Book Review: Mastering The Nik Collection Selection Tools - Robin Whalley

Recommended

THE OPPORTUNITY to review a photography or photographic processing related book is becoming more fleeting these days. Written copy has seen - by my observation - a marked decrease in circulation. We live in a digital world. So many people today have their proverbial nose in their so-called "smart phone" (they really aren't so smart - just sayin') and seeing someone read a book is becoming less and less common.

NIK COLLECTION 7 is the biggest and most fundamental upgrade/change to the software program since the "Collection" was first introduced

THEY DO still have their place though, in my view. I readily acknowledge that we learn differently. Many learn by seeing things (and it is why YouTube has become such a hugely popular thing on the internet). Some learn best by just jumping in and "doing." Some of us, though, derive a substantial benefit from having a book in front of them as they learn. For me, the exercise of highlighting sections and flagging pages to re-visit is as much a part of my learning as reading or hearing about something in the first place. I still watch YouTube videos and sometimes find them very helpful. But to me, nothing beats a "text" and my orange highlighter.

understanding the ins and outs of the interface is the most valuable part of learning the program

WITH THAT in mind, the first thing I usually do is seek out a third-party "how to" book when I acquire a new software or device. Recently, I purchased and downloaded some new "plug-in" software for my Photoshop photo post-processing setup. Nik Collection 7, by DxO software is not really "new" to me. I have been using the legacy version (once owned by digital giant: Google) for 10 years now. Almost daily. That plug-in has gotten a bit "long in the tooth," over those years (being originally introduced more like nearly 20 years ago). The legacy version is no longer generally available since DxO's acquisition in 2016. I say "generally" because I believe there are some ways to acquire it on the internet if you do some in-depth research. But since the program was acquired by DxO, they have made incremental change over the years, and then a major change in their version 7 (released in 2024). This means the legacy version has not been supported by anyone since then, and the quantum changes in all software during the period virtually insures that most programs that old will not longer work well with modern software programs. I found the legacy Nik Collection to be a bit of an exception to that truism and have continued to use it effectively to this day. Nonetheless, there have been a few glitches and I fear they will become more marked as newer programs go forward. Those reasons drove me to finally succumb to the marketing pressure and obtain a copy of the newest version of Nik, by its current owner, DxO: Nik Collection 7.

NIK COLLECTION 7 is the biggest and most fundamental upgrade/change to the software program since the "Collection" was first introduced years back. Up until this version, DxO made incremental changes, but nothing really big. I personally think their acquistion was less about Nik and more about obtaining the core technology of the Nik software: "U-point" technology. To me, this is evidenced by their incorporation of that technology into their own primary post-processing software. I also think there is a symbiosis effect when developing the tech for these two different programs, with each benefitting from the other. Hence, some major new changes came about - released now in Nik Collection version 7.

HAVING PURCHASED the software, I searched for a book. Not very good pickings, but I did find the one single option out there: Mastering The Nik Collection Selection Tools; The Art of Photo Editing in the Nik Collection," by Robin Whalley. Deviating from the prior books I own on this software, rather than covering each module in the collection (there are seven of them), Whalley instead focuses on the technology the program uses to achieve its aim, and how to get the most out of it. This approach makes great sense to me, as the interface is essentially the same in each application. Hence, understanding the ins and outs of the interface is the most valuable part of learning the program.

the primary tool is the "control point," which has been with the program from its early years

THERE ARE now 4 different tools contained in the interface that are used to make adjustments to an image through the program. Probably the primary tool is the "control point," which has been with the program from its early years. The program continues to feature analog-based "U-point" technology as its central core (in spite of the mostly AI-dominated image enhancement/adjustment software on the market today). This technology is essentially a sampling program which samples a point on the image and creates a selection based on that sample. For most of its years of existence, we relied almost soley on the software algorithm itself to sample and create the selection. The only real configurability within the program was the ability to make the selected area larger or smaller. Nik Collection 7 changes all that in a big way.

AT FIRST, I just downloaded it and figured that since it was an upgrade to earlier versions, I would just muddle my way through it. I shortly realized that there was a much steeper learning curve than I had anticipated. The new software had re-imagined the control point, adding a couple new versions and adding the ability to fine-tune the actual selection process with size, luminousity, and color-based settings, as well as altering the feathering of the selection. Whalley's book vastly "flattened" the learning curve for me. I is a pretty quick read, mostly getting to the point.

For its very modest price, I think the book is well worth it

I PERSONALLY find his chosen approach a bit pedantic, incorporating a "lesson" style narrative, with explanation followed by "work-through" examples (but I can skip by that part, so it doesn't really effect the utility of the book). The effect here is to make it more of a "workbook," and less of a textbook. In addition to his workthrough examples at the end of each explanation, he adds over 50 pages of workthrough examples at the end of the book. Especially for some who are brand-new to the software, or to digital post-processing, this approach is probably valuable. In spite of the author's urging otherwise, I skipped downloading his example files and the workthrough examples. But I did find the explanations of things that were new, changed, or added invaluable. For its very modest price, I think the book is well worth it (it is available in e-book format also, for an even lower cost, if you want to go that way).

MY ONLY serious criticism of the book is the (by the author's admission, purposely omitted) lack of an index. According to the author, "This book . . . is designed to be used as a practical workbook and not as a reference book." I don't see the distinction as a reason for leaving an index out. I know from creating and editing indexes over the years that they are a lot of work. Tedious, and much less fun than creating the narrative. But as a user, I also know that indexes are an invaluable and priceless aid to use. And I bought the book (not knowing the part about the index) to use as a reference book. I think it can very well suit that purpose, but I think the omission of an index is a shame, and the one fault I find with the book. I wouldn't let that stop you from acquiring it though.

My only serious criticism of the book is the omission of an index

SOMETHING THAT undoubtedly ocurrs to those "seasoned" in post-processing, regardless of which program or combination they use is that there is really nothing in this Nik Collection plugin that cannot be done without it. Indeed it is possible to make needed and wanted adjustments just using Photoshop and its layering capability. What makes Nik useful to me is that it can often accomplish those things with much greater ease, finesse, and convenience. These days, with the degree of "tuning" available in raw converters, post-processing software, and plugins makes it pretty much possible to get where you want to go in numerous different ways. For those reasons, in my review of the Nik Collections 7 software itself, I only give a "suggested" rating. I don't think it is a "must have" program and I think it would be possible to happily get along without it.  However, if you do - as I did - decide to buy the software, I think this book will make your life much, much easier, and so I give it a "recommended" rating (but really only if you have the software).

Recommended

Artificial Intelligence - Is it really so Intelligent?

Alaska "Inside Passage"
Copyright Andy Richards 2010 - All Rights Reserved

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE. Today, almost always referred to as "AI" (which, ironically has also been the abbreviation for artificial insemination for years. Whether and what the correllation is will have to reserved for another blog - and probably another author).😈

Lone Pine Farm - Kirby, Vermont
Copyright Andy Richards 2023 - All Rights Reserved

SERIOUSLY, THOUGH, what is "AI." When I am not completely sure about a phrase, I sometimes like to break it down into its individual words. The Oxford dictionary defined the word: "intelligence" as "the ability to acquire and apply knowledge and skills." Merriam-Wester defines it a bit differently as: "the ability to apply knowledge to manipulate one's environment or to think abstractly as measured by objective criteria." Some nuanced difference there and neither is exactly what I thought I would find. It shows that this concept is going to be a difficult one to define with precision. The word, "artificial" seems to be more straightforward: "human-made."

Old Barn and Fall Foliage - Kirby, Vermont
Copyright Andy Richards 2023 - All Rights Reserved

WHAT EXACTLY then, do we mean by "AI?" It wouldn't be completely wrong to look back to the early 15th century and the times of scientist/artist/engineer Leonardo DaVinci for the most formal origins of this concept. He created self-propelled mechanical things. But really, those are mechanical. Our discussion of AI, as it relates specifically to photography, and so-called "digital manipulation.

I find that kind of annoying

THE PERCEPTION that AI is "new" is not really an accurate one. It seems like the term is mentioned everywhere these days and every time someone doesn't like something about an image they see on line. I began to really see the explosion of commentary around late 2023 - 2024. But Adobe Photoshop has been introducing some iteration of "AI-based" tools for years, dating back at least to 2010 when their "content-aware" technology came out. Today, virtually (see what I did there? 😁) every software program now touts its "AI" features - often as if it were something brand new they they came up with. I find that kind of annoying.

Florida Gulf Coast Sunset
Copyright Andy Richards 2024 - All Rights Reserved

THE DIFFERENCE today is that (perhaps due as much as anything to social media), people have become aware that it is a thing. For years, critics called imaged that were processed digitally "manipulated." As if the word is a bad word (as is certainly can be). The tried and true artist response to those criticisms has been to point out what film artists like Ansel Adams did to "manipulate" images in the darkroom. Today, though, we have computer-learning technology which applies accumulated examples inputed by humans to a data base that has "learned" how to apply those examples contextually. Is that really "intelligence" or is it just continually more focused iteration? I don't know the answer. What I do know is that however you want to characterize it, it just keeps improving its application.

Swiss Alps - Lungern, Switzerland
Copyright Andy Richards 2024 - All Rights Reserved

IT IS not all good. AI can certainly be used for mischief. A whole new "cottage industry" (primarily in the area of regulation and law enforcement) is developing to root out and identify inappropriate uses of AI. It will not stop. Nor will the need for forensics for different reasons. And there are a lot of folks who just plain don't like it at all. Personally, I look at it as a tool and if used properly, tools can enhance our vision as artists. I tire of reading on line the comment "that's AI and ....." every time somebody sees an image that they think may have been over saturated, or things removed. We have been doing that for years folks. that's not new, and it is generally a matter of opinion (though I agree that it is often taken to extremes). 

Pudding Hill Road in Vermont's "Northeast Kingdom"
Copyright Andy Richards 2024 - All Rights Reserved

IT ALSO is a ways from being perfected. The Golden Retriever photo here is an example of how it is not fully integrated between the data base and suggested input. In that image, I used my own background image of a back road in Vermont in fall, and queried Photoshop's AI - based "generative image" tool (found under the Edit dropdown menu). I tried a number of different phrases, and PS tried a few different times to generate an acceptable image. It never got it right. During the process, the image here is the one I found the most amusing example.

I have consistently chosen not to "render in the cloud"

CLOSELY RELATED to the "generate image" tool is a new component of the "crop" tool. Previously, we had standard cropping and another AI-based dropdown version that used "content aware" technology (again a circa 2010 addition to Photoshop). Much more recently, we now have a third choice: "generative expand," which works by adding canvas and then using the exact same interface as the "generate image" tool. Rather than supplying query terms, however, you just leave that box empty and instruct PS to generate and it will fill in the canvas contextually. Very much like content aware. But more sophisticated. It does a surprisingly good job. Each time you ask it to generate, it gives three choices. If you don't like any of them, tell it to do it again (though in my own brief empirical testing the first one is usually the one I like best). There is one negative (which I suspect will be overcome in the not too distant future). The generated image area is not very high resolution. I have used "generative expand" on a few occasions when I didn't frame an image as well as I would have liked. You can notice the difference in resolution. This would probably be an issue for large prints - though there are some workarounds.

Mala Strana; Prague, Czech Republic
Copyright Andy Richards 2024 - All Rights Reserved

ONE OTHER concern comes to mind here. Most of the new software offering some kind of "AI" capability offers two different "spaces" for conducting the rendering: on your computer and in "the cloud" (which by now everybody knows is euphemistic terminology for "their computer"). As I mentioned earlier, the current delivery method of "AI" generation involves an image memory bank of thousands of images, with an algorithym directing the computer to compare some combination of your image and/or your verbal instructions to the image bank, searching for relevant similar imagery and creating the AI rendering. That is about as elementary (and probably inaccurate in many ways) an explanation as I can give (and probalby the best I am capable of giving). But it does set up my explanation of the two choices. If you choose to render your AI in "the cloud," you will have many more and probably more current imagery to draw from, as well as the quite probable greater computing power of the providers' computers. If you keep it "in house" your comparison bank will be (somewhat) smaller.

Weston, Vermont
Copyright Andy Richards 2010 - All Rights Reserved

I HAVE consistently chosen not to "render in the cloud." I think there are some potential negatives. First, many providers are now charging for each render in some fashion (even subscription based programs will be issuing a set amount of "credits" against cloud-based "AI" rendering and when you run out, you will have to purchase more. Second, in this day and age, I have a healthy fear of just putting my work out there on the cloud. I am certain that among other things, the cloud based AI bank is augmenting each time you put an image out there. I might be wrong. 😏

Spit Rock Light - Split Rock State Park - Two Harbors, Minnesota
Copyright Andy Richards 2010 - All Rights Reserved

EITHER WAY, "AI" is here to stay, and will continue to grow its presence in our lives, and in particular in the way we post-process our images. In future blogs, I will post a couple additional blogs that will cover other specific AI tools that are offered by Photoshop, and how well they work (or don't). Every one of the photographs in this post have some element of "AI" purposely implemented in them Can you identify what was done to each?

Book Review - "Mastering Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III"

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IT HAS been some time since I have reviewed a book here. Perhaps part of the reason is because when it comes to photography, a lot of old school publishing has been replaced by digital publications, blogs, and You-Tube (and similar) videos.

I learn best the old fashioned way, with a book and a highligher and the device in hand

I STILL purchase print books for certain things that I want to study and know I will keep. While not so true for general photography "how to" stuff anymore, I still prefer a good print book as a reference, guide, or manual for cameras that I own. Each time I change or acquire new camera models, one of the first things I do (sometimes even before I purchase) is seek and purchase a reference guide book. I recently traded ("up?" - remains to be seen - I will review the camera in the not too distant future) from my "Travel Gear" Olympus OM-D - EM10iv, to the OM-D - EM5iii Strangely, the camera companies like to use a counter-intuitive numbering system and Olympus is no exception. The EM10 is their "entry model" MILS camera. The EM5 is ostensibly a step up. Therefore, the EM5iii should be an upgrade from the EM10iv. I had some reasons which I will go into in more detail in my upcoming review of the EM5iii, but one primary consideration is that the EM5 retains the diminutive size range of the EM10, a substantial "draw" to me to the system as a whole, for travel.

ANY NEW camera - albeit by the same manufacture in the same "line" of styles (Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens system - or "MILS"), is going to have a few different controls and settings. Learning what they do and setting the camera up for personal shooting preferences is a very important first step to getting and using a new camera.

Too many "how to" books are 25-30% about the particular camera and features, and the rest just a rehash of tried, true, and often "tired" concepts that apply to all photography

THESE DAYS there are very many different ways to learn the ins and outs of a complex electronic device, including videos, blogs, and other digital means. Some of us are "old school," however. I have had a camera of some description in my hands most of my 67 years, including mechanical SLR film cameras, DSLR digital cameras, and MILS cameras. I learn best the old fashioned way, with a book and a highligher and the device in hand. Whenever they have been available, I have availed myself of how to books. Unfortunately, there are just too many currently available cameras for which such a resource just doesn't exist. And often when one does, it really isn't worth the purchase. So when I found this one, I bought it.

IN THE photography field, Rocky Nook is a publisher that has generally been known for quality publications. I own several of them, and for the most part, have been well satisfied with both content and qualilty of the books. One of the lines they publish is their "Mastering Series." Within the series, the author of this book - Darrel Young - has apparently authored 12 of them, covering several Nikon and Olympus camera models. There also appear to be others in the series; notably Canon. This book certainly met my expectations from the publisher. I only found 2 print books covering this camera model. The other choice, based on reader reviews on Amazon, looked like a waste of time and money.

The illustrations are much too small, and generally very difficult to read without a magnifying glass

FOR THIS detailed reference work, Darrell Young, the primary author, does a great job of staying on topic. The subject matter is how this camera works: how to set and use its specific features.Too many "how to" books are 25-30% about the particular camera and features, and the rest just a rehash of tried, true, and often "tired" concepts that apply to all photography. By the time I have a camera as sophisticated as this one, I am not looking for yet another book explaining f-stops, shutter speeds, ISO, etc. I don't need or want to see that in a book like this (if you are looking for that, there are 100's out there, including one by Young, who wisely kept it to its own volume). This one is long, detailed, and often repetitive (a good thing as a reference guide because the repeated material is usually applicable to multiple features and having it repeated for each section make for ease of searching and learning about that feature. For the most part, this book is a "win" in my view.

PUBLISHED IN 2021 (the camera was released in late 2019), the book is nearly 550 pages long (much of that due - in my view - to the need for repetition to make it a true "reference" rather than just a narrative about the camera. I would love to see one of the much smaller, shorter, "field references" ("Pocket Guides") produced for this camera (unfortunately, after doing some "digging around" online, it is uncertain to me whether Rocky Nook is still a currently viable company). The book is a "bible-sized" 6"x9" and nearly 1 1/4" thick. I didn't weigh, it but it must be around 2.5 lbs. The print font is pretty small. While my eyes had no trouble reading it in good light, a slightly larger font would be easier reading - but would obviously come at a cost - even more pages. This is a book you will keep at home and on a bookshelf (if you even have one of those anymore 😑). I doubt you would want to carry it around in the field, or on a trip. I will - as has become my custom - keep some notes on important setting on a small notebook that I travel with. For a home - based intensive refernce though, this book is thorough and - generally (subject to my comments below) gives a good explanation of how each of the many settings and customizations that are offered with this camera model. 

For the most part, this book is a "win" in my view

THE AUTHOR spends the first couple chapters going over important basic setup that gets the user quickly into being able make pictures with the camera. I think that is a really useful way to set up the book (I have't seen any other books in the series, but this may be a common theme). The balance of the book, then, goes into some detail about each menu feature - step by step. I like that the author is not pedantic, and acknowledges that in many of the instances, the settings are going to be driven by the user's personal style and preferences, and also - as a practical matter - the type of shooting being done. In most instances, he gives his recommendations at the end of each section, but not really as a "you should" kind of thing. Rather, he says what he does - and why. Even if you don't follow it in the end, it gives a newcomer to the camera (and in some cases, the features) a staring point to work from.

THERE ARE just a couple things that could be done better. The first thing is a pretty significant negative, but is really probably more directed at the publisher than at the author. The illustrations are much too small, and generally very difficult to read without a magnifying glass. Each illustration - and there are many of them - is 1" x 1 1/2." They are also all on a black background (something that - if large enough - generally looks good as a background on a digital screen, but in my experience, not so good in print). The white text against the black background is nearly microscopic. Again, though, making them larger would probably increase the number of pages. It may be that a larger format  (like and 8 1/2 x 11 or near) book would present better. In the end, it is the textual information that is really important, and if you are reading (as the author suggests you do) with your camera in hand, you can see the "illustrations" quite well on the camera's rear screen. Offputting, though not enough in my view to stop you from acquiring the book. For the sake of objectivity, though, there are a few specific items I found room for improvement.

• In the narrative for the shooting menu #1 (a little camera-icon with a 1), the discussion about the so-called "shooting" modes could be clearer. Many of Olympus' menus use relatively understandable word-based descriptions. For this one, both the title and selections are less useful. The title is [Sequential]/Self-Timer]/[Interval Timer]. Where in that description are we supposed to get that this is where you set the shooting mode for single or multiple shots? It seems like an explanation would be helpful here.
  
  
• Even more vexxing (by Olympus) is that the individual choices down-menu (same section) are all symbols - no words. This is where a book like this should be more helpful. HINT: give us an explanation of what each nondescript symbol here means. I got confused because the author describes the selection choices in words, but gives us no association with the symbols-only that are in the menu! Fortunately, if yuou follow his step-by-step instructions, you will eventually work through this - but it seems like you do so more with plain "intuition" than will help from the book.
  
  
• Like essentially every manufacturer out there - the menu systems on these cameras can be quite complex. They all are, and in general, I don't get into criticizing menus. There are enough others out there doing that. I tend to think it is the nature of the beast and usually only involves a learning curve. In this book there are times when the writer comments on complexity of the menu system, but more about what he thinks is quirky terminology. It seems to me that as often as not, his attempt to explain or simplify falls short, at times being even more confusing than just working your way through a particular menu provision.
  
  
• There are some functions that aren't commonly known in the camera and in some cases instead of explaining what they do and why certain settings may work in certain cases, the author tells how to set them and completely omits any other commentary (e.g., the AF-Scanner function in custom menu A3 - which setting is best and why? Does it slow any other functions down or take up resources? What does it really do? In a book about the details of settings, this seems like a significant omission to me).
  
  

Here is what Google says about this function, by the way:

• Off: The lens will only focus once at the start of autofocus operation, useful when you want to minimize focus hunting.
• Single Scan: The lens will scan once to find focus when the shutter button is pressed halfway.
• Continuous Scan: The lens will continuously scan back and forth until focus is achieved, suitable for fast-moving subjects or low-contrast situations. 
  
  
• Another area where I think the book falls short in its intend to clarify and detail a function is with the Fn Lever Function (found in the Custom Menu at "B. Button/Dial/Lever). The lever is conventiently located on the camera back, surrounding the AEL/AFL button. It obviously is designed to give the shooter two different configurations that are quickly and conveniently switchable. As I note, the book falls short in the details here. Having read the section 3 times, I still come away not really knowing the details of what this function does.
  
  
• Again, in the section dealing with playback settings, the author notes that "if you have set an assignable button to Magnify, . . ." - then there is no other reference to this issue? It seems confusing and a little clarification would be helpful.
  
  
• One other thing that is a bit of a disappointment. The EM5 III comes with a little detachable mini-flash head. While the book covers camera flash controls, there is no independent coverage of the flash unit itself, or of attaching, powering and using it. I had to look up how the unit was powered, and discovered that (as I kind of thought from observing the unit) it is powered directly through the camera. I was finally able to figure it out, intuitively, working my own way through the Super Control menu. One would expect the unit to have a significant effect on camera battery life, and coverage of that and how it works would be a nice addition to the book.
  
  There are a few other items here and there, but for the most part, the book is a pretty good reference work. One other item of note is that it is one of the more expensive books of its kind. 

SOME READERS may point out that there are numerous You-Tube videos covering the M5III that are online and can be accessed for no charge. However, in addition to the "how we learn" comments I made at the beginning, None of them are as thorough or detailed as this book is. In doing some research for this post, I looked at a couple of them. In particular, there is gentleman out there named Rob Trek who has done a lot of videos on the Olympus system of cameras and lenses, including reviews and how to make your settings. Like every other reference, as good as is, it only covers what Rob thinks is important to tell us about. Additionally, I often find myself wanting the narrator to speed it up and get to the point - it seems like they often want to fill space with words, and commentary that - while in fairness is relevant - often adds nothing to the point and may actually be losing watchers. I like the ability to "skim" past parts of a book that don't apply, and dwell on (as well as flag and highlight) points that I think are important.

GIVEN THE pretty much complete lack of alternative works, my "negatives" are not reason enough to not purchase the book. They are simply (hopefully) objective observations. In my case I have found the book invaluable for my first-time setup of the EM5 III. I would recommend that anyone using the EM5 III pick this one up and spend some time with it and the camera.

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