![nik collection workflow nik collection workflow](https://lenscraft.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Using-the-Nik-Collection-in-Lightroom-1200x900.jpg)
If you would like to purchase any of the fine products from Nik Software, please use my code DSMITH at checkout and receive a 15% discount off your order! It certainly cut hours out of my total time and I delivered the images on time and confident that they can be used from large display prints to web displays. So the next time you are facing a large project and you don’t want to sacrifice quality, try this method. Start to finish, I can oftentimes get through an image in minutes rather than hours. This holds true with anything that appears soft in nature. If I have a sky for example, I’ll oftentimes not sharpen that portion of the image.
#Nik collection workflow pro#
Lastly, I use Nik Sharpener Pro 3.0 oftentimes brushing in the sharpness at varying opacities on different areas of the image.
![nik collection workflow nik collection workflow](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/4175VvDlw-L._SX342_SY445_QL70_ML2_.jpg)
Lastly, I save my file as a TIFF, then in PS I go to Image>Duplicate and re-size that file for whatever output I desire. I’ll also at times add a Warm preset then add a Cool preset on top and blend the two – there are so many options! Some of my favorite presets are the Perceptual Colors. There are many new presets to choose from along with setting your own controls. Next I click on the Add Filter button (CEP-4 now allows for layering) and go to the Brilliance/Warmth filter. I open the photo into Pro Contrast then click on the third preset down the list, Dynamic Contrast (this is new in CEP-4). Next, using the new Color Efex Pro 4.0, correcting contrast has just become simple! I like working to get the proper contrast first as changes to tonality affects the saturation of color. It is important to do your noise reduction on the front-end of your workflow as it always yields better results. My first step is to open the image into Nik DeFine 2.0 and allow the auto mode to do its thing. Thanks to the awesome products from Nik Software, my editing workflow gets even simpler. Now it’s time to open my image into Photoshop CS5. By the Way, many of these settings can be saved as Camera RAW Defaults. The image is now ready to open into Photoshop. Lastly, I set my Camera Profile to ACR 4.4, then go to Lens Correction and placed a checkmark next to Enable Lens Profile Correction. One key is to set the bit rate to 16-bits to allow for an expanded tonal and color range while editing in PS (I reconvert back to 8-bit once finished processing the file). I turn off all sharpening, noise reduction and curve adjustments (this will be done later). I do set highlight/shadow points, but then I back them off just a tad.
![nik collection workflow nik collection workflow](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/AYz77jqnHDg/maxresdefault.jpg)
Basically, I like to exit my RAW processor with a somewhat flat image. My attention first turned towards simplifying my RAW processing in Adobe Camera Raw. Having worked the math, I realized that I had to come up with a simplified workflow. I did entertain thoughts of shooting in JPEG mode, but knew I would compromise the ability to massage my file to its fullest potential. I’m not sure about you, but I can spend anywhere from 30 – 90 minutes per image when working on my RAW landscape files. What I thought would be a somewhat simple project turned into six location shoots at various times of several days spanning two weeks and resulting in 95 edited RAW captures. Recently I volunteered to photograph my son’s High School (Monterey Bay Academy) for a new website and related recruiting material that the school was putting together.
#Nik collection workflow iso#
Canon 1DsMKIII, 70-200mmL f/16, 1/4th-second shutter, ISO 100, Singh-Ray Circular Polarizer, Lexar Digital Media - Yosemite National Park