NIK Processed Portrait

[rpcrowe]

In a continuing effort to experiment with the various filters in the NIK Software package, Especially Color Efex Pro, I modified this portrait with a combination of Dynamic Skin Softener, Lighten Center (which actually results in a bit of a vignetting), Glamour Glow and finished it with an Image Border...

While it sounds complicated, this only took about two minutes to accomplish...



I also did some additional sharpening on her eyes and I added some structure and saturation to her lips in Viveza...

[Shadowman]

Nicely done, care to share a peek at the original?

[RichardTaylor]

Very nice.

[shreds]

Richard, I really like the effects you have achieved with this.

Can I ask though, is there a slight shadow on the edge of her chin that runs up the far side of her face, surely not? Also personally I might crop about ½ inch off the base of the picture as it distracts from her face and eyes which are really the main focus. HTH.

Just my two cents.

[rpcrowe]

Ian mentioned, "Can I ask though, is there a slight shadow on the edge of her chin that runs up the far side of her face, surely not?"

I just noticed that... It is the shadow of some wisps of hair which I will work on to remove...

Art rge same time, I will try the crop you suggested.

That is one of the benefits of digital photography and a site like this, Getting feedback on our images. We can of course, implement the feedback or disregard it. I will certainly try to remove the hair shadow on her chin and will try the higher crop...

[IzzieK]

Shreds, I think that shadow on her chin is part of her hair...anyway, Richard, nice shot...just the right amount of softness.

[Digital]

Richard, Nice portrait. I agree with Ian that a crop on the base of the pic might produce a better image.


Bruce

[travis4567]

Richard, you do humans as well as you do dogs. Nice image .

[Donald]

Richard - You're getting a good command of the Nik packages. There is just so much to try and experiment with, isn't there?

Since acquiring the whole package and not just Silver Efex Pro, there are many times when I have used Color Efex Pro and/or Viveza (and sometimes Dfine for noise), ahead of the B & W conversion with Silver Efex Pro. I, of course, have a mind on B & W landscapes rather than portraiture, as in your case above.

With Color Efex Pro, my 'standard' filter was, until recently, 'Detail Extractor'. And it is still excellent when you want to work on a sky to bring out contrast between clouds and sky. But I have now discovered 'Tonal Contrast'. I find that a much more subtle and 'gentler' filter than 'Detail Extractor', which can be very aggressive if you go too far with it. For example, with this one, my challenge was separating the sky and the mountain. I did burn the sky a bit to darken it up, but it was the use of 'Tonal Contrast' that both brought out what I wanted to in the mountain itself and gave the clear defining line between mountain edge and sky.

[deetheturk]

Very nice Richard,a man of many talents!

David

[rpcrowe]

Richard - You're getting a good command of the Nik packages. There is just so much to try and experiment with, isn't there?

Donald,

I don't know about "getting a good command" but there is certainly a lot to experiment with, YouTube has some really wonderful videos on the NIK package. They range from short 3-5 minute tutorials on a specific subject to longer, full tutorials.

I love the detail extractor for landscapes - both monochrome and color. One of my favorite filters is the 'Structure" filter contained in Viveza and other portions of the NIK group. I like that you can apply a preset to an image but, then still have control to modify the parameters of that preset and I also like the ability to combine several filters.

I am just starting to explore the Analog filters and liked the wetplate look for my image of Abraham Lincoln.



I don't know what I would ever use the below filter for but, it gives a somewhat authentic look of a faded World War Two color image of this aircraft...



I thought about you the other day as I was watching a short NIK tutorial on how to balance the density of a monochrome sky using the zone system...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESamxjp-b18

Here's another portrait I played with using NIK in basically the same filter combination as the first. I am getting to like the glamour glow and skin softener filters. They don't seem to give a pasty and phony look to the skin. I think that I may do a "Favorite Filter Set" in Color Efex Pro for the way I like the female portraits done. That is another advantage of NIK.



I increased the saturation and structure of her lips using the Viveza control point system. I debated about getting rid of the stray hairs on both sides of her hairdo and decided to leave well enough alone...

[bnnrcn]

Very nice images Richard,I enjoy viewing them