Analog Efex Pro



I was starting to get a little worried about the fate of Nik’s software collection. Since the San Diego-based company was purchased by Google in 2012, Nik’s products had slowly drifted off my radar, which is a shame since I’ve always felt their plug-ins and stand-alone apps were among the best photo software out there.
And then there were all the rumors about what Google was planning to do with the software. Would it simply take Nik’s popular Snapseed mobile photo app and get rid of everything else? Was Google’s plan to integrate it all into Google+? What would happen to my beloved Silver Efex Pro black-andwhite conversion plug-in? And what about Color Efex Pro, Viveza, and all the rest?

Analog Efex Pro. If you love the images produced by older cameras, or want to add a vintage look to your photo, Analog Efex Pro may be the set that appeals to you. It strives to pay homage to techniques used by photographers many years ago, and will help transport your image back in time.

Trusted Mac download Analog Efex Pro 2.0.4. Virus-free and 100% clean download. Get Analog Efex Pro alternative downloads. So I went ahead and applied the filter, then duplicated the entire image + filter stack in Photoshop, opened the Analog Efex filter again on the bottom layer, and disabled those two filters. Now I have two version of the same image stacked on top of each other — one with the blurry swirl, and one without. Analog Efex Pro has lots of cool B&W presets. But since creating B&W images isn’t its primary purpose, it actually doesn’t have a “clean” B&W preset. So let’s create one.

It was with some relief that I received an email in May from Google telling me the company was launching a new edition of its Nik Collection by Google: Analog Efex Pro 2. By its name alone, you can probably guess that Analog Efex 2 fits into the growing group of film emulation programs out there right now. These retro apps, epitomized lately by Alien Skin Exposure and VSCO Film, were in some ways pioneered by Nik and the simulated film types in Silver Efex Pro and Color Efex Pro. I still love that I can dial in Kodak P3200 TMAX Pro in Nik’s black-and-white app when I want to add a distinctive, monochrome look to my images.
In Analog Efex Pro 2, you can do all that and more, though the app doesn’t use specific film type names (probably for legal reasons). Instead, film type selections include odd titles like Snowdonia, Northumberland, Akan, Oze, and Sable. Much like the other apps in the Nik Collection by Google, you’re initially presented with a variety of pre-set filters in the left panel including Classic Camera, Wet Plate and Vintage Camera and new Black and White, Subtle Bokeh, and Simple Color options.
If you want to fine-tune these filters, there are a variety of slider and curve-based adjustments in the right panel. Perhaps the biggest addition to Analog Efex Pro 2 is that you can now employ Nik’s powerful control points, which let you fine-tune the Photo Plates, Light Leaks and Dirt & Scratches filters along with Basic Adjustments to create a localized effect. The app also lets you build your own virtual Camera Kit by picking a collection of filters and effects to use in unison, including the new Motion Blur, Multilens and Double Exposure.
There’s always been an addictive quality to Nik’s apps because the interface is so user-friendly and the effects on your photos can be added, adjusted or removed instantaneously. The one thing to be aware of, as with all the apps in the Nik Collection by Google, is that’s it’s very easy to overdo it. Know when to say when.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Rumors of the Nik Collection by Google’s demise seem to have been greatly exaggerated. The excellent new Analog Efex Pro 2 retro app is a worthy addition to the group, combining an easyto- use, fast interface with some classic analog-style effects you can now further fine-tune with the help of the powerful control points feature. Our only gripe is that you can no longer purchase each program individually, but at just $149 for the entire Nik Collection of seven apps, it’s still a steal.
PROS: The Nik Collection by Google is still alive and kicking thanks to this excellent new retro-filter photo app.
CONS: You can no longer purchase apps in the Nik Collection individually.
PRICE: $149
www.google.com/nikcollection
Related:Our Ten Favorite Image-Editing Programs
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Analog Efex Pro

Enhancing your photographs in post-production does not require a complicated software package such as Photoshop. The small software company NIK has been known to produce one of the finest toolsets for getting the absolut best out of your photos. It’s a collection of different plug-ins that work with either Adobe Lightroom or Apple Aperture. What makes NIK so powerful is that it is extremely easy to use while employing the probably best algorithms for enhancing your images. You can easily learn how to improve your photos in just a few minutes. Contrast that to learning Photoshop.

In a somewhat stunning move, Google acquired NIK in early 2013. Some people thought that this would be the end of NIK. On the contrary, Google keeps enhancing the package and they just released a completely new plug-in. Also, they drastically lowered the price for the entire collection. It is now priced at USD 149 for all seven plug-ins. Even better – Google just released a new tool and it’s called Analog Efex Pro and it aims to give your photographs the look and feel of traditional film cameras and dark room techniques. Here is a quick look at this tool.

Easy to use

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Just like the other NIK Collection plug-ins, you can easily launch Analog Efex Pro from Lightroom. The interface is nicely structured with presets on the left and a panel for detailed adjustments on the right.

You can use Analog Efex Pro in three different ways: The easiest and fastest option is to apply one of the many pre-configured presets. If you are more experienced you use the library of impressive tools such as lens distortion, bokeh, lens scratches, wet plate effects and film frames. I would anticipate most people using a mixture of both approaches (that’s what I do). Once you start digging in, you will be amazed about the powerful options Analog Efex Pro provides. Best of all – it does not take very long to learn. Here are some examples of the included tools:

The screenshot above shows the motion & zoom blur feature. It is quite easy to use yet it is extremely powerful. Compare that to applying Gaussian Blur in Photoshop. You can pretty tweak each everything very quickly.

It would be easy to dismiss Analog Efex Pro to be just another photographic filter software. It’s not just that. This plug-in allows you to fine-tune every little pixel to develop professional-grade images.

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Analog Efex Pro Free Download

A few samples

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I spent a few minutes this weekend playing with Analog Efex Pro. While I do have to admit that I am not a big fan of too much post-processing, I really enjoyed working with the software. The samples below took me just a few minutes each. It could be a very powerful tool for enhancing your portraits and street photographs.

Analog Efex Pro – Summary

Analog Efex Pro is a great tool to give your photos an aged looked. The software goes way beyond the typical set of filters some apps provide. It’s much more than just Instagram on Steroids. This is a professional software tool that allows you to refine your RAW or jpeg images. I will most definitely spend more time with it. However, I am not a big fan of too much processing.

Analog Efex Pro 2 Download

If you already own the NIK Collection, Analog Efex Pro is actually free of charge. You can’t argue with that!