Nik Color Efex ProTM 2.0 Lesson
Using the Skylight Filter
An easy way of adding warmth and contrast to enhance any photograph
Before
After
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Nik Color Efex Pro 2.0 Lesson
Using the
Skylight Filter
An easy way of adding warmth and
contrast to enhance any photograph
With all of the creative, colorful and special effect choices
located within Nik Color Efex Pro 2.0, it is easy to overlook
the simple enhancement filters designed to render an image
like their glass counterparts when attached to a camera’s
lens. The Skylight Filter is just such a filter. The simplicity
of using this filter and the benefit received from applying
it to an image makes it one of the most useful tools in the
photographer’s assortment of filters.
As with all the filters in Nik Color Efex Pro 2.0, the Skylight
Filter can be applied to the entire image or selectively to
a specific area. And based on the filter being applied on
a new layer within Photoshop, the option of changing its
opacity is always available to the user.
Figure 1: Nik Color Efex Pro 2.0
Selective Tool
1. Launch Adobe® Photoshop® (or any other Adobe
Photoshop plug-in compatible image editing application).
The Nik Color Efex Pro 2.0 Selective Tool should appear
on the screen when the application as been loaded. (See
Figure 1) If this does not appear go to File>Automate>Nik
Color Efex Pro 2.0 Selective...
2. Click File>Open to open the desired image. In this
example we are using a commercial stock image by Michael
A. Keller for a beauty and health series. (See Figure 2)
Figure 2: Original Image
Accessing the filters:
Nik Color Efex Pro 2.0 filters are found within the Selective
Tool palette and are arranged in alphabetical order and
may be easily accessed. (See Figure 3)
Figure 3: Close-up of
Selective Tool palette
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Using the Skylight Filter
3. Click on the S-Z tab located at the top of the Selective
Tool palette and select the Skylight Filter. The preview
window will appear with the image. (See Figure 4)
4. Click and move the slider left and then to the right
until the desired amount of the filter is achieved. Skin
tone is usually the most important element to control in
a photograph of this type. In order to make it easier to
see the “before and after” images in the preview window,
click on the Mode button then click on the double vertical
graphic. This will show the image before, on the left side,
and after on the right. (See Figure 5)
Figure 4: Skylight Filter Preview window
5. For a closer look at the image in the before and after
modes, simply click on the zoom ratio in the upper right
hand corner of the window and zoom in to the desired
magnification. (See Figure 6)
To make the comparison easier, Nik Color Efex Pro 2.0 has
a handy tool built into the software. After zooming in to the
same amount of magnification on each of the two preview
images, click and drag the hand move tool to move to the
desired area of the image in either of the windows. Then,
simply click and drag that image to the other window. You
will see the exact same area of the face in both windows.
6. After optimal settings have been achieved, click OK
to save the setting and close the Skylight Filter Preview
window. The Skylight Filter effect has NOT yet been applied
to the image; the image will appear in its original state in
the Photoshop user interface. In addition, the Selective
Tool palette is still active within the workspace.
Figure 5: Double vertical image mode
Figure 6: Ratio
7. Click the Fill button located in the Selective Tool palette
to apply the Skylight Filter to the entire image.
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Using the Skylight Filter
8. Click the Erase button located in the middle area of the
Selective Tool to erase the filter effect (using the brush) from
additional areas of the image, as desired. After optimum
effect is achieved, click Apply.
9. Click File>Save As to save the image with the appropriate
description of the effects applied. Saving the image with
Save As enables retention of the original unadjusted
image.
Original Image
Image with Skylight filter
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