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Life after Photoshop

  • Lightroom Classic
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  • Nik Collection
    • Analog Efex
    • Color Efex
    • Silver Efex
    • HDR Efex
    • Viveza
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    • Dfine
    • Perspective Efex (retired)
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Silver Efex

Silver Efex Pro is a plug-in for recreating black and white and darkroom effects. It's part of the DxO Nik Collection and not sold separately. It can also be used a standalone program or as an external editor by programs like Capture One.

DxO Nik Collection 8 review

May 10, 2025 by Rod Lawton

Nik Collection 8 HDR Efex

Verdict: 4.6 stars Nik Collection 8 has some interesting new features for existing users, but mostly for those who use Photoshop as their main ‘host’ application for launching the plug-ins. Silver Efex gets a major interface overhaul, however. This is very welcome, though its actual capabilities are little changed. Otherwise, apart from some workflow tweaks, it’s business as usual for this epic plug-in suite. Frankly, the Nik Collection is already such a wide-ranging, powerful and inspiring set of photo-enhancement tools that it’s always a bit of a surprise to find DxO has found anything to improve.

Filed Under: ReviewsTagged With: Analog Efex, Color Efex, Dfine, DxO, HDR Efex, Nik Collection, Sharpener, Silver Efex, Viveza

Live in color, dream in black and white: Nik Collection 8 is here

May 6, 2025 by Rod Lawton

DxO Nik Collection 8

Nik Collection 8 is the annual update and refresh to the DxO Nik Collection, which consists of seven different plug-ins for Photoshop and Lightroom Classic, but which can also run as standalone applications and work as external editors for many other programs. Silver Efex gets a significant overhaul in this version, but other the big news is enhanced and updated integration with Adobe Photoshop and its masking tools.

Filed Under: NewsTagged With: DxO, Nik Collection, Silver Efex

I edited this black and white image three different ways and I still can’t decide which is best

April 4, 2025 by Rod Lawton

Black and white edit in Silver Efex

Editing processes are very selective, and different photographers will have different approaches. Even the same photographer can have different approaches at different times. Just as it’s not always easy to cull your images, it’s not always easy to decide on the best way to edit them.

Filed Under: TutorialsTagged With: Black and white, DxO, Lightroom (CC), Nik Collection, ON1 Photo RAW, Silver Efex

DxO Nik Collection 6 announced: local adjustments improved, new features

May 16, 2023 by Rod Lawton

There are no new plug-ins in the Nik Collection 6 this time around, but significant feature additions to some and improved local adjustment tools across the board.

Filed Under: NewsTagged With: Analog Efex, Color Efex, Dfine, DxO, HDR Efex, Nik Collection, Perspective Efex (retired), Sharpener, Silver Efex, Viveza

Preset picks: Silver Efex Pro Hollywood Glamour

November 15, 2022 by Rod Lawton

What’s in a name? Preset effects typically have names to give you an idea of the kind of subjects they might work with, but in reality you should just choose a preset that gives you the ‘look’ you want. For this dramatic seascape I turned to the Hollywood Glamour preset in Silver Efex Pro, one of the key plug-ins in the DxO Nik Collection.

Filed Under: TutorialsTagged With: Black and white, DxO, Nik Collection, Silver Efex

Dramatic skies and silhouettes with Silver Efex Pro

April 18, 2022 by Life after Photoshop

Silver Efex Pro

I love Silver Efex Pro. It’s a black and white photography plug-in developed by Nik Software and now part of the DxO Nik Collection. What makes it great is that it recaptures the look and feel of traditional darkroom black and white in a way that other plug-ins don’t. The preset effects down the left […]

Filed Under: TutorialsTagged With: Black and white, DxO, Nik Collection, Silver Efex

Black and white photography basics

March 15, 2022 by Life after Photoshop

Black and white photography is as popular now as ever. Here are some key things to know about black and white photography with digital cameras, and how they change the way you see, shoot and edit black and white.

Filed Under: General, Photography explainedTagged With: Black and white, Silver Efex

How to get started with Silver Efex Pro

June 10, 2020 by Life after Photoshop

Silver Efex Pro is one of the best-known plug ins in the Nik Collection and widely regarded as the premier tools for fans of black and white photography. There are lots of really good ways to create black and white images in all sorts of software, but even now Silver Efex Pro has a magic […]

Filed Under: TutorialsTagged With: Black and white, DxO, Nik Collection, Silver Efex

How to apply the Zone System in Silver Efex Pro

November 8, 2013 by Life after Photoshop

Silver Efex Pro Zone System

The Zone System was invented by legendary landscape photographer Ansel Adams. He hit upon the idea of splitting the full range of tones in a black and white image into eleven distinct brightness zones, which he then went on to define very carefully. I’m paraphrasing this from the Wikipedia entry: Ansel Adams’ approach was two-fold. […]

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Filed Under: TutorialsTagged With: Black and white, DxO, Nik Collection, Silver Efex

Create your own films with Silver Efex Pro Sensitivity settings!

October 13, 2013 by Life after Photoshop

Silver Efex Pro Sensitivity settings

You can use Silver Efex Pro perfectly effectively by choosing a preset and then modifying the settings as necessary using the tools panel. What you may not realise is that Silver Efex Pro simulates specific film types very closely. In fact, you can choose your film manually in the Film Types panel. And if that’s […]

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Filed Under: TutorialsTagged With: Black and white, DxO, Nik Collection, Silver Efex

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