Colin. Dramatic...I'd bet there's some interesting shadow detail in that negative...what are your thoughts about that ? Have you previewed the scan with several SEFx views?
One of the best things about NIK is rarely mentioned: It instantly displays an infinite number of alternative possibilities in your negative (or slide, for that matter). Many of us may just select one from a couple of those alternatives and simply adjust brightness and contrast in ways that are impossible in a darkroom. One way to think about it: something like previsualization after the fact. Others go nuts with the possibilities (such at tone mapping).
I habitually previsualize a'la Minor White but I use NIK to get beyond "what else it is" (Minor's phrase) to get at what the film actually saw.
Thanks guys. I use an Epson v700 but am happy with just the Epson software - I use it just to get an initial scan which I then bring in to Photoshop to do basic cropping, levels etc. I keep it real real simple....