I love how quick and easy the Nik Software tools make it for me to quickly adjust and enhance my photos.

I took this image mid day, in a combination of shade and bright sunlight, and Viveza 2 allowed me to quickly and easily correct the harsh lighting and dark shadows in the image.  Color Efex Pro 4 let me add some “Pop” with just a few clicks.

Here is the before image:

© Sara Schneider

First, I opened Viveza 2 to utilize the “Shadow Adjustment” slider, which I used globally to lighten the shadows without effecting the color, saturation, or brighter tonalities of the image.  Then, I used a Control Point on the rider’s face to lighten the shadow cast on her face by her hat, as well as remove a little bit of redness from her skin tone.   Here are the adjustments made in Viveza 2:

After using Viveza 2, I used Color Efex Pro 4 to give my image that extra “Pop” with the following filters:

Tonal Contrast – to add contrast, specifically into the midtones – minus Control Points were used in the trees so that the filter would not affect them

Brilliance and Warmth - to add overall warmth to the image, as well as increase Perceptual Saturation, which is the saturation of complimentary colors.  I love the Perceptual Saturation slider because it lets me add saturation in a much more natural way, similar to the way the human eye perceives it.

Detail Extractor - selectively applied to only the horse using plus Control Points, to add detail and texture to the horse’s coat

Darken/Lighten Center- my favorite finishing filter, used to draw the viewer’s eye into the horse and rider, and to darken down the overly bright areas of the background

Here is the final image:

© Sara Schneider