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Hi All,

I find Nik Silver Efex does a great job with photos from my IR converted Sony W50 camera. They come out looking pretty red, but after a bit of structure slider and contrast adjustment, the end result is this:

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Until last week, I had never done a straight conversion from the camera. I always got the IR look in Photoshop and then used Nik. The problem with that was a lot more noise. I'm going to be shooting a lot with my IR camera now I know this! :)

Of course, Nik does a great job with photos from my other cameras too!

This is from the GRD III - structure slider, contrast and vignette:

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And this is one from the NEX-5 - similar process to above:

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James
 
James,

Thanks! It seems to be a crowd-pleaser.

It was a result of playing around with the Raynox M250 thread-on magnifier lens, which mounted directly to the Voigtländer 75mm f2.5 lens I'd brought. Shooting wide open at f2.5, the combination gave a minuscule depth of focus. When I got back to my computer and looked at it larger (27" iMac), I was amazed at the layers of focus and bokeh. I was able to lighten up the base using control points in Silver EFex Pro.

Cheers,
 
Each of these is beautifully done, James. Forgive me, I think I've been calling you Jimmy sometimes, due to your "handle". That first one in IR is very cool with the woman clad in stripes, the dog and that bridge span. The close up of the water droplets is lovely, but I think your last one is my favorite from this group.
 
Me, too, Andrew!!

I do like the frames, such as this one you've chosen but sometimes I'm too much of a "stickler" to allow it to eat away at my picture.

There's a lovely softness to this closeup. Black and white has so much to offer. Beautifully seen and done, Andrew.
 
When I use HDR I use preset "realistic subtle", balanced or strong, all depending on what I photographed. then I go to silver efex and convert to b&w. I have come to notice that this double layering process brings out more details and makes certain pictures more life like. I'm try to figure how to fix the bokeh on some of my pics after this technique, because this same process damages the look of the bokeh sometimes and that part doesn't look natural.
 
I'm not one to be critical of someone's work unless asked but I did notice what you are referring to.
It appears that the look is more in the midtones, almost like the Clarity slider in LR...
I'm watching until you figure this out.
Thanks for taking point on this....
Don
 
I'm new to PP and the Nik software as well, so it's all a work in process. So I will post any ideas I cone up with if I find a solution.
 
Alex, BB does some strange things with Nik stuff.
She goes in and out of the different programs and gets some interesting results.
She maybe could turn you on to some ideas, as well as get some from you....

BB, ... Oh BB.... Where you is....?
 
I do something similar with much of my B&W work, using Topaz Labs software to enhance contrast etc before conversion with Silver EFex Pro (1). I originally used Topaz Adjust, but found that it often introduced too many sharpening halos. I now use Topaz Detail and have re-created the effects I liked from Topaz Adjust to yield the same effects but without the halos.

I find that this introduces a texture and contrast within the image that responds well to B&W conversion, giving a more gritty, toothy look. It's a little unorthadox doing the sharpening before the conversion, but I find this yields the best result. All good fun!

Here's one from the GH1 with 14-140mm lens, taken at Golden Ears Provincial Park, BC.

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Ciao,
 
Very nice! Topaz...hmm, I have not ever used it. So many softwares... I may give it a whirl but may wait until the winter months when I tend to be stuck inside more. I do like that look - there's a film quality to my eyes, Simon.

I use Color Efex first often more than once and then go into Silver Efex and often go back in to Color and out again... It depends. I don't have a set processing method. I do have a few that I tend to use more, but recently have tried out the "lighten center" or something like that in Color Efex. Love Glamour Glow and Pro Contrast...and Graduated Neutral Density...
 
playing around with the structure and contrast on selected areas seems to be making a difference in producing a more smooth bokeh and my object of interest more detailed. I still think it can get better, but overall content with the latest results.


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really like Silver Efex too. The one plugin to me that is worth its price (in silver ;)
I have no real method. Usually try the different presets first, to see which one gets me the closest and then take it from there. I'm also a big fan of the U-points. Very powerful and intuitive...

Here are two shots taken with my Fuji F30:
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cheers,
Tilman
 
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