Category: People

Big Four Bridge Opening Thursday 02-07-2013

Posted on February 6, 2013 by Nick Roberts

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I thought that with the opening of the Big Four Bridge set for Thursday morning I would look back over the past six months of my posts about the bridge. Photographing this project has been one of the most rewarding experiences in my life as an artist and photographer. Shooting almost daily, getting to know the construction crew, learning about bridge building, seeing my hometown from a vantage point few have ever experienced and expanding my photographic skills are all things that happened because I chose to create this blog which then led to my gaining access to the project.

I started the SpeedDemon2 blog last summer and tried to post a new image each day. Had I not posted a photo of clouds moving over the bridge after a thunderstorm on the blog, it would not have been seen by the Waterfront Development Corporation. Without them seeing that photo the Waterfront Development Corporation wouldn’t have had any reason to contact me or grant me access to the project and I would not have gotten the opportunity to go up on the bridge during the final phase of the conversion from abandoned railroad bridge to a pedestrian bridge and a central component of Louisville Waterfront Park.

When people ask me about how to get recognition for their photography I always tell them to blog about their work. I relate my story about the exposure and opportunities blogging has given me and my work, not only here in Louisville but around the world too.

I can’t begin to list everyone who helped me and took me under their wings as I moved forward with my personal plan for this body of work. I want to thank the Waterfront Development Corporation, Construction Solutions LLC and T&C Construction for all the support and access they have granted me.

I especially want to thank all the Ironworkers, Carpenters, Laborers and Equipment Operators for their cooperation and understanding as I went about documenting their day to day activities. These guys have become friends that I hope to stay in contact with for years to come. Without their skill and expertise the Big Four Bridge conversion could not exist; their dedication to craftsmanship and love for the bridge are evident in every detail. They never cut corners or took an attitude that something was “good enough” instead they took the approach that “perfection equals pride in a job well done” which shows everywhere one looks. Everyone who sees and uses this bridge owes them a debt of gratitude.

The Waterfront Development Corporation has restored Louisville’s Commons and given our city a park that celebrates our roots as a river city. Their vision and leadership will be enjoyed by the people of Louisville and her visitors for generations to come and exemplifies the title “The City of Possibility”. Waterfront Park gives the entire community a gathering place far greater than any of us who have lived here our entire adult lives ever dreamed possible.

Big Four Bridge at Sunrise

Morning sunrise on the Big Four Bridge jobsite. — Start of the Workday

Big Four Bridge at Waterfront Park, Louisville, Kentucky

The image above is the one that was seen by the Waterfront Development Corporation and landed me on the bridge. I was subsequently allowed to shoot this final phase of the conversion from abandoned railroad bridge to a pedestrian bridge between Kentucky and Indiana.

Where the Hell is Murph ?…: NORDKAPP…….Top of the World.

Posted on January 27, 2013 by Nick Roberts

This is Murph’s image of himself at the Top of the World

Today I want to share a post from my friend Murph. Murph is on an around the world trip on his BMW sidecar rig and posts his progress on his blog “Where The Hell Is Murph?”

This link will take you to his blog Where the Hell is Murph ?…: NORDKAPP…….Top of the World.

His story is one of self discovery and persistence. I met Murph several years ago at the BUB Motorcycle Speed Trials at the Bonneville Salt Flats. At that time he was traveling around the country following various motorsports events and living off his motorcycle. He usually camped near the events and in the case of some events such as the Baja offroad races he followed the race from the tip of Mexico back to the USA camping along the way.

Last year he decided to undertake an around the world motorcycle trip which he began this past fall in Holland. He went to Holland where he had his BMW converted to a sidecar rig in order to be able to carry all the gear he needs to be self sufficient and be able to handle the varied terrain that his quest will take him through.

He is also a very talented photographer and writer which is why I’ve decided to share his New Year’s Day post with all of you. He doesn’t use any special programs to process his images relying mainly on Photoshop for his editing. He shoots Nikon cameras and lenses as well as using his iPhone to record some video.

He began his trip in the beginning of winter and has been riding in ice and snow for a couple of months now. He wanted to ride to the North Cape in Nordkapp, Norway ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Cape,_Norway ) before heading for Russia this year. As he says on his blog “It’s all downhill from here”.

I hope you enjoy reading his story and seeing his photography.

I Have Been To the Mountains!

Posted on January 25, 2013 by Nick Roberts

This week I spent several days in the eastern Kentucky Mountains. There was no internet access in the cottage I stayed in so I was off the grid; actually that was a good thing because it allowed me to relax and read some Elmore Leonard western stories instead of banging on a keyboard. I shot quite a lot of multiple exposures for HDR processing which I plan to work on this weekend.

I did quite a bit of hiking and learned that I need to spend more time hiking just to get myself in shape for mountain photography. When a trail marker says it is only 1/4 mile long that doesn’t mean it won’t be strenuous. I don’t think there was a single moment when I wasn’t walking uphill or wishing for level ground. By the third day I was beginning to develop a some stamina and felt a little stronger.

I was staying at Pine Mountain State Resort Park and made a couple of trips to Cumberland Gap National Park where I met the Park Ranger, Scott Teodorski. Scott is a photographer himself; he gave me some suggestions for places to shoot and I took his advice. I’m glad I stopped in the visitor center first because I might have missed seeing Pinnacle Overlook and Iron Furnace without Scott’s suggestions to see them.

New rule: Always talk to the Park Ranger when you go to a new spot to shoot. The insights and passion they have for their park will lead you to see things that you might otherwise overlook.

I took a drive to Kingdom Come Sate Park which was about sixty miles north of Pineville. The views from the top are amazing and even though I was well past the golden hour I’m glad I scouted it out. The Park Headquarters are at an overlook that is almost 3000 feet in altitude. Once again I went in to meet the park ranger and get his advice about where to travel in the park. There is a road through the park named Shepherd’s Trail that I learned from the ranger was very scenic but that also could be treacherous in winter. It passes around the north side of the mountain and isn’t plowed outside the park boundary; he advised me not to attempt it in my two wheel drive pickup as there were many hairpins and switchbacks and there might still be snow on the road.

I took a new Phottix brand Variable Neutral Density filter with me, that I picked up from Outdoor Photo Gear, and did some testing with it at Iron Furnace. I’ll write up my review soon and share some of the images I shot with it. All in all it is a great addition to my gear though it does have a couple of quirks that bugged me.

The Rivet Choppers

Posted on January 5, 2013 by Nick Roberts

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Another crop from Thomas and Perry shows how different an image can be made through thoughtful cropping. I am not suggesting that photographers should not attempt to frame the final image in camera; I’m only showing that one needs to be open to the possibilities that thoughtful cropping offers.

Perry and Thomas

Posted on January 4, 2013 by Nick Roberts

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While installing the handrails on the Big Four Bridge, Perry and Thomas had to cut some of the large rivets away to make room for the handrail base. The pneumatic chisel they are using is a handful and the job goes better when they work as a team.

I wanted to capture the movement as they cut the rivets so I used a slow shutter to allow their figures and the tool to blur while retaining the texture on the steel. I wasn’t sure how the images would turn out but once I loaded them into Aperture 3 I saw that I had captured the essence of the workers and the impact that the chisel makes as it hammers away at the stell.

I started by processing the image with Aperture 3 where I did some initial RAW adjusting and sharpening. I then took it into NIK HDR Efex Pro 2 where I applied a realistic preset and some tone mapping. After that it was back into Aperture 3 for final sharpening and some saturation and vibrancy adjustments.

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