Nik, Topaz, etc.

[Jbear555]

Operating System

1. Windows 11

I have used the Nik suite for quite a while now. I haven't upgraded since version 3, and I just got a new computer so I am considering getting Nik 7 or perhaps a Topaz suite. I am curious as to how many out there don't bother with any of that and just use LR and PS for all of their post needs. I've worked with someone here who has been incredibly helpful, and he says he doesn't find a need for a sharpening program. I've always used some form of sharpening from the Light's Right actions (probably early 2000's) to PK Sharpener, and now Nik.
I have always had good success with Nik (until it started exhibited strange behaviors on my older W10 machine. DxO support could not help, but I suspect that the issue has to do with a way-too-full hard drive). I'm pretty confident that Nik 7 on a new machine will be fine. Currently I am using Nik Sharpener and Viveza. Since LR Denoise came out, I haven't had much use for D-fine, and really don't use the other plugins. I'm wondering if just getting stand-alone sharpening software and doing everything else in LR-PS (or just LR).
My work is nature photography, and I am not doing anything with graphics or trying to put blue eagles in orange skies...just trying to capture what I see and print/post it.
Appreciate your time everyone!

 

[clee01l]

Since LrC DeNoise only works with RAW files, I have purchased Topaz PhotoAI. I also use Topaz for enhancing faces and PhotoShop for Generative Expand and Photo Restoration.

 

[Jimmsp]

I am basically the same as Cletus. I use Topaz Photo AI to also do some sharpening on my non Canon walk around lens. My Pixel 9 Pro XL outputs a raw as a .dng which LRC DeNoise will operate on, but I use Topaz to sharpen and "polish".
I used to use NIK, primarily for B&W conversion, but with the latest LRC I really don't miss it.

 

[Jbear555]

I am torn as I really like Viveza, but the AI sharpening in Topaz is pretty cool. Also, Topaz offers an educational discount, which is nice. It'd be great if you could a la carte these applications.

 

[Zenon]

As for Topaz I had Photo AI v1, Denoise AI and Gigapixel. I also had DXO PureRaw 2 and ON1 NoNoise. When Adobe released Denoise AI, I removed all those apps off my system. I kept Topaz Sharpen AI and I only use it if needed.

I had no real need for Gigapixel. I had Denoise AI and Sharpen AI. When Photo AI was first released they offered me a deal. If I purchased Gigapixel they would throw in Photo AI for free. I also got another year of support for Denoise AI and Sharpen AI but I knew those two would never see any again. Topaz was putting all their efforts into Photo AI.

I supported Topaz and would have likely picked up Photo AI versions 2 and 3. For what I do I don't really need Photo AI. I do a pretty deep pre-cull before importing into LrC. Not too many OOF files get in. It has to be pretty special to keep it.

LrC does everything I need. Now I only require two things from Adobe. Non destructive Denoising (which is already available in ACR) and a Sharpen AI module or something similar.

 

[Zenon]

Since LrC DeNoise only works with RAW files, I have purchased Topaz PhotoAI. I also use Topaz for enhancing faces and PhotoShop for Generative Expand and Photo Restoration.

I only work with RAW files. I don't restore or re-edit other formats. If so I would have likely kept using Photo AI.

 

[Bill Ballard]

I have been using NIK for a long, long time now and have always updated the versions. I've also stopped using LR and have basically gone back to my 'original' workflow processes of ACR (Adobe Camera RAW), Photoshop and the NIK plugin. For me and the way I work, the differences between ACR and LR were not enough for me to put up with the headache of the LR catalog/database - again, my personal preference and opinion.

If you continue to use NIK, I would definitely suggest keeping up with the product improvements.

 

[Jbear555]

Thank Bill. I now have Topaz and Nik Collection 7, and I'm looking forward to learning what they can (and can't) do. I hear you regarding the headache that is the LR catalog. I haven't found my "thing" yet regarding organizing, but I am working on it.

 

[Bill Ballard]

Thank Bill. I now have Topaz and Nik Collection 7, and I'm looking forward to learning what they can (and can't) do. I hear you regarding the headache that is the LR catalog. I haven't found my "thing" yet regarding organizing, but I am working on it.

You're welcome.

For my processing/editing style, I don't need the LR catalog functions. The majority of my shoots are methodical and planned out; I still shoot as I did when I shot on film. I carried over my darkroom workflow to the digital environment and with only slight modifications, it was worked quite well for me.

 

[Zenon]

That’s funny. I’m not a savvy computer fellow but I’ve been using LR since 2011. The only time I ever think about the catalogue is when I talk about it in forums. I typically refer to as simple maintenance. LrC just needs to know where the files are stored and when exiting check the integrity and optimize boxes. That’s it.

Since LR5 I have not had a single corruption issue. I’ve even opened files in other non destructive editors like Canon’s DDP, made edits and it never effected LRC’s edits.

Not that it is happening here but some of the time people don’t understand it. They think the files themselves are the catalogue. So did I during the first few weeks of experimenting back in 2011 .

Like the saying goes, each to their own and you have use what works best.

 

[clee01l]

I hear you regarding the headache that is the LR catalog. I haven't found my "thing" yet regarding organizing, but I am working on it.

Lighroom Classic is a Data Asset management tool with the develop edit function included. I can't imaging trying to organise and manage my DAM assets using the file system as my DAM tool. Even Bridge is a better DAM tool than the limited file system.

 

[Jimmsp]

Lighroom Classic is a Data Asset management tool with the develop edit function included. I can't imaging trying to organise and manage my DAM assets using the file system as my DAM tool. Even Bridge is a better DAM tool than the limited file system.

Ditto. If I were a professional photographer who only shot weddings in my region, for instance, I could imagine a folder structure based on month and year and client names. I'd have a shot at it. However, I am an amature generalist. I shoot landscapes, nature, National Parks, car shows, rodeos, family events, travel, themed photo club challenges, as well as support for local volunteer activities that I am involved with. I would probably give up photography without my key words and access to metadata. One main reason from moving away from Capture One a number of years ago was the collapse of their catalog.

 

[Zenon]

I'm not a pro and I don't have subfolders pre month. Every January I create a new folder for the year. Example 2025. I then name subfolders by event type and date.

 

[Jbear555]

I am strongly considering moving to Bridge. I'll tell you my rationale, and you can tell me if I am off-base or thinking straight.
I used to use Bridge a long time ago, and never had issues. I would get files off my memory card and into a file by date. I'd give the file an additional descriptor so I could remember what I was shooting, and whenever I needed to find something...it was easy. I didn't matter if it was on an older drive that I reconnected or my current working drive...it was there. I'd open into Camera Raw, on to PS, and done. With LR...well...candidly I am not good at the organizational aspect of catalogs and collections, and backups, and the whole, finding files and folders thing makes my head absolutely spin. The latter isn't terrible, as it doesn't happen often, but when it does... Full disclosure...this is 100% on me. I have a spatial learning disability, which I have successfully navigated my whole life, but...there are just times. I'm not lazy, I don't give up, but certain things that some find easy are very hard for me (if not impossible). I have been taking "lessons" with someone here who has helped tremendously, but when something goes slightly sideways...I'm lost again. Currently, my working drive isn't showing the folders I've been working with, and they are in Explorer and on the drive I used to back them up. It's not even a "find folder" situation...they just aren't there even though they are everywhere else. For many of you here this would not be more than a minor inconvenience, and I'm jealous. I have another session with my instructor this Saturday to troubleshoot, but I can't keep dropping $ every time I can't figure something out. Bottom line seems to be...with Bridge I can concentrate on taking pictures, editing them, and printing them. With LR...I never seem to know when things are going to get "weird," and instead of spending two hours on my photos, I'm spending it going around in circles. By the time I get sorted...if I get sorted...I am spent. Again, this is not a flaw in LRc...it's a flaw in me. Anyway, I'll give this next lesson a shot to see if "things" can be straightened out and I can learn to work in a manner that doesn't create a constant stream of issues. I really appreciate all of your help and insight!

 

[Jimmsp]

You say that you have trouble finding files and folders - and I am very sorry to hear about your spatial learning disability which I don't fully understand. My wife has a version of this. Anway, has your teacher gotten into the use of keywords and metadata? Since you already name your files, has he shown you yet how you can find files associated with key words and text (in the file names)?

 

[Jbear555]

Hi Jim,
No worries...had it my whole life...that and math, but...I'm a biology teacher and I used to be an environmental chemist, so...like I said...I find a way! Honestly, having an LD helps me a lot in teaching LD kids, because I know what they are feeling when everyone giggles and says "that's soooo easy." Anyway, yes we've talked about keywords and such. My issues stems partly from having years of images on multiple drives and never having an actual system. I sorta just kept on with what I did in Bridge. Only thing is, LR doesn't care for things like swapping drives back and forth when you don't do it the way it wants...which I seem to not "get." The only thing I can really see helping would be to start fresh. All of my images from now would go into a clean LR (maybe that would be called a new catalog), and everything from before now gets handled in Bridge. I may have that discussion this weekend. Other that organization...would I be missing anything by using Camera Raw instead? I guess I'd have to use Topaz on a TIFF rather than a RAW file like I can in LR. I haven't had Topaz long enough to know if that's a drawback or not. Some say use PhotoAI on RAW...some prefer TIFF. I have no opinion as I have no real experience.
Appreciate your thoughts for sure!

 

[clee01l]

With LR...well...candidly I am not good at the organizational aspect of catalogs and collections, and backups, and the whole, finding files and folders thing makes my head absolutely spin.

Moving away from LrC to Bridge is IMO a step backwards. I think you would be better served spending the time it takes to develop good organization skills. The file system folders are a very poor means of organizing images. Bridge use the Filesystem for organization. If you spend time organizing using keywords and collections and the filter options you can ignore the filesystem and folders completely. Most of the time in LrC, I collapse the Folder panel and only work in the Collections panel and Catalog panel Special Collections. If you spend some time developing collections and applying keywords and ignoring filesystem folders, I think you will get a better understanding of Data Asset Management (DAM) tools like Lightroom.

You might take a look at Lightroom Desktop. It is cloud based and doesn't even include a filesystem component. There is now a Local option that lets you work without using the Adobe Cloud to store your images. This also makes the filesystem that stores your image files transparent to the Lightroom app as all organization is still keywords and collection (called Albums il Lightroom Desktop).

As for NIK, I stopped using this when the product started being sold to Google and then orphaned. This was over 10 years ago. Topaz and On1 fill in for me any holes that Lightroom and Photoshop cannot cover.

 

[Gnits]

A key point, the folder view in the library left panel will only show folders which contain images imported to LrC. It is not designed to be the equivalent of Explorer or Finder.

Also, I create a master folder on a drive I am using for images.., and call it something like "MyLrCImagesOnP".

I then only store my imaged in subfolders of this folder. I expect to see all such folders in LrC. This also makes it easy to backup my images.

Another point that is often confusing.... if you import a folder of images .... it may not show the parent folder (as there might be no imported images in the parent folder). This can be adjusted by right clicking on the importer folder and select Show Parent Folder.

At the end of the day we all evolve a workflow that works for us. I know lots of individuals who only use Bridge and Photoshop.

 

[Jbear555]

What are anyone's thoughts on the whole...start-fresh-from-here thing. I might have a chance if I wasn't trying to wrangle so many years of unorganized images. Is that even a possibility? Perhaps start a new catalog and re-import only from 2024 onward? I could use RAW for all of the earlier files and go forward with LR. Is there any logic in that path?

 

[clee01l]

What are anyone's thoughts on the whole...start-fresh-from-here thing. I might have a chance if I wasn't trying to wrangle so many years of unorganized images. Is that even a possibility? Perhaps start a new catalog and re-import only from 2024 onward? I could use RAW for all of the earlier files and go forward with LR. Is there any logic in that path?

I think starting small is a good choice. I would not delete the current master catalog as it has your edit adjustments for all of the images imported to date. If you import into a date named folder scheme and use use collections and keywords to Organise, then you can over time open the old master catalog and export as a catalog small batches by year into your new master catalog.

As a Biology teacher and chemist, organization should come easy for you. (Taxonomy and Periodic table) as fine examples of being organized. If you are taking photos of flora and fauna, taxonomy lists become the basis of a keyword hierarchy.


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[Jbear555]

Thank you. I am going to run this strategy by my instructor on Sat. If anyone else is in the same situation, I'm happy to provide the name and contact info. for the person who is helping me. It's someone who is a regular here, but I'm not sure if it's cool to just throw the name out, but if you PM me...happy to.