DxO PhotoLab 8.5.1 Elite Edition - Is this software right for you?

 DxO PhotoLab 8.5.1 Elite Edition - For the passionate photographer.

To answer that question, one needs to evaluate the need for image editing software. A lot of photographers use the Adobe Subscription and in particular, the Photography Subscription where you get amongst other pieces of software, Photoshop, Bridge & Lightroom.

The question you need to ask yourself is; "Do I really need all that is offered by Adobe in order to edit my photographic images to my liking?"

The next question is: "Do I want to deal with a monthly subscription or do I just want to buy a software license and be done with it, only updating if I really need to?"

If you are working in the industry and need to collaborate with others in the post production world, then maybe you do need the an Adobe subscription of some sort as most photographic studios require these programs but, if you don't fit into this category of photographer, then maybe something like DxO's PhotoLab 8 Standard or Elite editions is right for you.

I honestly believe that once you understand all about DxO's PhotoLab 8 functions and features you'll want to at least give this amazing piece of software a try. They have a 30 day FREE Trial available.

This article is going to be a quick introduction to DxO PhotoLab 8 Elite Edition. In future posts I will go into more depth explaining all the things you will need to know in order to create amazing images.

First of all DxO PhotoLab is not Photoshop with all of it's layer and type tools and all that. DxO PhotoLab is a RAW Editor whereas Photoshop is a Pixel Editor. It's not Lightroom either. Let me explain. There are no Catalogs to deal with in DxO PhotoLab in the same way that there are no catalogs to deal with when using Photoshop & Bridge to edit your images.

Actually, DxO PhotoLab is like having Adobe Camera Raw & Adobe Bridge in one application. When you first launch DxO PhotoLab 8 Elite Edition in this case, you are presented with the Photo Library. The Photo Library is very similar to Adobe Bridge where you have to navigate to your folders of images. Unlike Lightroom where you have to Import your images into a Catalog which can take some time. Don't get me wrong as there are pros and cons to working with the Catalog scenario but not everybody wants or needs to work with Catalogs.

DxO's PhotoLab 8.5.1 Photo Library

In the top left you will see the highlighted Photo Library tab. On the left side of this library view you will see the tree structure of folders and sub folders that contain images.

In the centre of the Photo Library panel are all of the images contained inside the selected folder. Here I have one edited image selected and on the right side is the image's histogram and metadata.

The Customize tab is similar to Adobe Camera Raw but instead of being two distinctly separate applications, Adobe Camera Raw & Bridge, DxO PhotoLab has both in one application.

DxO's PhotoLab 8.5.1 Customize Editor

This is the DxO RAW Editor with the highlighted image from the Library panel presented in full view. On the left side you have the Histogram and a Navigator Thumbnail Preview. In this case you will notice some white dotted lines which indicate what portion of the entire image is being displayed to us. Under that is the History panel.

Along the bottom you will notice all of the images that are contained inside the selected folder in Filmstrip mode so you will not lose access to all of your images when in the Customize Panel.

Along the right side are the six different editing panels with the Color Panel selected. 

DxO's PhotoLab 8.5.1 Customize Editor Light Panel

This where you can affect the tones in your image by adjusting the Exposure, Highlights, Midtones, Shadows & Blacks. There is a unique feature called DxO Smart Lighting. DxO Clear View Plus which has sliders similar to ACR's Effects Panel, a Tone Curve and Vignetting options.

DxO's PhotoLab 8.5.1 Customize Editor Color Palette

This is where you get to choose your color space, white balance, camera profile and if you have FilmPack 7, you have way more options to choose from, LUT Grading and Style Toning to name a few. You also have HSL options, Channel Mixer and Soft Proofing for those that wish to make prints.

DxO's PhotoLab 8.5.1 Customize Editor Details Palette

This is where the rubber hits the road so to speak. DxO has developed some of the most sophisticated Noise Reduction algorithms anywhere. 

DxO's PhotoLab 8.5.1 Customize Editor Geometry Palette

This palette is similar to Adobe Camera Raw Geometry Palette & Lightroom's Transform Palette but with a few unique features such as Volume Deformation and Reshape Fusion which only works is you also have DxO Viewpoint 5 installed. The Distortion feature makes use of DxO's unique Lens/Optics Modules.

DxO's PhotoLab 8.5.1 Customize Editor Watermark & Effects Palette

This palette allows us to add a watermark to our mages using text or an image. There is also a Miniature Effect, a Filter option that have many colors for you to choose if you wanted to add a color effect across the entire image kind of similar to Photoshop's Photo Filters. There are more grain effect options here than one would ever need. We will explore these options in another article. We have got Creative Vignetting and some interesting methods to add some Blur to your images. There are also Frame, Texture and even Light Leaks for you to choose from. 

DxO's PhotoLab 8.5.1 Customize Editor Local Adjustments Palette

In the above screen shot you will notice I have selected the new Hue Mask Tool. There are eight (8) adjustment tools which all use masking as a method to control where and how much of a mask is being created to enhance your images. There are even Sharpening and Blurring options here.

I will create more posts on each of the above mentioned DxO PhotoLab 8 Elite Palettes and how to best use this amazing piece of software in the near future. I am hoping for weekly contributions here.

I want to tell you about my journey with this software which started with the release of Nikon's Raw editing software, Nikon Capture NX, back in February of 2006. Nikon and a company named NIK collaborated and came out with Nikon Capture NX and in 2008, Nikon Capture NX2. You may be familiar with the NIK if you have ever used their NIK Collection.

What intrigued me was their U-Point Technology, masking without learning Masking and Layers as you would in Photoshop. Just point and click to define the area and make some adjustments.

My DxO Affiliate Link: https://tidd.ly/4oxoh03

Discount Code of 15%: JohnWarren

Until next time, happy shooting ...