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Yesterday morning the Ironworkers were loading more steel onto the barge they are building the caisson on. The caisson is the internal reinforcement for the bridge pier which will be lowered into the steel casing before the concrete is poured. The size and amount of steel that goes into one of these caissons is incredible. The horizontal elements in this caisson are at least two inches in diameter while the rings around it are close to one inch in diameter. Loading the steel onto the barge is a very controlled process that requires coordination among the ironworkers on the barge and the crane operator to accomplish safely and efficiently. The man in the photo is communicating with hand signals to the crane operator to lower the load onto the steel beams that will support it while it is on the barge deck.
I processed this image from a single frame using Topaz Clarity to reveal the colors in the scene and to show the river fog engulfing the Kennedy Bridge in the background. I find Topaz Clarity to be very good at allowing me to control the contrast and colors in an image while avoiding halos and artifacts that sometimes occur within these types of images. After applying the Topaz Clarity adjustment I returned the image to Aperture 3 where I adjusted the sharpening and applied a small vignette.
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Download a free trial of Topaz Clarity at the link below and give it a try; I think you will agree it is a great addition to any photographer’s workflow. Plug-ins like Clarity really speed and simplify my post processing and allow me to experiment with different approaches to my images in a timely way without spending hours looking for just the right combination of adjustments and enhancements in Photoshop CS5. With a project as large as this one where I’m shooting nearly every day Topaz plug-ins allow me to maintain a relatively fast paced post processing workflow while still creating photos that reflect my feelings for the subject matter.
http://www.topazlabs.com/705.html
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Good morning! I love opening your blog as i never know what i will find next and i had a real wow moment this morning, i think this has to be my favorite image so far, i just love the whole feel to it, the fog is great, gives it a real mysticism and i appreciated the details on what they were doing in the photo too, thanks made my morning. x
That is one of the nicest things anyone has posted Karen. I’m glad you enjoy the variety of subjects and processing choices. My goal in life is to keep it interesting and explore, explore, explore! Thanks for the wonderful compliment and for taking time to write it.
Reblogged this on karenlawrencephotography and commented:
My favorite image so far.
Thanks for sharing this post on your blog Karen, I’m honored.
Beautiful photograph! The bright jacket is the perfect counterpoint to the rest of the image. Stunning composition and values!
Thank you Ellen. One of the great things about shooting construction is the industry’s use of high visibility vests and safety equipment. I like that they become strong graphic elements and emphasize the trades people within the composition since one of my areas of focus while shooting this project is to highlight the people who are doing the physical work on the job. The safety vests really help me focus the viewer’s attention on the heart of the images.
Beautiful industrial image, Nick.
Thanks Karen I’m really looking forward to more images with this feel as the project moves forward.