Tag: bridges

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.

Monday Morning Mood

Posted on by Nick Roberts
Stormy Morning on the Ohio River
Stormy Morning on the Ohio River

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I have been doing more experimenting with combining various software in my processing. For this image I used NIK HDR Efex Pro 2 to merge my three shot bracket set. I did some initial tone mapping there and then returned it to Aperture 3 for more refinement. After that I took it into OnOne Perfect Effects and applied some of the filters there at very low strength to bring out more detail in the sky. I’m pleased with this image because it doesn’t exhibit a lot of haloing even after using multiple filters.

West of the Wharf

Posted on by Nick Roberts
Louisville Shoreline
Louisville Shoreline

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This image was taken on the west end of the Louisville riverfront between the Third Street Wharf and the McAlpine Locks. The source files are all bracketed HDR images that were merged in NIK HDR Efex Pro 2 where they were first tone mapped before returning the merged file to Aperture 3 and then processing it in OnOne Perfect Effects where I applied a slight vignette.

Under the Interstate
Under the Interstate

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This image is from under Interstate 64  just past 6th Street. The view is looking east toward the Kennedy Bridge. Once again NIK HDR Efex Pro 2 was used to merge the three bracketed files. After that was done I opened it in OnOne Perfect Effects where I experimented with stacking several different effects to bring out the colors and contrast in the scene. I really should write down what I use but many times I am experimenting and go through many different filters before settling on a particular one. One feature I really like about using the OnOne Perfect Effects filters is that they can be stacked and that I can control the amount of strength I want by varying the opacity of each one and stacking several filters together using the layers feature. I then finished the image in my normal way using Aperture 3.

Solitary Sentinel
Solitary Sentinel

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This is an image from a merged bracket set processed in NIK HDR Efex Pro 2 and finished in Aperture 3. The bridges in the background are K&I Railroad bridges that connect west Louisville to New Albany, Indiana.

Ninth Street Ramps
Ninth Street Ramps

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This final image is also Processed in NIK HDR Efex Pro 2, OnOne Perfect Effects and Aperture 3.

Combining Different Maker’s Software

Posted on by Nick Roberts
Big Four Lighting #1
Big Four Lighting #1

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Last night I was playing around with some images I shot last week from the Big Four Bridge at sunset. I was intrigued by the patterns that the lights cast on the deck and how they contrasted with the somber sky above. The images were all created from three frame bracket sets of, -2, 0, +2 Exposure Values. The artificial lights on the ramp were set to red and I thought I would experiment with the resulting photos after merging and tone mapping them in NIK HDR Efex Pro 2.  For this image I took the HDR image into Aperture 3 and adjusted several sliders in the exposure, enhance and sharpening panels before loading it into OnOne Perfect Effects where I added a vignette. The OnOne suite is another iceberg that I have barely seen the tip of; the range of effects that are available and the ability to combine them in layers within the software leads to an infinite range of looks to explore. Anything you build up in the layers can be exported as a custom preset which you can then apply to similar images and get consistent results.

Big Four Lighting #2
Big Four Lighting #2

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 This image is another HDR that I merged in NIK HDR Efex Pro 2. I was pleasantly surprised by how the colors of the red lights combined with the silvery blue of the overhead LED lights to create such an incredible color palette. I kept the anti-ghosting set at 20%  which allowed the fast moving clouds to soften and blur as well as keeping the lone runner on the bridge in a state of motion too. I used Photoshop CS5 to do some lens correction and straightening to the image before finishing it with Aperture 3.

Big Four Lighting #3
Big Four Lighting #3

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This image too is a three frame HDR but in this case I stayed within NIK HDR Efex Pro 2 to enhance and play around with the colors before taking it into Aperture 3 where I further altered them with the Vibrance slider. After that I simply sharpened the image and adjusted the horizon using the straighten tool in Aperture 3.

Big Four Lighting #4
Big Four Lighting #4

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This final image is also an HDR with some OnOne adjustments and final finishing in Aperture 3. I’m beginning to discover more and more ways that combining different software from different makers can open more avenues of expression in my photography.

On a similar note there seems to be a price war going on right now between the software makers, NIK has some incredible pricing like their entire Suite for $149.00, you can add in a 15% additional discount if you use the discount code MOATS at checkout. OnOne is having a spring sale at 40% off; you can see what they are offering by clicking on the OnOne Banner in the sidebar on this page. Topaz hasn’t announced anything yet but I suspect they will be joining in on this discount war soon. There is also a link for Topaz in the sidebar. I am an affiliate for OnOne and Topaz so clicking on the banners allows me to earn a small commission should you decide to order anything.

One more plug here is for my good friends at Outdoor Photo Gear whose banner is also in the sidebar. These guys and gals are the friendliest and most knowledgable photo gear suppliers I have ever done business with. They run specials all the time and I would recommend you take a look at their site too.

 

End of the Deck Pour

Posted on by Nick Roberts
Removing the Bidwell Machine
Removing the Bidwell Machine

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This shot is from the day that the T & C Construction crew completed pouring the concrete veneer on the Big Four Bridge. This was the culmination of the task of getting the deck in place and one of the major milestones on the project. The Bidwell concrete paving machine in the air had to be reengineered and modified to work within the confines of the bridge. Because it’s original purpose was to be used for highways and highway bridges it was too wide for the Big Four Bridge. Willie and his crew figured out a way to narrow it to fit the bridge and designed a new roller system that could use the bridge’s curb to position the machine. This is another facet of the problem solving and ingenuity that the construction crew had to do on a daily basis that the casual observer isn’t aware of.

I shot this as a single frame and completed all processing within Aperture 3. As you can see by the angle of the shadows it was getting late in the day which gave me some great light to work with that saturated the colors and boosted the contrast.