Jimmy T Loc: Virginia

Background: I’m an enthusiastic intermediate skill level amateur with Canon (5DIV, RP & “L” glass) equipment. I shoot raw and prefer PhotoScape Pro for PP on a Windows 10 computer. I also have LR but I don’t care for it.

I just purchased Topaz Studio 2, DeNoise AI, Sharpen AI, Mask AI, & Adjust AI. I have been viewing all of the Topaz and Topaz related YouTube videos, and playing with older duplicates of my previous photo files. While I am still a long way from being fluent in Topaz I do find that the programs are very intuitive and the results are pretty encouraging. I am not familiar with the older Topaz products, however, the new “AI” revisions do work well for me as a stand-alone(s).

However, I am having a problem with the proper sequencing of the workflow. I haven’t found any instruction outside of what each module does. To the best of my knowledge, these modules do not work in concert with PhotoScape Pro and work only as stand-alone modules. Currently, I approach each pic by dealing with the exposure, then noise, color, contrast, clarity, and finally crop and sharpen as needed. Then I save the “newly created file” as an “XXX.01.jpg” to maintain the original file.

What I am looking for is tips on how/when to integrate the various Topaz modules into my workflow. Or, should I work in Topaz Studio 2 and integrate PhotoScape Pro into the workflow? OK, UHHogs where do I start?

Smile,
JimmyT Sends

Curmudgeon Loc: SE Arizona

Hi Jimmy

I use Photoshop as my primary processing software on a Windows 10 machine. I use Topaz DeNoise AI, Sharpen AI, Adjust AI and Studio 2.

As far as work flow goes, I open the file and doing a quick color adjustment in PS. Topaz suggests that DeNoise AI be the first filter to be used and I run it almost every time just to see what happens. Then I do my editing, cropping etc. each on it's individual layer in PS. Remember you can use Studio 2 on each layer if you want to. If necessary I do a final polish in Adjust AI and export as a jpg file and save the image as a tiff file to preserve all the layers.

I only use Topaz Studio 2 for special effects and to play around with the images.

pecohen Loc: Central Maine

I sympathize with your situation and I suspect I am not alone. It's not just a Topaz issue, there simply are a lot of great software tools now available that it is hard to know what is the best approach and it is even harder to find out. But I tend to think that the answer has to be a personal one; there is not a one-size-fits all answer. Whatever tools you settle on, it takes time to become skilled in using them and once you have that skill those become your favorite ones. And that is precisely the problem in trying to make comparisons between different approaches. When you try something different it is as someone totally unskilled in using them.

I do like the Topaz tools quite a lot and for most editing these are the tools I turn to. Mostly I work in Topaz Studio 1 which I still think is much better than Studio 2. That may change if they ever provide image layers in Studio 2, but I find I need that particular feature. There are a lot of adjustments available in Studio, but the work-horses I use most seem to be AI Clear, Precision Contrast, and Sharpen. The stand-alone tools I tend to use only occasionally for special problem photos.

Jimmy T Loc: Virginia

Thanks to all that responded.
Smile,
JimmyT Sends