To get a different look and feel for your
image,
'Color Efex' has several creative filters,
like the 'Bleach bypass' filter.
I have opened: 'Pub'.
The Bleach bypass filter simulates a technique
from the days of color film,
where the bleaching step was skipped.
This results in a high contrast,
low saturation look.
For more creative filters,
we will now go to 'Analog Efex Pro 2',
which is the plugin for special effects.
This plugin can be very useful for giving
a book cover a special look.
I have opened: 'The man on the train' image,
we made in the 'blur methods' lecture.
I will create a 'New from Visible' layer,
so I get a single layer I can open.
I go to: Filters > Google Nik Collection.
I choose: 'Analog Efex Pro 2',
and click on OK.
At the left, there are some presets.
From this point we can already get
some interesting ideas,
which we can fully modify at the right.
Analog Efex, like Color Efex,
works with stackable effects.
To get to the individual filters,
click on the 'Classic Camera' icon.
Below 'Tools', we see the filters.
Let's have a look at 'Light Leaks'.
I click on it.
With 'Light Leaks' you can add a light flare
to your image.
There are many Light Leaks to choose from.
You have: Soft, Crisp, and Dynamic leaks.
You can position a light leak,
by dragging the blue circle.
At the top, you can set the Strength
of the Light Leak.
As in Color Efex, I will replace an effect
if I click on another affect at the left.
To add an effect in Analog Efex, you click
on the plus icon, at the right of an effect.
I will add: Zoom & Rotate Blur.
To remove an effect,
click on the minus icon.
With Zoom & Rotate Blur,
I can bring some movement to text and images.
The inner circle is the 'effect free' area,
and between the inner and outer circle
is the 'transition' area.
I can adjust the size of the inner circle,
and the outer circle.
I can also rotate the outer circle.
I can drag the circles
with the middle blue point.
I can also drag the sliders at the right.
Because I want to effect only the text,
and not the background, I will press Cancel.
In Gimp, I delete the top layer,
which came from Analog Efex,
and hide the train image.
Now only the text is visible.
The text has to be on a black background,
so that I can set the result
on the 'Screen' blending mode.
I right-click and choose: 'New from Visible'.
I go to: Filters > Google Nik Collection,
and click on OK.
I click on the Classic Camera icon,
and select: 'Zoom & Rotate Blur'.
Now I add some motion to the text.
I click on Save.
In Gimp I remove my 'New from Visible' layer.
I hide the original text,
and show the train layer.
I select the 'Analog Efex' layer,
and set it on: 'Screen'.
Now let's add some motion to an image.
For a thriller book-cover,
I have opened: 'Barn'.
I go to: Filters > Google Nik Collection,
and click on OK.
I click on the Classic Camera icon,
and select the 'Zoom & Rotate Blur' filter.
I drag the midpoint on the tree.
I will rotate the blur a bit.
I click on Save.
A related blur effect is: 'Motion blur'.
I have opened: 'Race_car'.
I would like to bring some motion blur
into this image.
I go to: Filters > Google Nik Collection,
and click on OK.
I click on the Classic Camera icon,
and select the 'Motion Blur' filter.
As with 'Zoom & Rotate Blur', you have
the 'effect free' area, and the 'transition' area.
With the small blue point, you set the 'Angle'
and the 'Strength' of the motion blur.
Independent of this main control,
you can also add seven additional 'Blur Points',
to tweak the result.
With these additional Blur Points,
you can control the 'Angle' and 'Strength' locally.
To delete an additional Blur Point,
select it and press: 'Delete'.
I have already saved a finished motion blur
effect for this image.
The preset, which is called a 'Recipe' in
Color Efex, can be found in the 'Custom' panel.
I named my Recipe: 'Race-car'.
I click on it.
Here I have placed the main control at the top,
and used the seven additional Blur Points,
to tweak the result.
To have the driver free of blur,
I placed a blur point on the driver,
and dragged the dot at the end of the arrow
fully in.
To save a preset,
click on the 'Save preset' button.
Like in Color Efex, to save a preset
with Control points included, you Shift-click.
You can also update, delete,
and export the preset.
I click on Save.
Finally, we will look at 'Bokeh'.
I have opened: 'Town_at_night'.
I go to: Filters > Google Nik Collection,
and click on OK.
I have already made a preset,
so I click on the 'Custom' panel.
Again, there is an 'effect free' area,
and a 'transition' area.
If you want to,
you can change the look of the bokeh.
I click on Save.
In Gimp I will remove the bokeh at the top
of the tower with a layer mask.
I right-click, choose: 'Add Layer Mask',
and choose: 'White'.
I select my brush, and paint with black.
I have now added some depth to my image
using the 'Bokeh' filter,
which is yet another way of blurring.
In the next lecture,
we will look at making Vignettes.
