Nik® Software HDR Efex Pro™ After the Shoot

9

Applying Local Corrections with Control Points

Unlike the global adjustments in Chapters 6 and 7, local, or selective, corrections are changes that affect only a portion of the HDR image. As effective as the global adjustments are in HDR Efex Pro, every HDR image can benefit from additional corrections to local areas.

Nik Software's patented U Point technology changed the entire process of applying local corrections with the introduction of Control Points. Control Points provide the same adjustments that are available globally, but with the ability to apply or remove the global adjustments in selective areas. This is as simple as clicking on an area of the image and making the adjustment.

Local Corrections Overview

After you adjust tone compression, select the HDR Method Strength, and make global adjustments, it is quite common that there are areas in the image that would benefit from additional adjustment.

Using a tool in the Global Adjustments section to adjust these local areas would result in the adjustment being applied to the entire image rather than to the local area. For situations where local adjustments are needed, Control Points provide an easy way to make highly localized changes.

The need for local changes can arise for many reasons. For example, the global controls in HDR Efex Pro, while creating an interesting overall effect, can have unwanted results locally. ...