Tag: welding sparks

Sparks Were Flying

Posted on by Nick Roberts
Welder using a cutting torch to make some angle iron brackets.
Welder using a cutting torch to make some angle iron brackets.

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I love it when sparks are flying! Whenever I see someone using a torch or a grinder I try to capture the spark patterns that are formed. It is as if the worker is putting on a miniature fireworks display and the kid in me cannot resist watching.

This HDR image was created from a three frame bracket set of +2, 0 and -2 EV exposures using NIK HDR Efex Pro 2 to merge them. After merging the three images I applied a custom preset I have built and saved in NIK HDR Efex Pro 2. I then returned the HDR file to Aperture 3 for final adjustment and sharpening.

One thing I discovered in merging these images was how through use of the anti-ghosting feature I was able to show how the gases used in the cutting torch could be isolated and show where they are pushing the sparks away from the torch.

Jack Alpha On Top Of Big Four Bridge

Posted on by Nick Roberts
Jack Alpha the Ironworker

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This image is a single frame that I used NIK HDR EFex Pro 2 and Aperture 3 to process. By using NIK’s U-Point Technology feature I was able to enhance and fine tune the tonality of the oranges and blues of Jack’s welding jacket while maintaining the natural colors of the river and skyline in the background. I was in the man lift basket which allowed me to shoot him from a safe vantage point above the bridge. I am especially pleased with the way the arc of his welder has maintained it’s brilliance and the way the sparks are spraying to the right side of the frame.

This composition has several elements that make it strong. There is the angle of the bridge safety rail  in the foreground to the Kennedy bridge in the middle ground and the Clark Memorial Bridge beyond that. There are also the complementary colors of the jacket, safety harness and the river below all of which work in harmony to unify the composition. Finally there is the way the safety harness and Jack’s arm  create rhyme in the photograph along with the repetitive linearity of the bridges and handrail.