Nik Software and HDR Efex Pro 2
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I notice that Nik software have just announced an update to their HDR software ‘HDR Efex Pro 2’
Last year I wrote a lengthy review of HDR Efex Pro, and was very pleased to see, how with care it was possible to avoid much of what I’ve long considered the more obvious excesses of much of what gets labelled ‘the HDR Look’. I’m looking forward to writing an updated review, looking at what’s changed.
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Key improvements/features are listed (Nik Info) as:
- NEW: Improved Tone Mapping Engine — Better colour rendering and improved natural styles
- NEW: Depth Control — Added depth and realism in images and helps with the new and proprietary Depth control, which helps counteract the flattened look commonly associated with HDR images
- NEW: Full GPU Processing and Multi-Core Optimization — Faster performance with GPU processing
- UPDATED: Ghost Reduction — Improved ghost reduction algorithm ensures that artifacts created by moving objects are removed with a single click
- NEW: Chromatic Aberration Reduction — Reduce colour fringes around objects
- UPDATED: Interface, Interaction, and Workflow — Improvements to the merging interface, tone mapping and enhancement controls, visual presets, and more
- NEW: Graduated Neutral Density Control — Access the full 32-bit depth of the merged image, providing a natural effect especially on images with a strong horizon line
- NEW: Full White Balance Control — A new Tint slider, which along with the Temperature slider, can be applied both globally as well as selectively using U Point technology
- NEW: History Browser — Review adjustments and different HDR looks via the History Browser which records every enhancement used in an editing session
- NEW: Extended Language Support — Addition of Brazilian Portuguese and Chinese (Simplified and Traditional) to a list of languages that includes English, French, Spanish, German, Italian, and Japanese
It’s software I do like for night time use, with this (HDR Efex Pro and Nik Silver Efex pro 2) image featuring in my own recent architectural photography exhibition.
The Guildhall and Cathedral, Leicester
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Keith | Nov 29, 2012 at 9:48 am
I’ve actually got all the materials for writing up the long overdue HDR Pro 2 review, and have used it for a few images, including some of my night time B&W prints (floodlit buildings).
As to using HDR in CS5, I’ve never really seen results I like and have had more success with manually blending, multiple raw conversions or exposures. This isn’t something I do very often.
Unless done very ‘lightly’ HDR images are rarely satisfactory for what I’m looking for.
Sorry, but HDR with photoshop is well down the list to cover ;-)
Lynn Allan | Nov 29, 2012 at 4:20 am
I’ve been disappointed with the results of the “Merge to HDR Pro” capability that is part of CS5/CS6, but perhaps it is a case of “a poor craftsman blames his tools”?
I’ve usually found that books from Martin Evening provide a good explanation of how a PS feature works, but that wasn’t the case with “Merge to HDR Pro”, at least for me.
Have your written, or considered writing, an article on CS5’s “Merge to HDR Pro”? Have you found guidelines of when it works ok, and when it doesn’t?