To round out the my first set of tests using Nik HDR Efex on infrared capture, I picked a fairly flat single image taken from approximately the same angle and time of day as Ruins #3, but I did not bracket for reasons that escape me. Here is the workflow...
This is the image, straight out of the camera, nearly one stop under exposed and the light is very flat, direct sunlight.
Step #1 in Lightroom 3, I boosted exposure, contrast and brightness, then set a custom color balance using the eyedropper tool on the lightest piece of stone I could find.
Step #2 in Nik HDR Efex, I used my "Realistic Light" custom preset to pull the detail out of the stone and the Lens 1 finish setting added some depth.
Step #3 in Photoshop CS5, I swapped the red and blue channels, made a small levels adjustment, then cropped for 11x14 back in Lightroom.
Step #4 in Nik Silver Efex Pro, I used my "Structure w/Split Tone" custom preset with a red filter to make the final picture.
Using Nik HDR Efex for tone mapping on the single image really helped delineate detail in the stonework. However, comparing this picture with HDR images made with bracketed shots clearly shows to me that multiple exposures are a must if at all possible.
Lens: Nikkor AF 24-85mm f2.8-4 IF
Camera: Nikon D100
Exposure: ISO 200, 30mm @ f/16 @ 0.8s, Cokin P007 filter, Auto WB, tripod, RAW
Lighting: Daylight
Location: Tower Grove Park, St. Louis GPS
Dates: Capture - October 5, 2008, Processing - October 23, 2010
Processing: Lightroom 3, Nik HDR Efex, Nik Silver Efex Pro, Photoshop CS5
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