Hi
Does anybody have experience working with the Nik Software plug in
Silver Effex Pro ?
I have a problem with the version I'm experimenting: the color filters don't work AT ALL when I'm working with a B & W image( not a conversion, but an original B & W image straight from the digital camera, in RGB mode).
If I convert a color image to a B&W image using this same Plug In,then the color filters do work.
I'm sorry, but something is missing,it might be a simple explanation,but I don't get it...
Can anybody help?
Thank you
Posted by David Rogers on January 22, 2009 at 2:22 PM
Are you setting the camera to shoot B&W and then recording the images as RAW files or jpg files? How are you then getting the images off the camera (card reader, connecting the camera to the computer, etc.)? When you pull the files off the camera do you use Lightroom or any other software? I assume you are using Photoshop with the Silver FX as a plugin.
Hi
I shoot straight B&W Raw (NEF) images( I 've got a Nikon D80).
Then I use a card reader and open the files in Capture NX, where I make the first adjustments.I save the file in JPEG, and make the final adjustments in Photoshop CS3.
But it seems that I cannot save the files as JPEG if I'm going to use Silver Effex Pro, the color filters don't work ...I need
to keep it as Raw files, make the adjustments in Silver Effex Pro, and save as PSD files, and later, if needed, as TIFF files if I'm going to print it or use Save for Web,(after resize it) for Web porposes.
If you have any other suggestion, please let me know.
Thank you very much
Posted by John Mumaw on January 22, 2009 at 8:52 PM
If you have any other suggestion, please let me know.
Sure...stop shooting in B&W mode with your camera.
It makes no sense at all when you're going to use a much more superior conversion method such as Silver Efex offers, which gives you so much more control over the final output.
Hi Fernando, I am neither sure if I understand your workflow-correctly, nor am I very knowledgeable in these things but here's my only suggestion:
jpgs are 8 bit files, so maybe you have to change to a 16-bit-file (->image->mode-> 16bit/channel)?
That's all I have to offer, sorry!
Thanks a lot for your suggestions
Dietrich: I already tried what you suggested, It doesn't work.
It seems that Silver Effex Pro was designed to CONVERT color images to b &w, with a straight B &W image the color filters simply cannot work.
Maybe it's time to follow Jonh's suggestion. but I'm a liitle stubborn , I really like to see the results on location. I guess I have to build a new workflow
Thanks again for your replys
Posted by Andre Joanisse on January 24, 2009 at 12:31 AM
Fernando,
from the Nik Software FAQ:
"What type of files does Silver Efex Pro work with?
Silver Efex Pro works with 8- and 16-bit images; RGB, CMYK and LAB color spaces. Silver Efex Pro will not work with images in the Grayscale mode."
So check which colour space you are using.
Also, note that Capture NX is the only raw processor, as far as I know, that will use the B&W conversion done in the camera. If you load your RAW NEFs in ACR or Lightroom, for example, you will see them in colour when you first load them, even if you shot them in B&W.
I also use Capture NX and Photoshop but not Silver Efex Pro.
Posted by David Bostedo on February 3, 2009 at 9:19 AM
Fernando - If you shot in B&W mode, there is simply no color information in the file for the filters to work on. That's why it can't work on images in B&W mode - there's nothing there to work on. One possibility is to shoot raw+JPEG, with the JPEG in B&W mode. Then convert the raw into a normal color image and use whatever method you like best to convert it to B&W.
Discussion
8 repliesDoes anybody have experience working with the Nik Software plug in
Silver Effex Pro ?
I have a problem with the version I'm experimenting: the color filters don't work AT ALL when I'm working with a B & W image( not a conversion, but an original B & W image straight from the digital camera, in RGB mode).
If I convert a color image to a B&W image using this same Plug In,then the color filters do work.
I'm sorry, but something is missing,it might be a simple explanation,but I don't get it...
Can anybody help?
Thank you
I shoot straight B&W Raw (NEF) images( I 've got a Nikon D80).
Then I use a card reader and open the files in Capture NX, where I make the first adjustments.I save the file in JPEG, and make the final adjustments in Photoshop CS3.
But it seems that I cannot save the files as JPEG if I'm going to use Silver Effex Pro, the color filters don't work ...I need
to keep it as Raw files, make the adjustments in Silver Effex Pro, and save as PSD files, and later, if needed, as TIFF files if I'm going to print it or use Save for Web,(after resize it) for Web porposes.
If you have any other suggestion, please let me know.
Thank you very much
Sure...stop shooting in B&W mode with your camera.
It makes no sense at all when you're going to use a much more superior conversion method such as Silver Efex offers, which gives you so much more control over the final output.
jpgs are 8 bit files, so maybe you have to change to a 16-bit-file (->image->mode-> 16bit/channel)?
That's all I have to offer, sorry!
Dietrich: I already tried what you suggested, It doesn't work.
It seems that Silver Effex Pro was designed to CONVERT color images to b &w, with a straight B &W image the color filters simply cannot work.
Maybe it's time to follow Jonh's suggestion. but I'm a liitle stubborn
Thanks again for your replys
from the Nik Software FAQ:
"What type of files does Silver Efex Pro work with?
Silver Efex Pro works with 8- and 16-bit images; RGB, CMYK and LAB color spaces. Silver Efex Pro will not work with images in the Grayscale mode."
So check which colour space you are using.
Also, note that Capture NX is the only raw processor, as far as I know, that will use the B&W conversion done in the camera. If you load your RAW NEFs in ACR or Lightroom, for example, you will see them in colour when you first load them, even if you shot them in B&W.
I also use Capture NX and Photoshop but not Silver Efex Pro.
HTH,
André