Nik Hdr Efex Pro 2 Manual
HDR EFEX PRO™. Getting Started. Table of Contents. 3 Installation. 4 Step 1 - Create an HDR image. 6 Step 2 - Alignment and Ghost Reduction. TIP 2: To tone map 32-bit images, launch the software by clicking on Filter > Nik Software > HDR Efex Pro. Manual exposure capabilities will also work. Nik hdr efex pro 2 download free. Multimedia tools downloads - HDR Efex Pro by Nik Software, Inc. And many more programs are available for instant and free download.
What do you need to know about free software?
Color Adjustments are important
Even (especially?) in HDR work
HDR Efex Pro 2 has a color adjustment section
Just don’t depend heavily on it for
Conventional White Balance corrections
Do your WB during pre-HDR RAW conversion
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HDR Efex Pro 2 Color Adjustments
HEP2 Tutorial – Part 7
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The NYC skyline images of this post are by R. C. Concepcion & are available for download at the bottom of his site.
Download them to follow along in future tutorials.
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The HEP2 Color adjustment window and
The Nik program manager’s discussion of it.
“The point of the Temperature and Tint Sliders is a different point than Warmth sliders, they do have a completely different function.
Since White Balance is an important topic, especially when merging an image series where
1) AWB [Ed. Auto White Balance] setting change throughout the exposure series, and
2) many HDR images are shot because there are different light sources with different Kelvin temperatures and color casts, we deemed it a necessary addition.
White Balance is a pertinent addition here, as the main preview is the only accurate space for color adjustment.”
I personally don’t feel that this approach is a totally adequate WB solution.
If you have WB concerns over an image
Do your WB correction in RAW conversion before sending the images to HEP2 (or to any other HDR program for that matter)
Nik & I don’t totally agree. Decide for yourself.
Note: The Nik PM does his WB in ACR during RAW conversion – before sending the files to HEP2. 😉
An aside – the PM’s AWB comment illustrates one of many reasons why I never use AWB.
A fixed (manual) WB is better – almost always.
I use Cloudy (even if it’s sunny) and avoid the problems caused by AWB.
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Here’s the theory behind the HEP2 approach (as given at Apple’s Aperture site).
“You use the White Balance adjustment controls to change the color temperature and color tint of an image. If an image has pixels that are supposed to be pure white, you can use the White Balance eyedropper to automatically adjust the color temperature and tint, or you can adjust the color temperature and tint manually. In most cases, the automatic adjustment succeeds in removing the color cast from the image. If the White Balance eyedropper does not completely remove the color cast from the image, you can use the Temp and Tint adjustment controls to fine-tune the adjustment.
Although Aperture can set the white balance of the image with great accuracy, sometimes you have to use a combination of these two methods to have the image appear with the warm or cool tonality you intended.”
What is missing in HEP2 as compared to Aperture (and other programs) is the eyedropper.
Aperture suggests that it can be done manually – true since all the eyedropper does is set the Temperature & Tint settings automatically
However, HEP2 makes even this difficult by showing temperature as (-100 to 100%)
Instead of the conventional Kelvin temperature scale
Way too much unnecessary trial & error time, better spent elsewhere
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I sent two sets of exposures to HEP2. One where WB was corrected during RAW conversion in ACR and one with the “as shot” WB.
Here’s a side-by-side of the HEP2 output (default preset).
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The proof (or not) of my reservations regarding the ability of HEP2 Color adjustments to make the left image look like the right is up to you.
If you’ve downloaded the HEP2 trial and
R.C. Concepcion’s images
You can reproduce my results easily.
Right, wrong, or indifferent I sampled the black rooftop at the lower left with the WB eyedropper. It should be close to a neutral (R=G=B) tone and that’s all that’s needed for a WB reference.
Regardless – pretend it is a valid WB reference and the conversion colors are correct.
Your challenge, should you care to accept it is (Mission Impossible music in background)
Create my two versions and then
Nik Efex Pro Download
Correct the left image’s color to match the right hand version
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This is part 7 of the HDR Efex Pro 2 tutorial.
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