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Using Topaz Adjust with Aperture 3 #1
Kathryn W.'s picture
by Kathryn W.
October 24, 2010 - 4:05am

This is a two part questions.

Part One: I've recently installed my first plug in to use with Aperture, Topaz Adjust. In researching tutorials and tips on the web, I see that Photoshop users have, as a final step, the ability to use the PS opacity tool to increase or decrease the overall effect of the TA filter that's been applied. Is there any sort of opacity equivalent in Aperture?

Part Two: I'm also wondering how one applies an adjustment to just a portion of the image? One of the ways I'm most interested in using Topaz Adjust is to accentuate clouds while keeping more realism in the rest of the photo. In playing around with TA, I notice it can have an effect on the entire photo that I may not want.

Is this what's going on when Topaz Adjust/Photoshop users talk about employing the plug in with layers? I've never used PS and don't have any experience with layers. I'm wondering if it's possible in Aperture to apply an effect with an external editor on just part of the photo.

Kathryn

Kathryn W.'s picture
by Kathryn W.
October 25, 2010 - 2:06am

Thanks Joseph. Good to know. Nik software is high on my wish list.

Kathryn

PhotoJoseph's picture
by PhotoJoseph
October 24, 2010 - 4:41am

Kathryn,

I don’t have any experience with Topaz Adjust, but I can tell you what you can and can’t do inside of Aperture.

The ability in Photoshop to vary the opacity of the filter after it’s applied is not available in Aperture.

To apply an adjustment to just a portion of an image, Aperture has brushes for its own internal adjustment tools. However plug-ins have to employ their own brushes, and from what you’ve said it sounds like Topaz doesn’t do that. This is one of the reasons I love the Nik filters—they don’t use brushes, but use a very clever masking technique called U Point® Technology that I really enjoy using.

If Topaz does what you want and you don’t want to invest in Photoshop (and who does at that price), consider Photoshop Elements. From what I understand, it does nearly everything Photoshop does at a fraction of the cost. I don’t use it myself, but I’m assuming that it supports plug-ins just like Photoshop does.

@PhotoJoseph
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