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Plug-ins

Plug ins are like add-on programs which work from within your regular software. They provide specialised effects or in-depth tools – or simply a an easier way of working – that aren't part of mainstream photo-editing applications.

Probably the best known is the Nik Collection, a suite of plug ins which includes Analog Efex Pro, Color Efex Pro, Dfine, HDR Efex Pro, Sharpener Pro, Silver Efex Pro and Viveza.

Others include Topaz Studio and the MacPhun Creative Kit. Some programs that started out as plug ins now work as standalone applications too, including Alien Skin Exposure X and ON1 Photo RAW.

Plug ins need a 'host' application, usually Photoshop, Lightroom or – for those still using it – Aperture. Other host apps can often work with plug-ins with a little manual configuration.

If you had to characterise these two types of software you might say that 'host' apps offer routine image enhancements and adjustments while plug-ins provide inspiration and ideas, though the boundaries are becoming blurred.

Analog Efex Pro 3 review

August 19, 2022 by Rod Lawton

Verdict: 5 stars Analog Efex Pro 3 is a new and revamped version of the analog effects plug-in in the DxO Nik Collection. It goes way beyond most analog photography tools, offering not just film styles, grain effects and borders, but creative vignetting, bokeh, lens blur, lens distortion, double-exposures, motion blur and more to simulate a huge variety of ‘old camera’ looks. There are other good vintage/analog tools out there, but none that go as far as Analog Efex Pro, and version 3, introduced with Nik Collection 5, is streamlined, updated and even better.

Filed Under: Nik Collection, ReviewsTagged With: Analog, Analog Efex Pro (Nik Collection), Bokeh, Borders and frames, Control point, Film simulation, Frames, Grain, Multiple exposure, Nik Collection (DxO), Plug-ins, Tilt shift

DxO Nik Collection 5 review

August 18, 2022 by Rod Lawton

Verdict: 5 stars Only a modest amount has changed here from Nik Collection 4, but it was already so good there was little room left for improvement. If your photography needs an injection of inspiration, style, or creativity, this is where you’ll find it. Even if you already have version 4, the new Color Efex Pro 5 and Analog Efex Pro 3 could make it worth upgrading.

Filed Under: Best software, Featured, Nik Collection, ReviewsTagged With: Analog Efex Pro (Nik Collection), Color Efex Pro (Nik Collection), Dfine (Nik Collection), HDR Efex Pro (Nik Collection), Perspective Efex (Nik Collection), Plug-ins, Sharpener Pro (Nik Collection), Silver Efex Pro, Viveza (Nik Collection)

Lightroom vs Photoshop: which program should you use and when?

April 15, 2022 by Life after Photoshop

Lightroom vs Photoshop, which is best? It’s not that simple, as anyone who uses them will know, because although there is some crossover (well, a lot of crossover), they have very different roles and very different strengths and weaknesses. One is not better than the other because it depends on what you want to do. […]

Filed Under: Lightroom, PhotoshopTagged With: Adobe, Adobe Camera Raw (ACR), Asset management, Bridge (Adobe), Cataloguing software, DAM (Digital Asset Management), Layers, Lightroom (Adobe), Lightroom Classic (Adobe), Local adjustments, Photography Plan (Adobe), Photoshop (Adobe), Plug-ins, Retouchii, Retouching

Lightroom vs Lightroom Classic: same name, very different workflow

September 15, 2021 by Life after Photoshop

The name is the same, but despite the apparent similarities, these are two very different programs. So what are the key differences between Lightroom CC and Lightroom Classic CC, and how do you choose which one to use?

Filed Under: Featured, Lightroom, ReviewsTagged With: AI (artificial intelligence), Cloud storage, Creative Cloud (Adobe), External editor, Lightroom (Adobe), Lightroom Classic (Adobe), Photography Plan (Adobe), Plug-ins, Sensei (Adobe), Smart album/collection, Versions (Lightroom), Virtual Copy (Lightroom)

How to use Aurora HDR with Lightroom as a plug-in: for single exposures or bracketed sets

November 10, 2020 by Rod Lawton

You can use Aurora HDR 2019 as a standalone program, but if you have Lightroom it’s a lot easier and more efficient to launch it from Lightroom as a plug-in. You can use Aurora HDR with Lightroom very easily, but the method is not the same for single images and bracketed exposures.

Filed Under: Aurora HDR, Featured, Tutorials, WorkflowTagged With: Aurora HDR (Skylum), HDR, Plug-ins

How Apple Photos Extensions work

January 16, 2016 by Rod Lawton

Apple Photos has some useful editing tools already, but with the launch of the El Capitan operating system, Apple has gone a step further with Apple Photos Extensions. These are equivalent to the the image-editing plug-ins used with Photoshop and Lightroom. Software publishers have been keen to make use of this, and already there are a […]

Filed Under: Featured, TutorialsTagged With: Plug-ins

How to make Lightroom, Photoshop and Smart Objects work together

December 23, 2013 by Rod Lawton

Despite the name of this site, I’ve got nothing against Photoshop! Even if it doesn’t have all the effects filters and organising tools you might be looking for (hence this site), it’s still worth having in your software armoury, especially if you get a good deal on an Adobe Photoshop CC subscription. Photoshop has limitations, […]

Filed Under: Lightroom, TutorialsTagged With: Plug-ins

How Photoshop Smart Objects and plug-ins can work together

December 8, 2013 by Rod Lawton

Photoshop Smart Object

Just in case anyone thinks I have something against Photoshop… I don’t! Photoshop is really good at what it does, it just doesn’t do everything I want from a digital imaging application. But it is really good ‘host’ application for plug-ins. One reason is that I’m having a few problems with Aperture and Google Nik […]

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Filed Under: TutorialsTagged With: Plug-ins

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