Comparison of Photo Editing using PhotoLab 2 vs. Adobe Bridge/ACR

[John-M (Melbourne, Australia - Win10)]

@DavidSalahi

It does sound to me like it is possible to implement a completely non-destructive workflow with PL2 & Nik but that it’s a manual process

Yes, there is one “sorta-manual” step, David … When you’ve completed your work in Color Efex Pro (CEP) you do need to save the settings (unlike the equivalent in PL, where it saves the sidecar/.dop file for you automatically … assuming you have the appropriate options set in Preferences);

• Doing so only involves two mouse clicks, tho
  – one with Shift-key held down at the same time - - to save the settings (WITH Control-Points) internally within CEP
  – and another click to export these settings (WITH Control-Points) to an external sidecar/.np file
• See my original response, above, to see the details of this step - with examples.

Note: I have raised a request for DxO to enhance the Nik Collection to automate this process (as it is for PhotoLab/PL)

@DavidSalahi

To then do further editing non-destructively you have to abandon your TIFF file and pick up with the previously edited raw file (and its associated .DOP sidecar file).

I don’t see this as “abandoning” the TIFF file - you are re-creating it (automatically), with all the corrections stored in the sidecar/.dop file … and, doing so is the natural by-product of the means by which a PL user would invoke a new CEP session.

@DavidSalahi

This step assumes that the PL2 raw file settings have not been changed after the session with Nik Color Efex Pro.

No, that’s not so - - In fact, often the very reason that one needs to re-apply the CEP settings is that one has made some changes within PL (such as applying Prime Noise reduction, etc, etc) - and then, of course, it’s necessary to re-do the work done in CEP (which is now stored in the CEP sidecar/.np file).

The only change (in PL) that one should not do is change the crop dimensions - as that will upset CEP’s Control-point co-ordinates).

@DavidSalahi

Then, you have to manually import the previously saved recipe (.NP file) and apply it. At this point, you’re back where you were the last time you edited this file.

Yes, exactly - - and I’m not saying this is the ideal way of working (see my request, as mentioned above) … but, for the time being, it’s not a complicated process at all.

@DavidSalahi

And now you have two versions of the fully edited file (TIFF).

You don’t necessarily have to end up with two versions (tho that may be your choice) … I simply overwrite the previous version.

@DavidSalahi

If I understand all this correctly it sounds like there’s a lot of manual work including the need to remember which .NP file is associated with each photo.

Yes, there are some manual steps involved - but they’re not at all complicated (IMnsHO !)

I don’t have any problem determining which sidecar/.np file is associated with each image - 'cos I use a naming convention, similar to that used by PL. Here’s a real example from my environment;

Using these 3 files, I have a fully non-destructive set of PL & CEP corrections.

• The file with .ARW extension is the RAW file (from my Sony a7m3, in this example)
• The file ending with .ARW.dop is the PL sidecar file
• The file ending with CEP.np is the CEP sidecar file

@DavidSalahi

I’d like to update my blog post with this info. May I have your permission to quote you?

Certainly, you are most welcome - that’s why I have taken care to respond to your points & comments.

I ask only that you provide a link to this post - so that your readers can fully appreciate our discussion … I’d also appreciate some more votes for my request to DxO.

Regards, John M