Tag: ohio river bridges

Sunset on the Ohio River

Ohio River Sunset June 5, 2013 #2
Ohio River Sunset June 5, 2013 #2

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I find it amazing how much the sky will change during sunset. This first image was approximately 30 minutes after the sun had set and the sky was lit as if it were on fire. Once the sun was below the horizon the clouds mover further east and stretched high into the sky allowing the sunlight to diffuse even more. I was walking back down the Big Four Bridge ramp and couldn’t believe how wonderful the light had become. The way it cast a warm glow across the landscape, river and the handrail was irresistible and I stopped to capture this scene. The small section of blue in the upper right corner seemed a perfect complement to the overall orange cast in the scene and really enhanced the warmness of the oranges.

I processed this HDR image in NIK HDR Efex Pro 2 using a three frame bracket set of +2, 0 and -2 EV exposures. After merging them I applied the Balanced preset and boosted the Detail and Drama settings to Accentuated and Deep which really popped the texture in the sky and on the water. Upon returning the merged image to Aperture 3 I added some contrast and made a very slight change to the mid-contrast which further enhanced the texture in the sky, water and on the Big Four Bridge too. I adjusted the color channels to suit my intent for the image and finished with some minor sharpening and a small vignette.

Ohio River Sunset June 5, 2013 #3
Ohio River Sunset June 5, 2013 #3

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As I sated earlier the range of colors and the effect it has on a scene is simply amazing during sunset. I often photograph directly into the sun when it is necessary to my vision of an image. I was drawn to this shot by the way the orange sunlight was spreading out from the sun while the sky around it remained blue. I liked the way the sunlight reflected in the river and on the ironwork of the Big Four Bridge on the right. I elected to shoot through the handrail to emphasize the perspective in the frame and to capture the people strolling along the riverfront.

In this image the complementary colors are reversed from their relationship in the first image with blue becoming the dominant hue. Whenever I am shooting I like to keep the concept of complementary colors in mind as I compose an image. Since orange is directly across the color wheel from blue the overall effect is a complimentary color scheme that allows both colors to really pop.  Whether it is something as dramatic as a sunset or a subject within a landscape I keep the color wheel in mind and look for complementary colors that will add interest while not dominating the final image.

Instead of using all three frames from my bracket set for this image I decided to use only the underexposed and the normally exposed frames. I did this because a little boy walked into the frame during the overexposed shot. I didn’t want to go through the effort of masking him out of the shot so elected to try a two frame HDR. The resulting image had a broad enough dynamic range to gather shadow details and still retain detail in the sunset and clouds.

One additional note about these images before I wrap up; I decided to crop them into a more panoramic aspect ratio in order to give a more expansive feel to the final images. I find that landscape images often, but not always, benefit from a wider aspect ratio.

 

HDR Construction Images of a Morning in November 2013

Ironworkers from Local 70 preparing rigging on a caisson for the Ohio River Bridges Project in Louisville KY
Ironworkers from Local 70 preparing rigging on a caisson for the Ohio River Bridges Project in Louisville KY

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Today’s post is rather long on images yet short on words. I decided that what I wanted to show my readers was a series of several HDR construction images from a morning in November 2013. I thought sharing these HDR images from a single morning shoot would help my readers see how busy things are on the Ohio River Bridges Project.

I am always amazed at the skill and expertise that is required to do the work of Heavy Highway and Bridge Construction. Ironworkers, Carpenters and Operating Engineers must choreograph so many moves into placing the pieces of a single pier. The skill and commitment  to safety that they use to get the massive components in place is a sign of their professionalism and dedication to their respective trades. Any miscalculation when handling these pieces could result in slowing or stopping construction or even worse the very real possibility of the loss of someone’s life. For that reason the attention paid to properly performing each element in the process is paramount to safely accomplishing the task at hand.

Ironworker Local 70 member Travis tying rebar on a caisson. #2
Ironworker Local 70 member Travis attaching rigging to a caisson. #2

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Ironworker Local 70 member Travis tying rebar on a caisson.
Ironworkers Local 70 member Travis attaching rigging to the caisson.

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Crane booms in the sky
Crane booms in the sky.

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Ironworkers Sean and Travis rigging the caisson for the pick and placement in the pier casing. #2
Ironworkers Sean and Travis rigging the caisson for the pick and placement in the pier casing. #2

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Ironworkers Sean and Travis rigging the caisson for the pick and placement in the pier casing.
Ironworkers Sean and Travis rigging the caisson for the pick and placement in the pier casing.

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Starting the pick of the caisson as Travis and Sean stand by.
Starting the pick of the caisson as Travis stands by and Sean communicates with the crane operator through hand signs.

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Early morning on the Indiana Approach
Early morning on the Indiana Approach.

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Apprentice Carpenter Escarlett learning how to use a cutting torch.
Apprentice Carpenter, Escarlett, learning how to use a cutting torch.

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Placing a Caisson in the pier casing
Placing a Caisson in the pier casing on the Indiana approach of the downtown span.

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Placing a Caisson in the pier casing on the Indiana approach of the downtown span. #2
Placing a Caisson in the pier casing on the Indiana approach of the downtown span. #2

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Rigging the caisson for picking.
Sean and Travis rigging the caisson for picking.

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Sean and Travis rigging the caisson for picking. #2
Sean and Travis rigging the caisson for picking. #2

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I hope these HDR construction images help reveal the size and scope of the Ohio River Bridges Project as well as the my admiration for the skilled tradesmen and tradeswomen who perform these critical tasks. I also hope that the next time you see a construction site or meet a construction worker you will see their contribution to our way of life and the valuable part they play in building the world. Maybe you’ll even have a little more understanding of the important role that organized labor plays in providing skilled professionals that construct safe and dependable infrastructure for our world.

One final note about these images. All of the images in this post were created from three exposure bracket sets of +2, 0 and -2 EV exposures. They were merged in NIK HDR Efex Pro 2 and finished in Aperture 3. I use NIK HDR Efex Pro 2 because it does the best job I have found of reducing, and in most cases eliminating, ghosting when working with active subjects such as the men and women in these images. I finish the merged images in Aperture 3 because it allows me to control all the other variables such as color, contrast, sharpening etc in a non-destructive workflow.

Going Up!

The First Tower of the Downtown Span Rises Above the River
The First Tower of the Downtown Span Rises Above the River

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This HDR image shows the base of the first tower being stripped of the concrete forms that were placed there last month. The concrete base is approximately 20 feet wide and 60 feet long and will serve as the base for one of the six towers that will be built to carry the bridge deck across the river. While the Carpenters are removing the orange forms from the base the Ironworkers are busy above them erecting the reinforcement rebar for the next part of the concrete tower to be poured.

I used a three frame bracket set of +2, 0 and -2 EV exposures that were merged in NIK HDR Efex Pro 2 with 100% anti-ghosting applied to stop the movement of the workers. After merging the three exposures I returned the image to Aperture 3 for sharpening and color adjustments.

Ironworkers Assembling an Iron Caisson

Ironworkers Assembling an Iron Caisson for a Bridge Pier on the Ohio River Bridges Project in Louisville Kentucky
Ironworkers Assembling an Iron Caisson for a Bridge Pier on the Ohio River Bridges Project in Louisville Kentucky.

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Ironworkers known as “Rod Busters” are seen here assembling a steel rebar caisson for the Ohio River Bridges Project in Louisville Kentucky. There is also a completed caisson in the background on the work barge. These caissons will be inserted into the steel cylinders that are in the right hand side of the image when those cylinders are placed in the river to build the piers for the new bridge. It was early in the morning and a fog bank was coming in from the east which diffused the light and lent an ethereal quality to the morning sunlight.

 

Safety Orientation at Walsh Construction

Morning Ride
Morning Ride

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Yesterday morning I went to Safety Orientation at Walsh Construction to learn the protocols for job site safety while shooting on the Ohio River Bridges Project. It was a beautiful morning and since I was early I decided to capture a few shots of my bike while waiting for the class to start. I really liked the cloud patterns and the Colgate-Palmolive clock in  the background and set up my composition around them and the quarter view of the bike.

I shot my standard bracket set 0f +2, 0 and -2 EV to get my frames for an HDR image I was envisioning. Back at my desk I merged the three frames using NIK HDR Efex Pro 2 where I also tone mapped and adjusted the image detail and colors. I then returned the HDR image to Aperture 3 for final adjustments and sharpening.