Before and After: Taking a Picture and Creating an Image

I will often use the Midnight filter in Color Efex Pro 3.0 to remove background elements. You can selectively reduce parts of a background or remove most of it using Viveza 2 and Control Points to reduce the brightness in combination with the Midnight filter. Using the Brush feature in Photoshop is also a way to paint in the dark areas.

Here is an example of a dramatic before and after image.

As you can see from the Before vs. After, the transformation is very dramatic. Keep this in mind the next time you happen across a "moment" that might not be in the perfect setting. With a little enhancing using Nik Software, you can turn an average picture into a very special image.