- New Merge Dialog
- Improved UI, Tone Compression, and Method Controls
- Tonality and Color Controls
- Improved Finishing Controls (Graduated Neutral Density)
- Final Thoughts
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Improved Finishing Controls (Graduated Neutral Density)
One of the most innovative and useful improvements to HDR Efex Pro 2 is the new Graduated Neutral Density controls in the Finishing panel (see Figure 5). These allow you to separate the shot into a virtual upper and lower half, where you can control the exposure for those two regions, and then choose how harsh or subtle the transition between the two areas should be, using the Vertical Shift (where the transition starts) and Blend (how much of a “feather effect” there is in that region).
In Figure 5, I was able to darken the top third of the image a bit (including the sky), while adding some interesting highlights to the creek at the bottom of the frame. I also chose a subtle Vignette preset to darken the corners a bit and draw the viewer’s eyes into the frame.
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Figure 5 The Graduated Neutral Density controls make it simple to lighten or darken one-half of the image, while creating a smooth transition.