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Robert Bengtson - Ten Tips on Using Nik Software to Celebrate the Art of Detail Robert Bengtson uses Nik Software to bring out the details that truly set his images apart and provides tips for you to do the same Article rating: 9.08

1. B&W: Mies Van der Rowe said that “God is in the details.” Sometimes… God is in the B&W. Shooting digitally, I capture files in color to give me the most creative latitude back in the studio. More often than not, I’m converting them to black and white. Nik Software has a great interface with lots of creative tools for converting files into great works of art. Explore them and find the combination that best reflect what you like in a finished file.

2. Set Your Intention: This may be a somewhat abstract tip, but I believe that when you get clear about why you’re shooting, the what’s can more powerfully come alive. Set your intention for the creative spirit to flow through you. We’re not doing this alone here (which any artist who has created anything can speak about). Call it what you will, but call it in to your creative expression!

3. See It New: Be willing to see the subject from a different angle. So often, I see images taken from eye-level, or watch students shooting everything from the same standing position. Be willing to get down on the belly. Stand on something sturdy. You’ll see it from a new vantage point—and so will those seeing your images.

4. Focus, Focus, Focus: One of the main benefits of using an SLR with quality lenses is the ability to select your focus. Do it wisely and do it with intention. Sometimes in the field, that can mean shooting it at various f-stops and deciding back in the studio what works best. Often, I’ll shoot a detail at the two extremes of a lens (e.g. F2.8 and F22) to see which works most creatively.

5. Be A Glow-It-All: Glamour Glow ain’t just for pretty faces! Try applying the filter to other images to achieve a dreamlike effect. Here I’ve maxed out the Glow, totally De-Saturated it, cut down on the highlights and added a little Glow Temperature to give it a more sepia look. (Where’s a model release when you need one?!)

6. Baby’s Bottom: When shooting certain portraits, it’s nice to be able to smooth out some of the skin tones to get a better-looking image. Nik has a wonderful, easy-to-use filter to achieve this called ‘Dynamic Skin Softener’. Simply use the eyedropper to select a particular skin tone and then apply the filter to whatever degree you want.

7. Crop It: I’ve seen so many fabulous images evolve at the hands of a well-placed crop. Be aware of what some well-intentioned crops can do for an image. And not simply the 5x7 dimension, either. Think square crops. Think long and thin. Tall and narrow. Can someone say ‘circle’? Becoming a better cropper will also translate into being a better photographer through your viewfinder.

8. Add Another Leg: Simply said, use a tripod. Remember Tip 3? Shooting at F22 is going to require a pretty steady hand to get that seven-second exposure. Using a tripod also slows you down and enables you to get more focused when shooting details. Also grab yourself a cable-release if you can so you avoid the common shake-mistake that happens when pushing down on the shutter. If you don’t have one, use the self-timer feature to avoid that shutter-pressing-shake.

9. Use Selective Filtering: Try using Nik Control Points to control your filtering. When a full application of a filter might be too much, get selective. In this example, you can see what the full Infrared Film filter does to the image. Applying a Control Point results in an image that combines the original with the filter in an interesting way.  This is a great method for getting tinted images with character.

10. Dirty Laundry? Bypass on the bleach with this last tip. The Nik software has a nice filter called Bleach Bypass that gives images a nice punch, different from just adding contrast. Apply it to your images to give them a nice extra punch.

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