Category: Macro

Texture Tuesday

Big Four Connector #1
Big Four Connector #1

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These images are detail shots of the massive nuts that are at the junction of the bridge spans. The nuts are at least 12 inches in diameter and when I first noticed them I wondered how big the wrench must have been that was used to tighten them. They are visible at the ends of each bridge span where it connects to the next span. They are down behind the curb; you can also see that the handrail looks different where it goes past them.

These images are single exposures that were first tone mapped in NIK HDR Efex Pro 2 them taken into Color Efex Pro 4 where I used the detail extractor preset to emphasize the texture on the surfaces. I then returned them to Aperture 3 where I adjusted vibrance, contrast and sharpening.

Big Four Connector #2
Big Four Connector #2

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This image went through the same post processing routine as the one above. These colors are all there it just takes opening your mind and eyes to see them when you are photographing them. I don’t change the colors in my images but I do enhance their luminance when I get them into my digital darkroom.

The next time you are up on the Big Four Bridge take a look at these connectors. If you bring your camera try to remember that there is more to shoot on the Big Four Bridge than sunsets and bridge architecture; look for images in the textures and juxtapositions of surfaces that are all around you.

Macro on the Mountain

Green
Green Moss

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While hiking in Pine Mountain State Park I was intrigued with the plant life that was on the trees. I assume these green guys are a moss since they were primarily on the north side of the trees. This image was taken using my 60mm Nikkor macro lens and processed in Aperture 3.

Moss #2
Moss #2

Another shot of the moss from a little closer. This image was also processed in Aperture 3.

Moss and Lichen
Moss and Lichen

I was also fascinated by the various lichen that accompanied the moss. The patterns and textures are so intricate. As with the previous images I used Aperture 3 for processing.

Moss #3
Moss #3

The more I studied these mosses the more intrigued I became.

Lichen and Bark Study
Lichen  Study

These lichen remind me of coral reefs floating above canyons in the sea. The forms and colors are amazing and seem as endless as the ocean depths.

Lichen #2
Lichen Study #2

These lichen are everywhere in the forest at Pine Mountain. These were on a branch I found lying on the ground but they were everywhere on the trees and on the forest floor as well. The texture and delicate structure is something that really draws my eye to them.

I’m not sure that I have properly identified any of these organisms and welcome any input that people want to share with me about what they are.

Photowalk Discovery

A Herd of Insects?

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The past Saturday I joined 25 other Louisville photographers for a photowalk with Jon Eland who was visiting Louisville for IdeaFestival. Jon is from Leeds, England which is a sister city with Louisville. As a rule I am not a group shooter, I prefer to go out alone when I do my photography, but after attending a lecture that Jon gave to the PhotoForum camera club here in Louisville last Wednesday I decided to join the group for Jon’s NuLu Fest photowalk. I’m glad I did because the interaction with other photographers led me to some interesting subject matter that I probably wouldn’t have seen such as these insects on the corner of a building on Market Street in the NuLu district of Louisville.

Deborah Brownstein, one of Louisville’s finest macro photographers, pointed these insects out to me as I was walking past Joe Ley Antiques. I was focused on the vast amount of stuff that was outside his shop and walked right past these guys. Deb showed me these insects and immediately I knew that I had to capture a few images of them. I liked the contrast of their red bodies on the green wall and the pattern that they made. I have no idea what they are but I am fascinated by the various stages of growth they appear to be in. Judging by the wings some have matured into full size while other smaller ones are just starting to grow their wings.

Yesterday I decided to start editing the images from the photowalk and the first one I went to was this image. I decided to use Topaz Adjust to enhance the color and detail in the shot. I used to use Topaz Adjust a lot but had drifted away in favor of the NIK collection of software. I decided to use Topaz Adjust 5 and the “Spicify” preset as my point of departure and tweaked several sliders in it to finish this image. I like the controls in Topaz Adjust when I’m editing because they allow me to complete my edit without returning the image to Aperture 3 for sharpening and final output. Everything I need is inside TopazAdjust including sharpening which is something I generally have to return images to Aperture 3 for when using the NIK software.

Oldsmobile Rocket

Rocket 88
Rocket 88

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I shot this image a while back and processed it using NIK Define 2.0 and Viveza 2.0 to bring out the colors in the photo. I liked the pinstripe work and the artist’s choice of colors for the car. It’s a simple image and there’s not much else to add about it.

 

Cadillac Abstract

Cadillac Abstract

This image is a macro of the glass in a 1931 Cadillac Sedan I saw last year at the NSRA Streetrod Nationals. This particular car was impecable in every way but the owner had chosen not to replace any of the glass in the car. These early cars had a type of safety glass that was made by taking two layers of glass and fusing them together with a clear plastic membrane that was sandwiched between them. Over time the membrane will sometimes start to delaminate and the result is an amber looking pattern usually at the edges of the glass. This car’s glass had done that at the bottom of every piece of glass in the car and the restorer had kept it in the car. I couldn’t resist the abstract patterns and colors and took several photos of it though I’m not sure I took any of the car itself.

I processed this image in Topaz Adjust which allowed me to intensify and enhance the colors in the delamination. Once again I took a subject that I had seen and photographed innumerable times and found a new way to interpret it. Keep your eyes open when you are looking at something you have photographed many times before and you just may stumble onto a gem such as this image.