Month: December 2013

Merry Christmas

Posted on by Nick Roberts
Night scene at a christmas tree stand in Waterfront Park in Louisville KY.
Christmas Friends

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This is one of my favorite Christmas images. It was late one evening and I was out looking for something to shoot that spoke to the season when I came upon these guys working at the christmas tree stand in Waterfront Park. I liked the way the wet street was reflecting the lights in the stand and the strong colors that were present in the scene.

Whenever I can I like to include the people who work behind the scene to enrich our lives. These guys looked so comfortable with each other and for me their friendship showed in the way they walked and talked as they went about their job tending the stand. I hope those of you who stop by here today enjoy this photo and that it speaks to you as it did to me.

With that I want to wish you all a Merry Christmas; I hope the day brings you joy, friendship, happiness and lots of egg nog, cookies and fruitcake. 😉

BTW for those who are interested the image was processed in Topaz Adjust and Aperture 3 from a single exposure.

 

Sparks Were Flying

Posted on by Nick Roberts
Welder using a cutting torch to make some angle iron brackets.
Welder using a cutting torch to make some angle iron brackets.

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I love it when sparks are flying! Whenever I see someone using a torch or a grinder I try to capture the spark patterns that are formed. It is as if the worker is putting on a miniature fireworks display and the kid in me cannot resist watching.

This HDR image was created from a three frame bracket set of +2, 0 and -2 EV exposures using NIK HDR Efex Pro 2 to merge them. After merging the three images I applied a custom preset I have built and saved in NIK HDR Efex Pro 2. I then returned the HDR file to Aperture 3 for final adjustment and sharpening.

One thing I discovered in merging these images was how through use of the anti-ghosting feature I was able to show how the gases used in the cutting torch could be isolated and show where they are pushing the sparks away from the torch.

Construction Diver Prepares to Enter Water.

Posted on by Nick Roberts
Construction diver prepares to enter the water to check on broken drill head for extraction.
Construction diver prepares to enter the water to prepare on broken drill head for extraction.

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A few weeks ago the shaft of drilling head on the BG 40 snapped off while drilling a 12 foot diameter hole inside the pier casing. There were numerous attempts made to secure the broken drill head to remove it from the casing each of which required a diver to go down and assess the situation. In this image the diver and his assistant are checking the diver’s helmet and air supply lines prior to his dive. Once he was properly geared up he entered a wire cage and was lowered into the casing so that he could perform his tasks to secure lifting rigging to extract the drill head from the casing. The lines on the ground are the diver’s air supply as well as his communication link to his assistant and the rest of the dive team. The air tank on the diver’s back is a safety backup in case something were to fail with the air supply lines while he is underwater and provide a supply of air to allow him to safely return to the surface.

This is a three exposure bracket set of +2, 0 and -2 EV exposures that I then merged in NIK HDR Efex Pro 2 with 60% anti-ghosting applied to minimize the ghosting caused by the movement of the two men as they geared up for the dive. I applied a preset that I built for this particular day’s shooting that intensified the colors and compensated for some of the overexposure that the bright morning sun caused. After completing the merger and applying the needed tone adjustments I returned the image to Aperture 3 where I applied adjustments to the separate color channels, contrast and sharpening. One of the primary reasons I like using multiple exposures and HDR techniques is the way I can open up shadow details yet retain the highlights in a scene. HDR allows me to render the image in a way that closely resembles the way the human eye sees but the camera sensor cannot record in a single exposure.

Joe and Beauregard

Posted on by Nick Roberts
Joe Dec and his constant companion Beauregard Willard Bulldog
Joe Dec and his constant companion Beauregard Willard Bulldog

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This HDR image is a three exposure bracket set using +2, 0 and -2 EV exposures. I merged them in NIK HDR Efex Pro 2 with a 60% anti-ghosting setting and the Balanced preset. I then returned the merged image to Aperture 3 where I adjusted the exposure, contrast, sharpening and added a small vignette.

Sunset Over the Ohio River Downtown Span Construction

Posted on by Nick Roberts
The Sun Sets On The New Bridge Site in Louisville KY
The Sun Sets On The New Downtown Bridge Site

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In this view of the Ohio River and the John F. Kennedy Bridge you can see, in the river, the first evidence of the foundations for the bridge towers that will eventually rise into the air and carry the Downtown Span of the Ohio River Bridges Project here in Louisville Kentucky. As the foundation work progresses it is becoming easier to see the path that the new bridge will take as it crosses the river and connects Kentucky and Indiana via Interstate 65. When the project is completed the new bridge will carry all northbound I-65 traffic while the existing Kennedy Bridge will become the southbound component of the I-65 river crossing.

This HDR image is composed of a three frame bracket set using +2, 0 and -2 EV exposures which were then merged in NIK HDR Efex Pro 2 and finished using Aperture 3 for the final contrast, color channel, sharpening and detail adjustments.