If you register for free, you will be able to post threads, vote on polls and lots more. If you have problems with the registration or logging in, please contact the administrator.
I am a bit of a butterfly and cannot stay faithful to one. At this moment I'm in love with layer masks and adjustment layers.
Layer masks because they open vista's of unforeseen possibilities, and adjustment layers because they do everything the Image>Adjust menu does, but without increasing your file, without making changes definitive and with the possibility to attach them to the layer(s) you choose.
A filter I don't like for example is the Solarize filter. If you open any RGB image, copy your background layer and invert the copy, you can use for example the Difference and the Luminosity blend mode to get far better results.
Of third-party plug-ins, I love to play with the Kai's Powertools I have (5, and 3 were on the same CD) but I rarely see real use for them.
Erik if your a butterfly then I am a helicopter[shocked]
I love the blur filters but then the lighting can be so cool or the distort filters now lots of fun can be had there [bustagut] but I can't forget the noise filter it is a must for some groovy effects[oops]
my outside filters that I use a bit is eyecandy 4000 or ICNet sometimes the toadies and sometimes the flaming pear
but the more that I learn and use PS filters the less I am finding that I am using outsiders[slick]
sfm
The filters I use the most are probably the clouds filter and the noise filter for texture creation,and also layer masks and definitely curves.Actually I have different favorites for different jobs[confused] {love that smily }[confused]
Wow Hard to pick a favorite. I use the clouds quite a lot and I really like the lighting effects filter.
[slick]
I use the curves for quite a few effects, haven't found much use for any of the filters in the sketch menu. [confused]
I get a lot of use from the blur filters [shocked]
I don't use any outside filters
I would have to say of all of them I use the Distort and Blur filters the most
That's one of the least interesting of them all... Solarization was great in the darkroom days (remember Man Ray's photographs) and colour solarization was extremely difficult to do with a predictable result, so the filter will be from those days. But with layer blendmodes and sandwiches you can do much more. (a sandwich is a series of three layers and you apply the effect to the upper one and the bottom one).
So as far as I'm concerned: I never use solarize.
I'm learning to love the "Lighting Effects"....you have so much control and so many possibilities that you can spend weeks on one image. Not recommended for people with insanity of indecision!.....RC
Favorite filter 
Linear Mode
