Why Silver Efex?

[theendlesshouse]

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It's not that difficult to fit a yellow filter to a lens <grin>.

 

Serious question, is something more worthy the more difficult it is to do?

 

In some crafts, yes.

[andybarton]

Serious question, is something more worthy the more difficult it is to do?

 

Yes. If everything were easy, then where's the satisfaction in it? It's much better to walk up a mountain than drive up.

 

As with anything in life, the more you put in, the more you get out.

[stunsworth]

Sorry, I didn't make myself clear. I was thinking about it from the viewer's perspective.

 

I'm sure there are some photographs were it's almost impossible to separate the image from the circumstances in which it was made - Capa's D-Day photographs for example - but in the majority of cases does the viewer care? Or if he cares does it make it a better photograph?

[johnwolf]

These plug-ins can also open your eyes to possibilities you may not have otherwise considered, especially if you're not particularly experienced with B&W, film, darkroom work, and such.

 

While not exactly like the films they mimic, the presets do give you a feel for some of the contrast, grain, and other variables photographers have enjoyed playing with over the years. Not a bad hands-on education, I think.

 

John

[thomasl.se]

Serious question, is something more worthy the more difficult it is to do?

To what beside putting across a vision should a method be worthy anyway?

[wilfredo]

Kirk, I used it extensively a year or so ago. Its simply a short cut. Quick, but nothing that can't be done in cs4/5.... I find that one has much more control in Photoshop...and for me, worth the extra time. Haven't used it since early 2009....and b&w is 90% of what I do.

 

I tend to agree. I mostly use PSCS4 but there are times when I like the look of Silver Efex Pro better. I like having both options available. If I want to see quick results using various B&W filters, Silver Efex is very helpful. If I want more precise control over the final outcome, then it's PSCS4.

[thompsonkirk]

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Looks like Virgil & Wilfredo have answered my question fully on the basis of experience with both kinds of software.

 

And on the question of whether a bit of craft is worthwhile simply because it's harder, Virgil answered that, too: "Its simply a short cut.... I find that one has much more control in Photoshop...and for me, worth the extra time."

 

Not masochistic difficulty-for-its-own-sake, but more control over the image itself.

 

Thank you all!

 

Kirk

[lct]

These plug-ins can also open your eyes to possibilities you may not have otherwise considered, especially if you're not particularly experienced with B&W, film, darkroom work, and such...

Agree.

[lewis44]

I find Silver Efex Pro a great tool that is simple to use and very quick, once you find what you like.

Here is the same image done both ways.

M8 processed w/ Capture One 5, then Silver Efex Pro.

By the way I like a little grain in my B&W and while it's not film, it's the closest thing to it when you are shooting Digital.

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