Tag: bridges

We’re Almost There

Posted on by Nick Roberts
Entrance to the Big Four Bridge
Entrance to the Big Four Bridge

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We are just a couple of days from the opening of the Big Four Bridge. All the work has been completed and all that’s left is for the gate to be removed and the dedication on Thursday morning. After that the crown jewel of Waterfront Park will be open to everyone on the Kentucky side. Later this year the ramp from Indiana will be completed and we’ll be able to walk or bike over the river.

I processed this image in HDR Efex Pro 2 from three exposures +1.3, 0, -1.3 EV. After tone mapping the merged image I returned it to Aperture 3 for some additional adjustments to exposure, definition, vibrancy and sharpening.

I finally broke down and started using the auto bracket feature on my Nikon D90 to capture my bracket sets. I don’t know why it took me so long to adopt this feature but I am really glad I did. It really simplifies the HDR bracketing process and allows me to focus more on composing the images while speeding up everything about the shooting process.

Nearly Wordless Wednesday

Posted on by Nick Roberts
Windy Wednesday
Windy Wednesday

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Single frame image taken today. My Pine Mountain preset applied in NIK HDR Efex Pro 2 then sharpened in Aperture 3.

Waterfront Park Afternoon

Posted on by Nick Roberts
Waterfront Park Afternoon
Waterfront Park Afternoon

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This image was processed in Aperture 3 as a RAW file before being taken into NIK HDR Efex 2 where I used the Structure 1 preset where I then boosted exposure, shadows, highlights, contrast and structure. I then returned the image to Aperture 3 where I boosted definition, contrast and vibrancy followed by sharpening.

The Rivet Choppers

Posted on by Nick Roberts
The Rivet Choppers
The Rivet Choppers

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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 by Nick Roberts
Perry and Thomas Cutting Rivets
Perry and Thomas Cutting Rivets

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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.