NIK Colour Efex 4 Help

[Tom Pryor]

Dennis, I know that you have this software. In Detail Extractor and Tonal Contrast when applied to my photo in does the whole image, and I just want a certain part to be done. How do I go about doing this as I have a few photos that I tried out and the results are not what I want. Any help woould be great.

[Dennis]

Hi Tom,

You have to understand that the filter is applied to the whole image in both of the filters that you had mentioned. I noticed that as well, when I was playing around with them with the demo version and now with the registered version.
The thing is that yes this can be fixed and very easy to do.

Detail Extractor will do first. There are a few adjustments that you can make here, adjust the Detail Extractor slider to where you want the details, and adjust your contrast as well, now select the Effect Radius, and set it for fine as I find that works very well for me. I did find that when I have water in the background that it seems to enhance it a bit to much for my liking. So what I do is go to the control points you will see one with a plus and minus, click on the minus and put it in an area that you don't want the effect, make sure to turn down the opacity on it. You should see the changes right away, and hold the ALT key on the first control point and drag it to the other areas

Tonal Contrast, here is where you neeed to play aroound with the sliders a bit. The backgrounds are the ones that you may want to adjust and I found for water in the background that I adjust the midtones slider and it seems to make a big difference to the image. Again the Contrast Type I set to fine, but you can change to what suits the image. Once again the minus control points would be the other option.

Just play around with the filters you use the most and watch the results when you move the sliders for each filter. Also try the control points, add them to the image and see the results. That is what I have done and have it pretty well in hand now.

[Tom Pryor]

Thanks for the explanation and understand the minus control point, but confused on where I would use the plus in the filter? What you are saying in the tonal contrast filter is to move the sliders first before using the control points correct. And in the detail extractor I would only have the minus control point to remove the area from the photo. Need to just sit and play with thios software, but loving the results I have seen from your photos.

[Dennis]

Thanks for the explanation and understand the minus control point, but confused on where I would use the plus in the filter? What you are saying in the tonal contrast filter is to move the sliders first before using the control points correct. And in the detail extractor I would only have the minus control point to remove the area from the photo. Need to just sit and play with thios software, but loving the results I have seen from your photos.

No probblem at all, and yes the Tonal Contrast move the sliders first to get a feel for what is changed, and if the results are not what you want than use the control points.
As for the Detail filter, adjust the slider and if you don't like the what you see in the subject again use the control points.

Now I have to say that I have only used the minus control points thus far, and I will be seeing what happend with the Plus control points, need to understand that portion of the software, and maybe an easier work around?

[Tom Pryor]

No probblem at all, and yes the Tonal Contrast move the sliders first to get a feel for what is changed, and if the results are not what you want than use the control points.
As for the Detail filter, adjust the slider and if you don't like the what you see in the subject again use the control points.

Now I have to say that I have only used the minus control points thus far, and I will be seeing what happend with the Plus control points, need to understand that portion of the software, and maybe an easier work around?

Dennis, thanks for taking the time for your help and I ran some tests and have now been happy with the results this was a big help. It all comes down to practice.

Thanks a bunch.