Tag: arts

HDR of Ohio River Bridges Project

Posted on by Nick Roberts
Saturday on the Ohio River Bridges Project
Saturday on the Ohio River Bridges Project

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This image was captured looking west from the Big Four Bridge. The two cranes in the river are drilling sites where the towers for the Downtown Span will be built. The tugboat in the foreground was moving barges into place at the two drilling sites.

The image was created from a three frame bracket set of +2, 0 and -2 EV shot handheld. I merged them in NIK HDR Efex Pro 2 and applied the Balanced preset which I then tweaked to get the detail and realism I was looking for. I set the anti-ghosting at 60% which did a good job of rendering the moving tugboat. After merging and tweaking the image I returned it to Aperture 3 where I finished adjusting the color channels, contrast and sharpening.

It’s Not the Destination, It’s the Journey…

Posted on by Nick Roberts

Navajo Highway

Well folks it’s been one whole year since I began this blog. When I started SpeedDemon2 I had a vague notion of where it would lead but just like riding my motorcycle the whole thing was not about the destination; the whole purpose was the journey. When I started the blog I wanted to share my images with a wider audience and connect to other like minded folks. I didn’t know how it would happen but I knew that if I gave it a shot it would all work out.

The past twelve months have been rewarding in so many ways. I discovered other artists and photographers who shared with me their thoughts and criticism,  challenged myself to become a better writer, have taken my photography to an entirely new level, gained access to photo opportunities, the list goes on.

When I start out on a motorcycle ride whether it is a month of travel across the country to a specific place, or a short ride into the city, there are so many possible routes to take that will lead to new discoveries yet still get you to the destination. Along the way I discover new vistas, see features and things that I’ve never seen before, make new friends and all the while I feel connected to the life force that surrounds me. Blogging has done that for me as well, exposing me to others who care about many of the same things I do and broadening my experience as an artist.

I have no idea where the next twelve months will take me but I am sure the journey will be filled with discovery. There will be new influences on my photography, new tools that spark new ideas, new destinations to explore, new projects to immerse myself in and most important of all there will be the journey. I hope you, my readers, will stick around and join me on this journey; I don’t know the destination yet but I am confident it will be worth the effort.

Spring Morning on Floyd’s Fork

Posted on by Nick Roberts
Spring Morning on Floyd's Fork
Spring Morning on Floyd’s Fork

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Another example of realistic HDR processing using NIK HDR Efex Pro 2. This image is from a three exposure bracket set shot at -2, 0, and +2 EV. I merged it and applied the Balanced preset before adjusting the tone mapping and tonality. I then returned it to Aperture 3 for final adjustment.

Waterfront Park Amphitheater

Posted on by Nick Roberts
Amphitheater Sunset #1
Amphitheater Afternoon #1

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This image is from the Waterfront Park Amphitheater looking west. This is a magical place that affords a view of the Big Four Bridge and the Ohio River that many people aren’t aware exists. There are speaker and a sound system there that plays WFPK public radio music which is really a nice way to enjoy the view listening to music.

This image is from a three EV bracket set merged in NIK HDR Efex Pro 2 and tone mapped there before returning it to Aperture 3 for some adjusting and slight straightening of the horizon. After that I used some OnOne Perfect Effects presets dialed down to low strength to  enhance the final image. One filter I used was the Polarization filter; it is very good and really mimics the characteristics of a real polarizer by virtue of being able to “rotate” it when applying it to the image.

Amphitheater Afternoon #2
Amphitheater Afternoon #2

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This is another image from that same shoot with similar post processing. The next time you are down in Waterfront Park take a stroll to the Amphitheater and discover another facet of our wonderful Waterfront Park.

Texture Tuesday

Posted on by Nick Roberts
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.