Whats Your Favorite Plug-In? and Why?

[SonOfSane]

I use alot of plug-ins on a normal basis. I have some to ease me have to go thru the task of color correction, etc etc

My Favs tho are

Borders/Frames/Textures

Alien Skin Spalt! (good for textures and border/frames)
Auto Fx Photographic Edges 6
and of course Eye Candy 5

Photominipulation

anything from Auto Fx
anything from KPT (the collection)
Xenofex 2


these are some of my favs i use alot....i know that alot of people use many different plug-ins and everyone has there own fav. maybe some i have never heard of. So tell me whats your fav?

[arb]

Alien Skin (5, Xenofex, 4000)
Nik Color Efex Pro (stilizing and traditional)
Virtual Painter (4 & 5)
Flaming Pear (in particualr: flood, lunar cell)
Redfield (particular: umatrix and waterripples)
Auto FX (all)
Filters Unlimited 2
Andromeda

and i'm not sure but i like
KPT3
KPT5 (fraxplorer)
KPT6 (gel, projector, skyeffects)
KPT7 (channel surfing, fraxflame II and hypertyling)

and off course I will miss one or two

Why? I have to take a week off!

[StormGirl_blue]

ooo, its hard to pick a favourite, they are all my babies..
I do love any eye candy, mezzoforce-ice, and this mob here have some pretty amazing things Xero Graphics : Photoshop Plugins , check out the porciline from set 4? might be set3?
for a commercial one DFT digital film tools are absolutly tops, but soo expensive

[turvas]

I hate plug-ins.
hate, hate hate... hate, hate? HATE!
I just do. I feel like... they are trying to reduce my creativity. You plug-a-holics wont probably understand anyways, but... Just don't get fresh on me.

[Tamlin]

I have to say I'm kinda with turvas on this one. I wouldn't go so far as to say I "hate" plug-ins, but I do think some Photoshoppers overuse them to the detriment of their images. Plug-ins are like garlic: a little goes a long way, and sometimes none at all is the best choice.

[SonOfSane]

i agree with the over use of them...and the fact that they can reduce creativity....but i have to process alot of photos and they streamline it alot....but i recently purchased Lightroom that lets you set a store your settings, transfer the image to photoshop if needed, and a slew of other stuff that eliminated alot of my plug-in....i think plug-ins are good to an extent but if you really want to add personal flavor it is best to add the effect without using the plug-in even tho its ALOT faster

[arb]

Originally Posted by turvas

I hate plug-ins.
hate, hate hate... hate, hate? HATE!
I just do. I feel like... they are trying to reduce my creativity. You plug-a-holics wont probably understand anyways, but... Just don't get fresh on me.

Hi Turvas,

To me your opinion is a bit black/white. Tell me what do you consider to be a plug-in?

Is "blur" a plugin?

Ton

[StormGirl_blue]

ahh.
Lol, well filters, or plugins are absolutly no substitute for great photography, I completly respect why tallented photographers will loath these things, nothing could ever take the place of the shear brilliance of a skilled photographer.
But everything does have a place.
I realy enjoy playing with my toys..sometimes I will just play away on the keys like doodling, and every now and then come up with an OOO piece..

but heres an exampleI did with one of my photos, it was a good shoot, but after I applied just one filter, ( probably much stronger than I should have) I thought this good shot gained better mood, became richer and deeper..
I suppose this is a matter of oppinion, and I know a knowledgable photographer might even say i ruined the good shot, but a casual observer notknowing any better might say the filtered one has more feeling..
( i shrunk the image down for the compario)

[SonOfSane]

hmmm....i agree pretty much with everyone....filters are a necessary evil...lol

there is no subsitute for a great photo taken by a talented eye. BUT just like ice cream...it taste good, it looks good....but add some whip cream, chocolate, or your fav topping and you can make it even better or for some people worse because the rather have it plain.

besides.....beauty is in the eye of the beholder....what works for me doesnt mean it will work for everyone. then again....why should i care? a good artist does what they see ...not what someone else might see.


@StormGirl_blue ...i like them both and think the shot and the shop are fine....if you like them then pee on everyone else

[Tamlin]

Originally Posted by arb

Hi Turvas,

To me your opinion is a bit black/white. Tell me what do you consider to be a plug-in?

Is "blur" a plugin?

Ton

A "plug-in" is a filter supplied by a third party (i.e. not part of the original Photoshop install). So, in answer to your question: no, "blur" is not a plug-in.

[arb]

Ok Tamlin,

If e.g. lens correction is a part of the install in one program (it is in PSP 10) and e.g. not in Photoshop what is it then?

Ton

[StormGirl_blue]

I mentioned that one of my favourites was a high end plugin by DTF (digital film tools), amongst this collection is one called centre spot blur.
I know this effect can be achieved by most reasonable photographers by taking the time to manualy focus etc, but I am a lazy point and shooter..lol, not to mention I have sand or grit under the turner thinggy and my eyes water everytime I click over to manual..
also I appreciate that I would have been able to achieve this without the 3rd party add-on, but this took me one click.
I did apply the blur a little heavier than would be normal if I was showing respect to my photo.
But one photo is a waterscape with a couple of boats, the other is a study of the boat..( lol, ok yatchies I know thats not a boat its a cat, but for the purpose of the compariosn its a boat )

(shrunken images again)



Then after that, plugins also come into their own when transforming one art form into another, ie from photography to digital art.

[Tamlin]

Originally Posted by arb

Ok Tamlin,

If e.g. lens correction is a part of the install in one program (it is in PSP 10) and e.g. not in Photoshop what is it then?

Ton

Not sure I understand your question, Ton. I don't think you'll find many situations where the same plug-in (and I mean exactly the same piece of software - not something that gives a similar effect) comes as part of the standard install of one application but is available as a plug-in to another. But anyway, that's not the point. A plug-in, by definition, is something extra to the standard install of an application - regardless of what that application is.

StormGirl_blue: That effect is quite easy to achieve with the filters that come with Photoshop, but I take your point: sometimes it's just quicker to use a plug-in for an effect. Other plug-ins duplicate the functionality of built-in filters, but give you more control. There are a number of sharpening tools supplied with Photoshop, but none of them holds a candle to FocalBlade from PhotoWiz, which I use for all my sharpening needs.

[Kenneth]

I think I can see your point Ton. But I guess as soon as Adobe buys a collection of plug-ins and include them in the programme then it stops being a plug-in. Even if it still works in the same way.
I once downloaded 250 plug-in for PSP, but if I found two or three that where any good I couldn´t find back to them again. So now I only have a few Alien skins left .And that´s enough for me.
(And by the way I think lens correction came with PSP 9.)

[arb]

Tamlin, Kenneth,

I agree with you both about the definition of a plug-in.
Tamlin, Focalblade is a good sharpening tool. You are right, Kenneth, about PSP9.
Well gentlemen, that's all for today.

Ton