Category: HDR

Beatersville 2015

Posted on May 26, 2015May 27, 2015 by Nick Roberts

A series of HDR photos from Beatersville 2015.

Progress being made on the Downtown Span of the Ohio River Bridges Project as seen from the eastern tower of Tower Three.

High Above the Ohio River

Posted on May 25, 2015 by Nick Roberts

High above the Ohio River you can see the scope of the work on the Downtown Span of the Ohio River Bridges Project in Louisville, KY.

Pile driving crew placing a piling section for welding before driving further into the earth. #3

Pile Drivers Working at Preston and Jefferson Streets

Posted on May 24, 2015May 24, 2015 by Nick Roberts

Pile driving crew placing a piling section for welding before driving further into the earth. #4

Most of these images are of the pile drivers working at Preston and Jefferson Streets as they rebuild Spaghetti Junction in Louisville, KY. These guys drive seventy feet long H-beams into the earth to support the foundation for the retaining walls and bridge abutments of the roadway for the Ohio River Bridges Project.

Carpenter/Piledriver cuts piles, driven into ground, to proper length at Preston and Jefferson Streets in Louisville, KY.

Carpenter climbing pile driver to set hammer.

Pile driving crew placing a piling section for welding before driving further into the earth.

Pile driving crew placing a piling section for welding before driving further into the earth. #2

Carpenter and Operator assembling a safety frame for working below grade.

Flying the pile driver and a H-Beam into place at Preston and Jefferson Streets in Louisville, KY.

Russ Soldner inspects the work on a retaining wall base being built at Preston and Jefferson Streets in Louisville, KY.

Juan Perez, Trades Superintendent for Walsh Construction monitors delivery of crushed stone to MSE wall site.

Juan Perez, Trades Superintendent for Walsh Construction monitors delivery of crushed stone to MSE wall site. #2

Juan Perez, Trades Superintendent for Walsh Construction monitors delivery of crushed stone to MSE wall site. #3

Pilings and backfill for a MSE wall being built along the south side of Jefferson Street and Preston Street in Louisville, KY.

Retaining wall base with vertical rebar in place for reinforcing mat to be placed for retaining wall.

Brad Hall, Ironworker, Local 70 working on a mat for a retaining wall base at Preston Street and Jefferson Street in Louisville KY.

Most of these images of pile drivers working are HDR images created using a three frame bracket set of +2, 0 and -2 EV exposures. They were merged in NIK HDR Efex Pro 2 and then finished using Adobe Camera Raw and Photoshop CS5. The light was pretty flat the day I was shooting these photos. Using HDR techniques allowed me to capture the scenes and reveal the details and textures that might have otherwise escaped capture in a single exposure.

Experimenting with HDR Black and White Processing

Posted on February 20, 2015 by Nick Roberts

Since early January I’ve been experimenting HDR Black and White processing. For the accompanying photos I usually began with a color HDR image that I then processed again with Topaz B&W, onOne Perfect B&W or NIK Silver Efex Pro 2 to create the HDR Black and White version. Through this combination of processing techniques and apps I have rediscovered my love of black and white photography.

The workflow that I have adopted for HDR Black and White images usually begins by using a three frame bracket set of +2, 0 and -2 EV exposures that I first merge using NIK HDR Efex Pro 2 and apply the Balanced Preset with Accentuated Detail. After merging them I take the merged file into Adobe Camera Raw for initial adjustments to fill light and shadows as well as a curves adjustment. I also adjust Saturation and Luminance in ACR before opening the image in Photoshop CS5. In Photoshop CS5 I add a new layer where I usually start with lens correction filter and an unsharp mask filter. At this point I may decide to crop the image in order to refine the composition.

After I am satisfied with my color HDR version I duplicate it and add a new layer with Topaz B&W, onOne Perfect B&W or NIK Silver Efex Pro 2 to create the HDR Black and White version. The more I experiment with these B&W apps the more I find myself using Topaz B&W as my first choice. I really like being able to build my own presets with special feature such as edge treatments and opacity when I am seeking a hand tinted effect.

Click on any image to begin a light box slideshow of all the images in this gallery.

First side girder for Tower Four Pier Table placed on Western Tower. B&W Version

Surveyor, Patrick "Pacman", Measures the Side Girder Location. B&W Version — Surveyor, Patrick “Pacman”, Measures the Side Girder Location. B&W Version

Kentucky Approach with Tower Three and Waterfront Park Shoreline. B&W Version

Ironworkers Prepare Anchor Boxes for installation on Tower Four. These Boxes Are Where the Bridge Cables are Anchored to the Tower. B&W Version

Black and White sunset over a heavy highway and bridge construction site in Louisville, Kentucky. The Ohio River Bridges Project by Walsh Construction.

Vintage Sports Car Oak Dashboard with Instruments in B&W.

The six towers that will carry the Downtown Span of the Ohio River Bridges Project being built by Walsh Construction. Looking north from the Kentucky approach in Waterfront Park. B&W Version

Carpenter/Pile Driver preparing beams for lifting into place on the pile driving engine. B&W Version

Winter Sunset on the Ohio River in Louisville, KY. B&W Version

Carpenter on bridge anchor form. B&W Version

Marcus Jones at work in Tower Crane. B&W Version

Pier table on pier four viewed from atop tower crane on motor deck. B&W Version

Louisville Shoreline seen from the Tower Crane on Pier Four

I think this has been a good exercise for me and helps me see more possibilities for many of the images I love to capture. HDR Black and White photography really excites my creative side and lets me reveal another facet of the world as I see it.

Carpenters Working On Tower Three West From an Aerial Lift.

Carpenters of the Ohio River Bridges Project

Posted on February 18, 2015 by Nick Roberts

This post showcases several different images of the Carpenter’s trade.

Speeddemon2 Photography

Fine Art Photography