[Leica] Nik software

[pdzwig at summaventures.com (Peter Dzwig)]

Thanks Ken.

I will have to gey into control points. Mostly in PS I JUST use levels and 
dodge
and burn. I agree about the tinting in SEP. I find that the effects need to 
be
applied very sparingly. I don't find heavy sepia prints shot on a modern 
camera
convincing. I have seen quite a few recently and for me they just don't 
convince/

Peter

On 05/06/2016 23:51, Ken Carney wrote:
> I would just say learn how the control points work and what areas they 
> cover. 
> They are powerful and the best feature of SEP imho.  If you are fortunate 
> to
> have had darkroom b&w printing experience they will fall right in, like PS 
> burn
> and dodge layers.  I have not had any luck with any of the SEP presets and 
> don't
> use them.  I do like slightly warm-tone images, and the SEP toning option 
> for
> sepia, very slightly applied, is very good.  It's pretty easy to see when 
> you've
> gone too far since it will look...sepia.  Versace also has a PS warm-tone 
> action
> on his site that I like.  Also as I mentioned using SEP as a smart object 
> will
> save some time.  That's about it, I just had to experiment a lot.
> 
> Ken
> 
> On 6/5/2016 4:50 PM, Peter Dzwig wrote:
>> I'd add that I am beginning to use it, but find some of the film 
>> simulation
>> modes poor, eg Tri-X 400, BW400CN.
>>
>> I have a sort of so-so feeling about it: that if I understood it better I 
>> would
>> get results closer to what I am after. Perhaps that means it's time for 
>> some
>> reading! I don't find the online help answers my questions. Does anyone 
>> have any
>> SEP-specific recommendations in addition to Versace's book?
>>
>> Peter
>>
>> On 05/06/2016 00:55, Ken Carney wrote:
>>> I'll second that.  Steve Barbour mentioned Vincent Versace's book on b&w
>>> conversion ("From Oz to Kansas"), so I bought it and the video.  It 
>>> contains
>>> numerous b&w conversion techiques for PS, but...the best part was 
>>> suggestions on
>>> using SEP Pro, of which I believe he was one of the developers.  I use 
>>> SEP as a
>>> smart object in PS, so if desired I can go back and change things.  It 
>>> is also a
>>> LR plug-in.
>>>
>>> Ken
>>>
>>>
>>> On 6/4/2016 11:52 AM, Jayanand Govindaraj wrote:
>>>> Nathan,
>>>> There is no comparison between the Nik tools and what is available in
>>>> Lightroom, which IMHO, is basic in comparison. Silver Efex Pro is an
>>>> integral part of my B&W workflow, as are Color Efex Pro and Viveza for
>>>> other workflow. Then, again, I have been using these tools for a very 
>>>> long
>>>> time, since Nik first introduced them in Nikon's Capture RAW converters
>>>> (before Nik started selling them as stand alone tools), in fact, so I am
>>>> quite conversant with all that can be done. It is not a shallow learning
>>>> curve, but rather a steep one, and just the advantage of being able to 
>>>> work
>>>> on a small part of the frame at a time, via what are called "Control
>>>> Points", itself is worth the price you pay in learning to use the suite
>>>> properly. I am very comfortable with using this software, mainly because
>>>> the slog is behind me, whether you find it worthwhile or not is 
>>>> something
>>>> only you can decide. My advice would be to give it a fair go before
>>>> deciding one way or another.
>>>> Cheers
>>>> Jayanand
>>>>
>>>> On Sat, Jun 4, 2016 at 11:02 AM, Nathan Wajsman <photo at 
>>>> frozenlight.eu>
>>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Thanks Jim. But that is what I do in LR itself too, so I fail to see 
>>>>> the
>>>>> advantage of the extra software (and the additional image file that
>>>>> results).
>>>>>
>>>>> Cheers,
>>>>> Nathan
>>>>>
>>>>> Nathan Wajsman
>>>>> Alicante, Spain
>>>>> http://www.frozenlight.eu <http://www.frozenlight.eu/>
>>>>> http:// <http://www.greatpix.eu/>www.greatpix.eu
>>>>> PICTURE OF THE WEEK: http://www.fotocycle.dk/paws <
>>>>> http://www.fotocycle.dk/paws>Blog: 
>>>>> http://nathansmusings.wordpress.com/ <
>>>>> http://nathansmusings.wordpress.com/>
>>>>> Cycling: http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/belgiangator <
>>>>> http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/belgiangator>
>>>>> YNWA
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>> On 04 Jun 2016, at 07:23, Jim Nichols <jhnichols at lighttube.net> 
>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I seldom use one of their presets.  I work with the sliders and menu
>>>>> choices until I find something I like, and then come back to that 
>>>>> recipe as
>>>>> a starting point for the next image.
>>>>>> Jim Nichols
>>>>>> Tullahoma, TN USA
>>>>>>
>>>>>> On 6/4/2016 12:16 AM, Nathan Wajsman wrote:
>>>>>>> I stand correct. Tried Silver Efex Pro on an image, using Fuji Acros 
>>>>>>> as
>>>>> the preset. Still not sure I like it. When I compare the original image
>>>>> with the Silver Efex image, the latter seems harsh. Will have to play 
>>>>> some
>>>>> more, I guess.
>>>>>>> Cheers,
>>>>>>> Nathan
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Nathan Wajsman
>>>>>>> Alicante, Spain
>>>>>>> http://www.frozenlight.eu <http://www.frozenlight.eu/> <
>>>>> http://www.frozenlight.eu/ <http://www.frozenlight.eu/>>
>>>>>>> http:// <http://www.greatpix.eu/ <http://www.greatpix.eu/>>
>>>>> www.greatpix.eu <http://www.greatpix.eu/>
>>>>>>> PICTURE OF THE WEEK: http://www.fotocycle.dk/paws <
>>>>> http://www.fotocycle.dk/paws> <http://www.fotocycle.dk/paws <
>>>>> http://www.fotocycle.dk/paws>>Blog: 
>>>>> http://nathansmusings.wordpress.com/ <
>>>>> http://nathansmusings.wordpress.com/><http://nathansmusings.wordpress.com/
>>>>> <http://nathansmusings.wordpress.com/>>
>>>>>>> Cycling: http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/belgiangator <
>>>>> http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/belgiangator> <
>>>>> http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/belgiangator <
>>>>> http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/belgiangator>>
>>>>>>> YNWA
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> On 04 Jun 2016, at 06:55, Jim Nichols <jhnichols at lighttube.net> 
>>>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Nathan,
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Analog Efex Pro2 is not the same as Silver Efex Pro2.  Look around 
>>>>>>>> for
>>>>> Silver Efex Pro2.exe.
>>>>>>>> Jim Nichols
>>>>>>>> Tullahoma, TN USA
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> On 6/3/2016 11:51 PM, Nathan Wajsman wrote:
>>>>>>>>> I have downloaded the Nik suite from Google and have tried out the
>>>>> Silver Efex Pro (now called Analog Efex Pro).
>>>>>>>>> Am I the only one who finds the resulting images to have an
>>>>> over-processed, over-sharpened look to them? I did not tweak any 
>>>>> settings,
>>>>> just went with the automatic ones.
>>>>>>>>> I think I prefer my own adjustments in LR.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> I will play with it some more, and try Dfine as well for noise
>>>>> removal, but I suspect I will end up uninstalling this software.
>>>>>>>>> Cheers,
>>>>>>>>> Nathan
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Nathan Wajsman
>>>>>>>>> Alicante, Spain
>>>>>>>>> http://www.frozenlight.eu <http://www.frozenlight.eu/>
>>>>>>>>> http:// <http://www.greatpix.eu/>www.greatpix.eu
>>>>>>>>> PICTURE OF THE WEEK: http://www.fotocycle.dk/paws <
>>>>> http://www.fotocycle.dk/paws>Blog: 
>>>>> http://nathansmusings.wordpress.com/ <
>>>>> http://nathansmusings.wordpress.com/>
>>>>>>>>> Cycling: http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/belgiangator <
>>>>> http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/belgiangator>
>>>>>>>>> YNWA
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>>>>> Leica Users Group.
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>>>>>>>>> information
>>>>>>>>>
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>>>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>>>
>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
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>>> .
>>>
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
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> .
> 

-- 

===========================================================
Dr Peter Dzwig