Nik® Software HDR Efex Pro™ After the Shoot

2

Getting Started with HDR Efex Pro

HDR Efex Pro is a powerful and sophisticated plug-in. Yet its user-friendly, easy-to-learn interface and operation are designed in a way that masks the complexity of the processing that is creating the HDR image. To get the most out of HDR Efex Pro, however, you must understand the workflow and set up the program to give the results you desire.

This chapter gives a brief overview of the workflow and the computer system requirements that allow it to run efficiently. I finish by discussing how to customize the interface and adjust the preferences for efficient operation.

Overview of the Workflow

The HDR Efex Pro interface shown in Figure 2.1 is organized in a logical workflow left to right. The interface is divided into three sections called the Preset Browser, the Main Image Window, and the Control Palette. The positions of these sections are fixed; they cannot be undocked and moved to a different area of the interface or moved off to a second monitor.

The Preset Browser is where you choose an initial look for your HDR image. The Main Image Window displays the HDR image with the selected preset and adjustments as it will look when you save the image as an 8- or 16-bit file. The Control Palette contains the adjustment tools to customize the look of the preset that you applied.

see also

Chapter 4 discusses presets in detail. Chapters 5 through ...