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The HDR image above is a three frame bracket set using +2, 0 and -2 EV exposures. I merged the brackets set in NIK HDR EFex Pro 2 and then took it back to Aperture 3 for contrast, color and sharpening adjustments. I then opened it in Topaz FX Lab and added a black border. I chose this image because I liked the composition that I created using the geometric lines of the rebar and the organic lines created by the safety harness and air line and the man’s leg and body.

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Same drill here with NIK HDR Efex Pro 2 and Aperture 3 as the processing tools. I was drawn to this composition by the contrast of the polished steel of the teeth set against the texture of the limestone on the ground. I thought the way the ridges in the gravel were a good counterpoint to the triangular forms of the excavator teeth.

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In this HDR image I followed my normal workflow using NIK HDR Efex Pro 2 and Aperture 3 to create a solid HDR image. I then opened the image in Topaz ReStyle and found a preset that added additional color and gave a new perspective to the excavator teeth. I’m finding that Topaz ReStyle offers a world of possibilities to create memorable images.

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For this version of the excavator teeth I used the same HDR image as a basis and took it into Topaz B&W to convert it. This Black and White version really shows the contrast of steel and gravel. I found the contrast and detail of the gravel and steel to be very interesting elements in the composition too.

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Bridge Deck in HDR #1 is a shot of the rebar and steel decking of a highway bridge before concrete is poured to form the road surface. This too is a HDR image that I used NIK HDR Efex Pro 2 to create using a three frame bracket set of +2, 0 and -2 EV exposures. I applied 60% anti-ghosting to get the flag to render properly. After using NIK HDR Efex Pro 2 I returned the image to Aperure 3 for final adjustments to color, contrast and sharpening. My final action was to send the completed HDR image to Photoshop CS5 to straighten the vertical perspective that my 12 mm lens had distorted.

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I chose this image because I like the composition that is created by the linear elements in the scene. The repetition of the of lines in the steel, in the texture  of the concrete and the rebar loops make this a strong composition. The camera angle and the lines formed by the decking also lead the eye back into the frame to the bridge and cranes on the horizon. Using HDR allowed me to bring out the texture while still retaining the broad dynamic range that shooting this time of the day produced. Once again my software choices were NIK HDR Efex Pro 2 and Aperture 3.

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Here again I have used line as the dominant aspect for the image. The way the rebar projects into the foreground and then leads your eye into the scene to the linear elements of the bridge in the background is a good example of a dynamic composition. This too is a HDR image that was processed using NIK HDR Efex Pro 2 and Aperture 3 software.

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This too is a HDR image that relies on line to create a compelling composition. The lines extend from the edges of the frame into a small window at the back that looks out onto the bridge in the distance. My standard method for HDR images was applied to give the image the color and texture I desired.

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This final image today is another case where composition plays a major role in directing the viewer’s eye. The massive concrete “hammer head” with the worker kneeling on it reveals it’s size by juxtaposing the human element against the blue sky, clouds and the diagonal line it forms directs the viewer’s eye into the frame. By using HDR I was able to show the texture on the concrete, the details in the worker’s safety vest and the deep blue sky that a single image would have had trouble rendering.