Author Topic: Nik Software (Read 3824 times)

The Mighty Jungle · « **on:** May 03, 2013, 09:11 »

Does anyone here use Nik Software? And... are images processed in Nik Software even accepted on the major sites... specifically, istockphoto?

mlwinphoto · « **Reply #1 on:** May 03, 2013, 09:31 »

I use all the programs with the exception of Sharpener Pro (although if I were printing I would be using that one as well). I use Define occasionally but since I shoot at 100 ISO (with a D800) I rarely have issues with noise.
I've started doing quite a few black and white conversions (Silver Efex Pro) and have had good success getting those accepted on iStock.....even had a few sales, which is a rarity with any file type for me lately.
I use Color Efex and Viveza on files where I feel those programs would be more beneficial, or easier, in obtaining the final result I want than LR or PS would be. And, yes, they do get accepted at iStock.
Like any form of processing you need to be careful that you don't overdo it. Used in moderation you shouldn't have any problem getting Nik processed images past the inspectors.

Pinocchio · « **Reply #2 on:** May 03, 2013, 09:48 »

I have the Nik suite. It's a recent acquisition that I'm still tinkering with, so not much solid experience.

The way you framed your question leads me to believe you are concerned that using Nik might be synonymous with over-processing. If that's the case, you've no need to be concerned; my tinkering has already taught me that I can produce "nice" results that match the stuff I already have on iStock (very, very small portfolio). I believe I can use Nik and get images accepted at iStock - but I haven't uploaded there for a while, and I'm not expecting to upload again until they get their act together (Google Drive, best match agony, new uploads vanishing into a black hole, etc).

The key difference I find between using the Nik suite and my Photoshop CS4 Extended is that Nik has automated quite a lot of stuff, so it's a bit like a bunch of PhotoShop actions with control knobs you can adjust. I'm not sure how I feel about Nik's "automation", but I like to know how everything gets done, and I'm reluctant to use any recipe just because it works. Based on my little experience I think that the Nik suite has some pretty sophisticated internals that I find especially apparent in the DFine2 noise reduction.

If you have CS4 or later and are fluent with use, you may not get much from Nik; if you struggle with the intricacies, and want something that's simpler but still very powerful, Nik might do the job.

Nik has a whole bunch of educational videos on-line; some are very basic, but provide a solid indication of what it takes to use the software.

Hope this helps..

Regards

falstafff · « **Reply #3 on:** May 03, 2013, 11:24 »

Used them for years and a golden rule especially with the HDR is to stick to "realistic". The silver black/white is great. No problem in getting images accepted as long as its used in moderation.

roede-orm · « **Reply #4 on:** May 03, 2013, 12:36 »

I used them for years too, especially the Color Efex Pro filters and Dfine. No problems in any agency. röde-orm

The Mighty Jungle · « **Reply #5 on:** May 08, 2013, 07:10 »

Thanks everyone for this great feedback... And, you're right Pinocchio... my biggest concern is getting the images accepted at istockphoto.... looks like using NIK software in moderation is the key...

By the way, I was tooling around the internet looking for more info on Nik and found the Nik Radio podcast by Scott Sheppard... I've listened to several of these podcasts so far and have enjoyed them all..... Scott does a great job of interviewing a variety of professional photographers about their lives, their techniques, tips, tricks, and a bit about Nik software, Lightroom, Photoshop, etc...

Pinocchio · « **Reply #6 on:** May 08, 2013, 08:09 »

Now that I have a day or two more experience I will say that I really like the effect of increasing "Structure" in Viveza 2; not sure what it does exactly, seems to be a combination of sharpening and increase in contrast...

DFine 2 also did a very good job of noise reduction on one of my panoramas; shot with a D300 at ISO 800 (something I normally avoid like the plague), it was very noisy and had lots of grain even after my standard NR treatment.

Regards