I recently read an article by a photographer who was ranting against plug-ins, kinda dissing them as a cop-op way to turn a not-so-great shot into a totally cool shot.

Well my friends, compare the image above, enhanced with Nik Software's Color Efex Pro (Bi-Color User Defined, Detail Extractor and Image Borders), to the straight out of the camera shot below. I took the grab shot during my Coney Island photo walk workshops while waking down the boardwalk.

I think effects like this are something to rave about. What do you think? Post a comment here and join the conservation.

I also think plug-ins can help photographers awaken the artist within. Sure, getting the best possible in-camera exposure is key. But when we remove some of the reality from an image, by changing the color or sharpness or saturation, our pictures can become more creative. More artistic.

What's more, plug-ins are fun to use. And what's wrong with having a little digital darkroom fun?

All the plug-ins I use are listed on my Save on Creative Plug-ins Page.

Explore the light,
Rick Sammon

P.S. I like straight shots, too :-)