Nikon software

George Cairns explains how to adjust exposure, selectively lighten shadows and boost colour and contrast in Nikon Capture NX-D

Discover how to liven up a flat scene using Capture NX-D, by boosting exposure and contrast

When you want an affordable yet effective way to process your images, it’s worth taking a look at Nikon’s free photo-fixing software, Capture NX-D. We’re taking a fresh look at the software over the next few months, by showing you how to use the program’s tools to correct common problems and improve your images.

Because Capture NX-D is created by Nikon itself, it should be more compatible with your camera than third-party photo-fixing apps. For example, you can access the same White Balance presets that your camera contains from within Capture NX-D’s workspace. This enables you to override the White Balance setting that you used in-camera to get more accurate-looking colours.

In this series we’ll show you how you can correct common exposure problems; some ways to counteract colour casts; and how to retouch your pictures to eliminate distracting details and improve your compositions. You’ll also learn how to reduce or even eliminate lens-related artefacts such as geometric distortion and chromatic aberration.

We’ll kick off the series by demonstrating how to quickly brighten up an under-exposed landscape so that it has more detail in the shadows and a healthier contrast overall. This will reveal a wider range of detail throughout a typical landscape’s contrasting tones.