Pixiq

Nik Software today began shipping HDR Efex Pro, a completely new High Dynamic Range (HDR) imaging solution designed to help professional and amateur photographers quickly and easily achieve a full spectrum of HDR enhancements. HDR Efex Pro uses an all-in-one approach and multiple tone mapping algorithms that enable realistic and artistic results to be created start-to-finish within a single tool.

HDR Efex Pro brings innovative and best-in-class technologies to HDR photography. HDR Efex Pro enables a wide variety of options, including single-click visual style presets, as well as global adjustments such as exposure, contrast, structure to fine detail contrast, and a new HDR Method option. This feature makes use of four tone-mapping algorithms, which enable virtually unlimited HDR looks that can be adapted to a particular HDR style of photography.

Nik Software’s proprietary U Point technology is incorporated into HDR Efex Pro, providing precise selective fine-tuning of images without the need for complex selections or layer masks. Photographers can precisely control selective adjustments with a single mouse-click providing the ability to quickly create amazing results. Finishing adjustments, such as vignette controls and levels & curves, make it possible to easily accomplish a range of enhancements all within the software.

HDR Efex Pro even lets photographers to create popular and dramatic HDR images from a single exposure. This feature allows photographers to reprocess a single image in which an exposure series was not previously shot or for subject matter that does not lend itself to multiple exposures, such as action.

The Plug-in has an intuitive interface, with easy to understand photographic terminology and the actual processed results always displayed. It uses Multiple proprietary tone mapping algorithms enabling a wide range of HDR styles and has dozens of presets that produce amazing results in a single-click. HDR Efex Pro contains advanced technology for automatic image alignment and reduction of subject motion artifacts known as “ghosts.” It has a 32-bit color workflow enabling the creation of high quality HDR images

The suggested U.S. retail price of HDR Efex Pro is $159.95. The software is available as a free update to those who purchased the Nik Software Complete Collection within North America after July 25, 2010.

HDR Efex Pro installs as a 64-bit plug-in for Adobe Photoshop CS4 (Windows only) and CS5 (Windows and Mac OS), and as a 32-bit and 64-bit plug-in for Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2.3 or later (Windows and Mac OS) or Apple Aperture™ 2.1 or later (Mac OS). For more information about HDR Efex Pro, including a detailed product video and image gallery, please visit www.niksoftware.com/hdrefexpro.