Part 2 - Off-Topic - advice, experiences, and examples for images being processed in DxO Photolab

DxO PhotoLab
425

Wow. I think the process is way over my head, but I am confused by the end result.

In the final step, in the colored image, the sky (looking through the lamp glass) seems similar to the sky outside the lamp, but a little lighter. Should the color be the same?

…and then, going back to your original image, the sky (looking through the lamp) is much lighter than the sky outside the lamp.

I’m also confused by the many curved lines in what I think is the front of the lamp, but if so, shouldn’t there be curved lines shown behind these, from the “back” of the lamp? …my brain prefers the color image, as the lamp looks “more real”. The B&W image is fascinating, as. I try to understand what I am looking at.

Easy to do, I wondered if he understood what he was doing, but I enjoyed his explanation as he went along, sort of like “thinking out loud”. Your explanations make sense from beginning to end. His explanation was a commentary on what he was doing, but I was losing track of what he was trying to do. It was still enjoyable to watch.

last question - when I look at your “basic image with no adjustments”, the sky “inside” the lamp framework is lighter than the sky “outside the lamp”. Is this because I was seeing through pieces of glass, or ??? …and all those “wrap-around wires” or whatever they are look very strange to me; they don’t seem to follow the curve the top of the lamp. …and if they are “wrap around”, why don’t I see those same “wires” from the inside of the lamp, behind the ones on the front side of the lamp?

Enough questions - instead of trying to understand the light, I should be trying to understand the tool. Speaking of which, is it included in PhotoLab 6 ?

426

Luminosity mask is included in PhotoLab, but it is deactivated (greyed out a.k.a. almost invisible) if you have not entered a FilmPack 7 license code.

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427

BUT you can’t use FP7 with PL6.

428

In that case, the best alternative would be a Control Line.

@mikemyers why are you still on PL6?

429

If I remember correctly, I didn’t see anything I needed to justify spending $200 to $300 more.

Upgrading to PL6 was a no-brainer, as it got me Control Lines.
I now have licenses for PL3, 4, 5, and 6.
I didn’t (don’t) know any compelling reason to update to 7.

I bought DxO Nik Collection, but I already had the freely distributed Google Nik Collection.
Turns out I never use either one.

My next expense is likely to be for the Apple display, the same one you have, but without the $500 extra special screen. If I want to buy more things, I need to start selling some of my existing things.

Curious - what do you do with PL7 that you didn’t already do in PL6 ?

430

I don’t think I have used Film Pack since I bought FP6. As I recall, a lot of fun things to work with, but I never saw a need for it.

431

Gee, so if I want to use the luminosity mask, I need to buy both PL7 and FP7.
From what you wrote, perhaps it should have been included with PL7 ?

Maybe the next time Black Friday comes along… :slight_smile:

432

By which time, PL8 will be launched.

433

DxO offers/offered bundles in the US, in which I got the licenses of FP7 and PL7 for the price of PL7 alone. Maybe the bundle is still available or will return …

436

Guilty as charged, on all counts.

I haven’t been looking, so maybe I missed it. Even so, why do I need either? I think I may have bought every product from DxO; the only one I really need/use is PhotoLab.

So, maybe I’m not human?

  • Leica price - I’ve owned and used Leica cameras since the 1960’s. Then when Leica came out with the m8.2, just before they released the m9, I bought one. In retrospect, I was completely happy with it - it did more than I expected, not less.
  • Then when Leica was releasing a new model, and raising the prices, I bought my M10 as an "open box sale’. Lots of new models since then, but the M10 already did what I want(ed).
  • As to Nikon, I sold my two D750’s, and bought my M780 putting the “excess” money back into the bank.
  • As to PhotoLab, I pay the most attention to @Joanna and PhotoJoseph. I did buy DxO’s other software, but haven’t seen any reason to upgrade from PL6 to PL7.

I don’t have a “wish list” of anything else I need to buy for photography, although I was thinking about a 600mm lens. From feedback here, there are LOTS of thing I need to learn how to do better, before I seriously consider buying a 600. For that matter, I have doubts about the quality of my 300 P lens, compared to a Sigma/Tamron 600, when both are later cropped to show the same size image, and compared side-by-side. The 600 would devote more pixels to my subject, but would the final image be “better” than my Nikon P lens? I’m not sure.

Then there’s this from @Joanna, regarding my not upgrading my DxO software:

Maybe the new tools make it easier to do something, but I suspect @Joanna would get just as nice of a result, using the tools available in PL6, but maybe it would take longer?

437

If I have read your (numerous) posts correctly the I’m confident that you do have at least FilmPack installed and you are using it. I base this assertion on @Joanna’s many posts that have exhorted you to stop using ClearView Plus and instead use the extra contrast sliders that are only available within PL if you have activated FilmPack.

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438

No, there are technical improvements that make the Luminosity Tool much more effective. I would rather pay to have the latest technology than have to spend hours trying to get the older tools to do the job.

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439

I had no idea. I doubt that is why I bought Film Pack, but along with Nik, I’ve considered it a waste of money. I’m also disappointed in DxO that they require me to buy Film Pack which enables features in PhotoLab - but as a sales gimmick, it worked, as I bought it, so good for them (I guess).

I wasn’t aware of the Luminosity Tool, and I’m not sure this is something I’ll ever find useful.

Personally, I wish DxO would stop blocking me from things that I DO want to do/use, such as shooting with my Leica M8 series camera. I have to change the EXIF data so PhotoLab thinks those images were shot with an M9 in order to edit them. …or, I can learn how to update my “DarkTable” software, or edit them in Adobe. Sadly, I mostly agree with the advice from so many people here to try to use only one camera.

Whatever happened to the old “rule” to use the best tool for the job???
My DSLR/mirrorless can do a lot, but there are times when my Fuji or Leica would be better.

To @stuck , what types of things do you usually try to photograph? I probably have seen some of your images, but I don’t remember doing so.

440

One new image… I went out on my balcony very early this morning to see if the local birds were more active just after sunrise. Didn’t seem much different than before, very boring, no birds, not much of anything. I heard some birds behind me, turned around, and found this:

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All the camera settings were wrong, as I wanted 1/2000th for capturing birds. I took several shots in a row, as the sun was moving up and to my right. I didn’t notice it until now, but I actually did capture a flock of birds in the photo - not that anyone will ever notice. I’m wondering if my 300mm Nikon P lens is the sharpest lens I own?

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My original intent, capturing a good image of a seagull, never happened. I got better at tracking them with the 300, and found one that I captured just as it got a fish, but I need a 1200mm lens minimum if I want to do this for real.

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My visit to Wakoda Hate Wetlands is delayed for at least two weeks. Once I get there, I might be able to capture some real bird photos. It’s too bad I can’t get a tele-extender for my 300, that might give me a better chance at capturing an acceptable photo. If I try this again, I’ll go down to ground level, which might get me close enough to a seagull to capture it in action…

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@mikemyers I think most of the users of dxo pl are mift about that FP holds developers tools inside there tastes. Filmprofiles.
Creative luts, filmemulation presets are wasted on a lot of users.
Like you i own free dxo NIK and never felt the need to upgrade.
I use very NIK only for a few B&W monochrome kind presets. Tastes
And sometimes to play around.

Several people asked about this spread feature 's behaviour of DxO.
Never they clarified there choices so it’s commercial not technical.

As i wrote several times i have to re-engage in dxopl v7 but i remember that LUT’s didn’t make me smile and wishing i got it earlier.
Because of the long list of presets in default dxopl with FP’s Filmemulations and found, given, made presets which is for me already overkill in choices and the LUT’s made that even more “trying to find the needle in the haystek” kind of choosing which i like to use.

I proposed to make a “keyword like choosing list” as in
Monochrome/B&W.
-Detail enhancing
-color enhancing
-HDR.
-Sunset/sunrise.
-Night
-Landscape
-Architecture.
-User key word.

So finding your taste is les time consumming. But i got very little respons.
Therefore i don’t bother clicking presets/tastes to find a certain mood anymore. Creating myself is faster.
And when it’s a good one i save that as partial preset.
(an other grief of FP’s presets they overwrite everything. @mwsilvers did a good job made them partial but on every version you have to do that again.)

Lumination selective mask are much more refinded then Upointplus in exposure, contrast and such. (there strength is color selective masking)
(The “plus” is Control line and controlpoint with lumination and chrome selectorsliders.)

Selective tone was alway’s quite broad, wide, feathered in there sliders.
Often too wide and effecting things you didn’t wanted to effect.
That lumination masking can support that.
So yes it’s a neet feature.
Worth of upgrading?
Difficult to determine.
Fine contrast is part of FP. And that’s also a good tool.
Spending money on NIK?
I don’t i rather spent that money on v7 i think.

442

I think that is a brilliant idea, and that DxO should have given it more consideration.

Regarding Nik Collection, Google made it freely available, both for Mac and Windows, and it’s still available from doing a search, which I did many years ago.
Google Nik

What I most disliked about Nik is that I’m creating someone. else’s version of my image, and not mine. Long ago, I thought it was great. People I show it to feel the same way. But after a while, I felt this was “cheating”, and cheating myself too, as I never understood how to select the perfect combination of tools.

I think DxO has expanded on the tools, and what is possible… but I actually UNDERSTAND more by following the explanations by @Joanna or PhotoJoseph. …speaking of him, I haven’t noticed any new videos from him. I need to check out what he’s been doing with PhotoLab.

443

If that’s your understanding of NIK Collection then you have missed the point of the NIK Collection. Yes, it does come with a large number of presets that are trivial to apply and in that case you are perhaps merely adopting someone else’s idea. However, you can also use the tools in NIK to create your own vision.

In that respect NIK is no different to PL, where you can simply apply a DxO preset and be done, or you can use the tools in PL to create your own vision.

444

Yep, that has always been my understanding, since before Google got involved. To me, THAT was the point. Apparently I have missed things along the way. And the less I used it, the less I thought about it at all.

I’ve tried to do just about everything from within PhotoLab. Learning from @Joanna and PhotoJoseph has enhanced this. I guess I don’t know what I’m missing.

445

I probably have either missed, or passed, the point of most of my camera software and gear. This link is mostly for @Joanna, and a little for you, as it shows what I enjoy most about photography, and how I have fun. Not at all serious, but I’m guilty. I also own the same D2x this fellow is using, along with a D3. No high-tech anything compared to nowadays, but it has buttons for everything, and did everything I ever wanted it to do, for work, for fun, or for just wandering around with this huge hulking monster of a camera:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uicn_26RswQ

What I used to do was pure fun, even if I was working, and the huge Nikons made everything easier for me. None of the magazines I worked with ever complained about lack of detail in my images… Who needs 25 or 50 or 100 megapixels? :slight_smile:

I’m posting this here because that video shows what I used to enjoy doing. It was fun.

Lately, trying to take good photos of birds, is turning out to be incredibly difficult - neither I, nor my camera gear, is what is needed.

Enough. Back to “work”. Next time I’ll wait until I have a good image, before I waste my time, and that of everyone trying to thank me (but I realize you are all helping me learn more about PhotoLab, and not how to turn my miserable image into a prize winner.

Check the video - and check out his YouTube channel too if you enjoy it.

Oh, and I just received my second book on how to use the D780. Long ago, camera books were easier to understand. Either the cameras have gotten far more complicated, or back in the past I was far more capable than I am now. The second book is an inch and a half thick, and seems to be about as simple as a user manual for a nuclear reactor.

Thank you to those of you who helped me organize my side panels - it’s saved as a new Workspace, and it makes editing easier.

446

So, apart from the D2X being an APS-C sensor with only 12.4Mpx, my D850 has virtually the same buttons and is no more complicated to use.

But why would I want to give up on the D850 when my work is creating prints up to 36" x 24" without breaking into a sweat, straight out of the camera?

Nostalgia can be interesting but, when it comes down to easy to create, quality, high resolution images, why revert to lesser gear?

And, as I said, the D850 has the same ease of use.

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