Category: Artists

2014 Commemorative Print Now Available

Double Rainbows Over Ohio River Bridges Project, Downtown Span Construction
Double Rainbows Over Ohio River Bridges Project, Downtown Span Construction

Today I am releasing a 2014 Commemorative Print of the Downtown Crossing to mark the progress that was made in 2014. I was lucky enough one morning last month to be at the right place at the right time to capture two rainbows over the tower for the downtown span. I think it is a fitting image for the past year’s progress and I hope my viewers agree.

I am accepting orders for prints in three sizes on .040″ aluminum ready for hanging. The sizes are 11″ X 14″ @ $109.00, 16″ X 20″ @ $239.00 and 32″ X 40″ @ $899.00. Interested parties can reach me through the Contact Form below for further information or to place an order.

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Sam’s Volvo Build

Sam's Passion Black and White HDR version
Sam’s Passion Black and White HDR version

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This photo of my friend Sam was taken when he was building a Volvo streetrod in 2013. Sam is an incredibly talented car builder with several cars to his name. He usually chooses cars that other folks ignore for one reason or another. His past projects include a Ford Anglia, Nash Rambler, 53 Willys Hardtop, 60 Ford Falcon and a 60s Studebaker Lark. His reputation for sound construction has people lining up to buy his creations even before they are finished. Sam likes them “loud and nasty” and he usually manages to stuff a V-8 into these small cars.

Sam’s passion is chassis engineering and he likes to work with unibody cars. This Volvo was the latest one to roll out his shop door and like all most of his previous builds it was sold in a matter of days. I always enjoy a visit to his garage because I never know what he’s going to tackle next. The night I shot this image he was totally engrossed in what he was working on and that gave me a chance to shoot without his knowing what I was shooting.

This image is a black and white conversion of a color HDR image that I converted using Aperture 3. All adjustments were done with the tools in Aperture 3 which is still my favorite image editing software. I entered it last night in the Louisville Photographic Society monthly competition for “People Working” and it took First Prize.

Sam's Passion Color HDR Version
Sam’s Passion Color HDR Version

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I am including the color HDR version that I used to show the difference that the two processes have on the same image. This image is from a three frame bracket set of +2, 0 and -2 EV exposures that I merged using NIK HDR Efex Pro 2 and completed in Aperture 3.

Sam at work on his Volvo Project.
Sam at work on his Volvo Project.

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Sam's Garage in Black and White
Sam’s Garage in Black and White

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I’ll finish this post with another color HDR image that I processed as a black and white using a preset in NIK HDR Efex Pro 2 that I adjusted to my taste. One thing to notice is the way that HDR allowed me to expose for the shadows in the garage and also expose another frame that allowed the fence and the outdoors to render in the final image.

How I Found My Niche as a Photographer/Artist | Black Star Rising

How I Found My Niche as a Photographer/Artist | Black Star Rising.

I have come to know Ellen Fisch through my blog. Ellen has a wonderful eye for architecture and design. She sees the beauty in the big picture as well as in the details. Ellen is an artist that can give constructive comments that allow me to better understand my work and improve my skill. I am so fortunate to have been able to connect with her on SpeedDemon2.com and always look forward to hearing from her.

Rivets and Rust

Rivets and Rust
Rivets and Rust

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Last month I read an interesting book,  The Photographer’s Eye by Michael Freeman , which is a fantastic book on the subject of composition. In one chapter Freeman discusses the many possibilities that often lie within a single frame. He points out how by selectively cropping the image the photograph can be used to tell several different stories.

I decided to take the image I posted this morning, Perry and Thomas, and see what other ways I could use it. By cropping the figures from the left side of the frame I was able to create an entirely different image that speaks to texture, color and composition without any visible human involvement.