Effects Gallery

[ColinP Profile]

Whilst scrolling through the effects gallery to look for something to enhance a photo I will come across an effect that I would like to apply to another photo so make a note of the effect and its page number.Later when I am ready to carry out this effect I bring up the desired photo in SPE and go to the page which I have previously noted for the effect but find that the effect I noted does not appear to exist.Am I doing something wrong? This has happened a couple of times.

[eadams Profile]

Whilst scrolling through the effects gallery to look for something to enhance a photo I will come across an effect that I would like to apply to another photo so make a note of the effect and its page number.Later when I am ready to carry out this effect I bring up the desired photo in SPE and go to the page which I have previously noted for the effect but find that the effect I noted does not appear to exist.Am I doing something wrong? This has happened a couple of times.

Hello ColinP,

When you load a photo, SPE prioritizes the effects it shows you in the effects gallery, picking effects that it thinks would look well with your image. When you load a different photo, it might show you completely different effects or some of the same effects in a different order. So the effects you find on a certain page of the effects gallery will differ every time you load a new photo.

To be able to find an effect again later for a different image, you must make note of the effect's name and author and use the search functionality to find it.

Another possibility when you find an effect you think you'll like later is to apply it to your current image, and the effect is automatically added to your "Recent applied or shortlisted effects" list which you will find if you click on the *Favorites Recent Shortlists button on the toolbar on the right of your screen.

Keep in mind that some effects will only be able to be found if you have made a selection of a certain type in your image. There are sky backgrounds, for example, that you won't see unless you define an area of your photo as "sky" beforehand with the Select Area tool.

[ColinP Profile]

Many thanks for this info and I will try this out

[Teazer Photos Profile]

I don't have a reply, just a question. Why are there so many useless effects added when any real photograph hobbyist or advance amateur ever use 80 % of the effects?

[Richard Briggs Profile]

Here's my view....

First of all the effects (well most) are produced by users, not the manufacturers of SPE. I can, as a mere user, learn how to use the effects editor, create what I think is a superb effect (note, what I think!!) and upload it for all to use. I have no idea whether these are vetted before actually being made accessible to all. But even if they are vetted, who is to make a judgement on what is good and what is useless. So....

Like you I have stumbled over effects and found myself saying "Who on earth would create such an effect because I cannot conceive where it would be used". Then some time later I have taken some arty shot and am looking to enhance it. I'm browsing and trying various effects. I hit on one that is superb. Just what I was looking for. And guess what? It was an effect I had previously written off as useless. Believe me this actually happened!

Having said that, there are a few that are total rubbish. They look like someone experimenting and accidentally publishing. So, in these cases, an arbitrator is needed to weed these out.

Richard