Mastering Nik Silver Efex Pro 3

The Secret to Dramatic Black & White Photography

Robin Whalley

Contents

Preface to the Latest Release

Introduction

Important

1. What Makes a Powerful Black & White Photo

Appropriate Tonal Range

Graphic Shapes – Spurn Point

Capture Light - Elgol Storm

Strong Contrast - Stanley Force Falls

Separation - The Abbey

Summary

2. Launching Silver Efex Pro 3

Adobe Photoshop

Nik Selective Tool

Lightroom

Affinity Photo

DxO PhotoLab

Capture One

Stand Alone

Non-destructive Editing

3. Exploring the Silver Efex Interface

Understanding the Interface Layout

The Preset Library Panel

The Custom Presets Panel

The Imported Presets Panel

The History Panel

Previews Modes

Zoom Level

The Adjustment Panels

Section Headings & Controls

The Loupe Viewer

The Histogram Panel

Menus and Action Buttons

The Preferences Dialog

Brush, Cancel and OK Buttons

Other Buttons

4. Global Adjustment Controls

Brightness Adjustment Sliders

Highlights Slider

Midtones

Shadows

Dynamic Brightness

Contrast Slider

Amplify Whites

Amplify Blacks

Soft Contrast

Contrast Summary

Structure

Fine Structure

Tonality Protection

The New ClearView Control

Colour Filters

Film Types

Original Grain

Colour Sensitivity

Levels & Curves

Film Grain

Finishing Touches

Toning

Vignette

Burn Edges

Image Borders

5. Selective Adjustments

Adding Control Points

The Control Point List

Other Control Point List Features

Duplicate Control Point

Grouping Control Points

Ungrouping Control Points

Control Point Protection

Control Point Sensitivity Controls

Control Point Adjustments

6. Editing Strategy

Stage 1: Initial Conversion to Black & White

Stage 2: Selective Adjustment

Stage 3: Finishing Touches

Worked Examples

7. Example 1 – Whitby Abbey

Assessing the Histograms and Zones

Colour Filters and Film Types

Global Adjustments Stage

Selective Adjustments Stage

Finishing Adjustments Stage

8. Example 2 – Whitby Pier

Global Adjustments

Selective Adjustments

Finishing Adjustments

9. Example 3 – Antelope Canyon

Global Adjustments

Finishing Adjustments

10. Example 4 – Lloyds Building

Optional Nik Color Efex Pro Pre-processing

Silver Efex Pro Processing

Selective Adjustments

11. Example 5 – Cathedral Window

Nik HDR Efex Pro Pre-Processing

Nik Silver Efex Pro

12. Final Thoughts

Other Books & Courses by Robin

Copyright © 2022: Robin Whalley

All Rights Reserved

Preface to the Latest Release

I published the first edition of this book in 2013 and then the second edition in August 2018. Throughout this time, it’s proven a popular resource for photographers wanting to create the best black and white photography that they can. Now the Nik Collection has evolved again and with it, Nik Silver Efex Pro.

Nik Software was launched in 1995 and initially developed the Nik Collection. Nikon then became involved in 2005 before the company was sold to Google in 2012. Before its acquisition by Google, the Nik Collection could be purchased as separate products or as an entire collection. Google then dropped the price of the Nik Collection and stopped selling individual products. What once cost hundreds of pounds became affordable and many more photographers began using the tools.

For a time, the future of the Nik Collection was looking good. Google even launched a new application, Nik Analog Efex Pro before following it with Analog Efex Pro 2. But gradually, the new releases slowed and then stopped. Then Google changed direction and announced they were giving away the Nik Collection for free. Many people were delighted by this move, but it caused concern for long-term fans of the product who now questioned the future of the software. Not long after, Google broke the news that it was stopping support for the Nik Collection and that there would be no further releases.

Many expected the Nik Collection would die as software and systems changed. Fortunately, in the Autumn of 2017, DxO stepped in and acquired the Nik Collection from Google. They then quickly integrated the U-Point technology into their PhotoLab software (the Control Points that make the Nik tools so easy to use). Most importantly, they began working on a new release of the Nik Collection.

In June 2018 the Nik Collection 2018 was released by DxO. On the surface, little had changed, but below the surface, enhancements were underway. DxO had fixed several significant bugs that had crept into the software over time, and the code was now fully compatible with the latest Adobe CC releases. Most importantly the software was back under support with DxO planning further versions.

Since the first release of the new Nik Collection in 2018, there have been annual upgrades, each bringing new features. Notably in the Nik Collection 4, Silver Efex Pro advanced from version 2 to version 3. This included the release of a new user interface with several important new features. The results from the software were still excellent but now easier than ever to achieve.

Initially, I resisted writing a new version of this book, thinking that the original book still served its purpose. But following regular requests and questions, I decided it was time to write a new volume. I have adopted the same popular structure as the previous two books, and whilst some of their content remains, most of the text has been rewritten. Everything has been checked and updated and the examples from the second part of this book have been reworked to take advantage of the features in the latest version. You will also find an additional full-length example to add to the others.

Here’s to the future of the Nik Collection and Nik Silver Efex 3, the best black and white converter available.

Robin Whalley, October 2022

Introduction

My intention in writing this book is to provide you with the knowledge and skills to create powerful black and white photography with Silver Efex Pro 3. I will do so whilst also explaining all the features and powerful adjustments you can apply. Without utilising Silver Efex Pro you would likely find it extremely difficult (or impossible) to replicate its effect with other software. Silver Efex Pro is probably the best black and white photo conversion software on the market today and has been for a long time. It's widely used by both amateurs and pros alike and with good reason. Use it well and you will be rewarded with excellent black and white images.

Using Nik Silver Efex Pro is not though an excuse to rescue poor photographs by converting them to black and white. You must start the editing process with a strong, well-composed image. I have therefore started this book by sharing a few black and white image conversions made with Silver Efex Pro. Use these as a simple guide and for ideas of what might work when converting to black and white.

Once acquainted with these examples, we explore the Silver Efex Pro user interface, covering the many tools and features it provides. Each element of the user interface is explained, helping you improve your productivity when working with the tools. We then explore the different adjustment controls you can use with complete explanations of their effect on an image. This will help you select the best approach to achieving a finished black and white photo.

In the final part of the book, you will find five full-length examples, where we work through black and white conversions applying Silver Efex Pro 3. These examples draw together everything from the earlier chapters of the book. I also share my thinking and workflow when it comes to converting an image to black and white.

To support these examples, you can download the starting images from the Downloads for Books page of my Lenscraft website https://lenscraft.co.uk/learn-photo-editing-books/useful-downloads-books/. You will then be able to follow the editing on your computer.

Who is this book for?

This book was written for anyone who wants to use Silver Efex Pro 3 to maximum effect, producing the best possible black and white conversions. This isn't a long or complex book because it doesn't need to be. Silver Efex Pro is easy to use but it does take some effort to master. Read the book, follow the examples, and practice using your photography.

Important Notes

I wrote and illustrated this book using the Nik Collection 5 on a Mac computer. Whilst you may recognise some of the full-length examples from an earlier book, they have all been revised to take advantage of the latest Silver Efex Pro software. This book is fully compatible with the Nik Silver Efex Pro 3 which was first released in the Nik Collection 4.

Mac and Windows PC Notes

Whilst there are differences between the Windows and Mac versions of the Nik Collection, these are minor. Silver Efex Pro 3 is very similar on both platforms although the keyboard shortcuts differ slightly. I have therefore provided both versions of these in the text. If you are a Windows Silver Efex Pro 3 user, you should have no problem following and applying the techniques covered in this book.

Trademarks

Throughout this book, I may have referred to different organisations and their products. Where I refer to any trademarks or product names within this book, the reference is purely in an editorial capacity. There is no intention of Copyright infringement whatsoever.

Disclaimer

Whilst I have made every effort to ensure the information in this book is accurate, up to date and factual at the time of writing, it does represent my views and approach. Some may disagree with the information I present but I have not intentionally made any omissions or errors. If you find something you believe needs to be corrected, please contact me by email using robin@lenscraft.co.uk.

Thank you, and I hope you enjoy the book.

Important

Before continuing, please take a moment to download the accompanying image files for the book. These allow you to follow the later examples on your computer which is an important part of the learning process. The files are free to download from the following page of my website.

https://lenscraft.co.uk/learn-photo-editing-books/useful-downloads-books/

Whilst visiting my website to do this, please also take a moment to sign up for my monthly newsletter. I’m sure you will find it quite different to the usual newsletters you may have subscribed to in the past.

One

What Makes a Powerful Black & White Photo

Before we examine the Silver Efex Pro software, we should look at some fundamentals of what makes a powerful black and white photograph. I don’t mean having a good composition or capturing a wonderful moment in time;