. I'm not sure that it's the content and not the treatment.

[Freeman]

Thanks, John for the extra info, most helpful.

Graham I fully sympathise. It's something I sometimes wonder about when looking at photographic images. My only thought is that in this case the content would not I think grab your attention as it was before processing...!

Regards

Jeff

[EdMak]

Beastie looks a bit odd, to me, but, never met one. The view, has something, jury still out, post the original? Cheers. Ed.

[MrB]

In discussions of images such as these, it seems likely that many of us will not have the experience of seeing similar real scenes. Bearing that in mind, in my view the processing of these two natural subjects appears have moved them just a bit too far towards unnatural for me.

Cheers.
Philip

[Jocko]

The Iguana seems to have been over sharpened slightly, perhaps a bit to much Structure added.

[Freeman]

Hi guys

Have a look at someone else's marine iguana image here:

https://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=h...QEQUx5oO78=

For size, see attached picture...

See what you think...

Jeff

[JOE19]

You or your wife can probably get a refund and then you get a new present

I use Nik Software for all my post processing. My wife BOUGHT it for my Christmas, last year! I think their Noise Reduction and Sharpening software is the best available. It is just that the over produced images most photographers associate with HDR is not for me. This HDR image of mine, posted previously on the Critique thread, uses the effect to increase the dynamic range and nothing else.


This HDR image was Merged in Lightroom 6.5.1.

[Jocko]

Unfortunately they only give a refund if you bought it in 2016. Mine was bought and paid for around October 2015. The only luck I ever have is bad luck!

[JohnF]

What are the advantages of NIK compared to Photoshop?

[JOE19]

Unfortunately they only give a refund if you bought it in 2016. Mine was bought and paid for around October 2015. The only luck I ever have is bad luck!

I bought mine on 10th Feb 2015

[Jocko]

I bought mine on 10th Feb 2015

And did you get a refund?

[JOE19]

I bought mine on 10th Feb 2015

And did you get a refund?

Yes I did, in full. All for the cost of asking and giving them the purchase date.

[Jocko]

Thanks. I'll give it a shot.

[Jocko]

My questions now are:

1. John, why employ define 2 before pro sharpener 3? I though sharpening in itself could produce a little noise so t'other way round would have been intuitive.

The reason I use noise reduction before RAW Sharpening is because any noise that is there is sharpened and enhanced. It was either a YouTube video or one of the books I bought, on Nik Software, that told me to do it that way round. I am not adversed to a further round of Dfine 2, later in the process, if required.

Found a workflow system on Nik's own site and they advocate RAW Presharpener before Dfine 2, so I am trying that way round now. Don't see any difference in the end result!

[jogesh12345]

I have no experience with NIK software. Edited photos look awesome. I will try.