It still amazes me how using a few Nik Software filters in Color Efex Pro 4 can transform my images.  Here is an example where I used several filters to help draw the viewer’s eye to the subject, which is the butterfly, while at the same time softening and darkening the background to create a nice vignette.

Here are the filters that I used in Color Efex Pro 4 in order to enhance my image.

1. The Vignette Lens filter created a very dark border around the edges, minimizing the distractions of the background.

2. Control Points used with the Midnight filter helped to selectively darken certain areas of my image.

3. The Darken/Lighten Center filter darkened the edges even more and lightened the center area of focus.

4. The Polarization filter added a slight amount of extra saturation in the warm colors.

Here is an example of the original image before and after using Color Efex Pro 4 filters.

Share an image on Google+ and tell us what filters you used, either a digital or glass filter or both, and tag your image #filterfriday curated by +Laurie Rubin. We’d love to see how filters have helped to enhance your images!