Tag: HDR

Upcoming HDR Workshop: Using HDR Photography to Create Your Own Personal Style

Posted on by Nick Roberts
Abandoned Gas Station in Northern Alabama.
HDR Image of an Abandoned Gas Station in Northern Alabama.

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Have you been curious about HDR (high dynamic range) photography but intimidated with all the mumbo jumbo that you’ve heard about it? Have you wondered how to create photos that show all the detail you saw when you tripped the shutter? Are you ready to take your photo processing to the next level?

If you answered yes to any of these questions then join me for this HDR workshop April 18-19, 2014 in Louisville, KY.

http://outdoorphotogear.ticketleap.com/hdr-photography/dates/Apr-18-2014_at_0700PM

By attending this HDR Workshop and applying what you learned you will soon be creating images that reveal your own personal vision through the use of High Dynamic Range Photography. After completing this workshop you will understand why HDR photography is so popular with many top tier photographers today and how you can use HDR to express your personal vision.

By attending this hands on workshop you will learn how and why to use High Dynamic Range Photography techniques in many situations, from low light  to high contrast. You will learn what techniques and software work best for a given photographic subject. After completing this workshop you will be prepared to create images that allow you to share your personal vision for the photo as you experienced it when you tripped the shutter.

During the workshop we will cover the techniques and tools that are needed to center the fantastic world of High Dynamic Range photographs, and how to give those images your own personal style.

Workshop times are Friday April 11 from 7:00 – 9:00 PM and Saturday April 12 from 9:00am – 5:30 pm.

http://outdoorphotogear.ticketleap.com/hdr-photography/dates/Apr-18-2014_at_0700PM

Excavator Teeth in HDR #2
Excavator Teeth in HDR #2

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I will be teaching workshop attendees how to use the powerful NIK HDR Efex Pro 2 software as well as other NIK plugins for Photoshop, Lightroom and Aperture 3 to create HDR images that range from Hyper Realistic and Super Saturated to pleasing realistic photos. This small group workshop will be extremely hands on, and each attendee will leave understanding the key elements of processing HDR images to create their own style.

Through the use of shared source images and their own photos, participants will be able to see firsthand “how” and “why” to use the vast power of HDR Efex Pro 2 to express their own unique vision for their photography.

Participants should have a basic understanding of their preferred post processing software (Photoshop, Lightroom or Aperture) and have it installed on their laptop. Bring your own laptop,  DSLR and camera manual to each session.

If you have NIK HDR Efex Pro 2 make sure it is installed on your laptop.  If you don’t have NIK HDR Efex Pro 2, no worries! You can download a free 30 day trial copy at the workshop.

Topics to be covered include:

• mechanics of shooting, importing, processing and displaying HDR images
• discussion of when and where HDR photography is appropriate
• situations where single images can be treated as HDR images
• using HDR with B&W photography to emphasize depth, texture and contrast
• using HDR to create your own style

Class size is limited to 15 people to optimize interaction and hands on training.  Tickets must be purchased in advance.  Coffee and water will be provided, as well as a refrigerator for your own beverages and food.

Reserve your seat now

http://outdoorphotogear.ticketleap.com/hdr-photography/dates/Apr-18-2014_at_7:00PM

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HDR Images of the Current Progress on the Downtown Bridge Project Site

Posted on by Nick Roberts

Three HDR images of the Ohio River Bridges Project Downtown Crossing progress as of March 22, 2014

Bridge Piling ala Cadillac Ranch in HDR

Posted on by Nick Roberts
HDR image of Two Rows of Piling on the eastern end Spaghetti Junction
Bridge Foundation Piling in Spaghetti Junction

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These large bridge pilings stand almost ten feet into the air. When I first saw them I thought of the art installation Cadillac Ranch located alongside Interstate 40 in Amarillo Texas. I have stopped at Cadillac Ranch each time I have ridden through Amarillo and they have that same feeling of a larger than life presence and iconic mystery. What if the world ended today and a future archeologist were to come upon them? Would they be seen as something akin to Stonehenge or other religious structures? Would anyone even surmise that they were simply a part of the foundation for a super highway?

As I photographed them I enjoyed the way they towered above me. I was also drawn to enter the space they occupied and felt as if I were in a temple or sacred structure. I shot around and inside them for several minutes and then forgot about them until I downloaded that day’s shoot. As I reviewed the shots I was immediately drawn to this image and made it my first choice to process that day.

To create this HDR image I first took the bracket set into NIK HDR Efex Pro 2 and then completed it in Aperture 3. By using HDR and a three frame bracket set I was able to capture the texture and tones inside the pilings and the lettering and colors on their surface while still maintaining the faint white clouds in the mottled blue sky. After that I decided to experiment with Topaz Adjust which added texture and tonality to the final result, seen above, when I applied the Spicify preset and made some minor adjustments to it’s settings. Even though there is some slight haloing along the top edges of the pilings I really like the results.

HDR Photos of Progress on the Ohio River Bridge North Tower

Posted on by Nick Roberts

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North tower, R-5, base with Ironworkers climbing and tying rebar. Sunny, cloudless, day with 3 people visible on scaffolding.
Going Up

The Ironworkers and Carpenters have been very busy over the winter and the North Tower of the Downtown Span is progressing well. In this first image you can see the tower base as it stands today. The Ironworkers are tying the rebar for the next section and as soon as that is done the Carpenters will form that section for the next concrete pour.

I regret that I was under the weather for the first two months of this year and unable to get out to the Ohio River Bridges project very often. In looking back at the images from the end of 2013 I can see that there has been a great deal of progress. I’m back on the job now and will be posting on a regular basis as I did throughout the end of summer and into fall.

All of these images today are HDR images processed in NIK HDR Efex Pro 2 and Aperture 3. As is my standard practice I shot everything handheld in three frame bracket sets of +2, 0 and -2 EV exposures. I applied 60% anti-ghosting during the merging of these three exposures and used the Balanced Preset as my starting point. After merging them and applying the preset I went back into the tone mapping settings and changed the Detail slider to Accentuated and the Drama slider to Deep. That is all I did in NIK HDR Efex Pro 2 before returning the merged file to Aperture 3 where I adjusted the color channels, sharpening, contrast and applied a small vignette.

HDR photo of Four Ironworkers on North Tower landing supplies
Four Ironworkers on North Tower landing supplies. HDR image

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In this image the Ironworkers are working with the crane Operator to lift more materials onto the tower scaffolding. They have to communicate with the Crane Operator using hand signals and radios to safely manage material transfers. I am always amazed at the skill of these crane operators to place everything from a small bundle of steel reinforcing to massive concrete forms on the job with pinpoint accuracy.

HDR Photo of Carpenters Removing the concrete form from the eastern base of the North Tower #2
HDR Photo of Carpenters Removing the concrete form from the eastern base of the North Tower #2

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In this HDR image the concrete form is being removed from the angled surface of the eastern side of the eastern pier of the North Tower. The carpenters have unbolted it and rigged it for the crane Operator to lift it and transfer it to a waiting barge until it is needed again. Seeing the Carpenters alongside these forms gives scale to their size. Once again the Crane Operator and the Carpenters are working through radio and hand signals to safely move this massive piece of concrete form.

HDR Photo of Carpenters Removing the concrete form from the eastern base of the North Tower #1
HDR Photo of Carpenters Removing the concrete form from the eastern base of the North Tower #1

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For this HDR image I chose to shoot the removal of the concrete form in a vertical format to better capture the cranes and the upward momentum that the project exudes as it progresses.

HDR photo of the North Tower Bases and Cranes
HDR photo of the North Tower Bases and Cranes

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This HDR image shows both bases for the North Towers of the Ohio River Bridges Project Downtown Span. The progress that is being made really comes out in this HDR photo. The concrete forms have been removed from the base of the western side of the towers and scaffolding is surrounding the transition point as the base morphs into it final cylindrical shape which will be approximately 150 feet in the air when it is completed.

HDR Photo of The North Tower Base Cooling Manifold Lift
HDR Photo of The North Tower Base Cooling Manifold Being Lifted Into Place

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This HDR image shows a cooling manifold being lifted into place. It is used to distribute cooling water through the concrete as it cures. When concrete cures there is a lot of heat inside it; this is due to the catalytic reaction of the materials that are used to make concrete. Without cooling this reaction would cause the concrete to overheat and lose it’s strength. The cooling process goes on until sensors built into the structure provide the information to show that it is safe to stop cooling the concrete and allow it to finish curing.

I’m really glad to get back to shooting the Ohio River Bridges Project and posting my work again. I hope that small hiccup at the beginning of the year won’t be repeated and I can complete my project of documenting the Ohio River Bridges Project and the men and women who are doing it.

HDR Images of a Winter Day in The Parklands of Floyd’s Fork

Posted on by Nick Roberts
Red Barn in Winter in an Ice coated landscape in The Parklands of Floyd's Fork
Red Barn in Winter in HDR

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This image is an HDR image captured in The Parklands of Floyd’s Fork in Louisville Kentucky. The trees and landscape were covered in ice which was creating a magical prismatic sparkle when the sun shown on them. I wanted to capture those colors and in making that attempt learned just how difficult that is.

As I reviewed the images back in my studio I could see faint hints of the colors that were being reflected as the suns rays diffracted through the ice but nothing was as spectacular as what I saw in person. I realized that my human experience was much more intense than my camera could record. Even with that discovery I’m still happy with these HDR images that resulted from that shoot.

Frozen Wetlands in The Parklands of Floyd's Fork
Frozen wetlands in The Parklands of Floyd’s Fork

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I especially liked the way the sun was illuminating the tree line while a cloud was shading the foreground in this image. The reflections on the ice around the vegetation are a nice way to bring the light forward in the scene while still reinforcing the sense of cold in the photo.

This image is also HDR and I think it really shows how extending the dynamic range through shooting brackets for HDR, with a strongly backlit subject, can capture a broad enough dynamic range to render the scene.

Winter scene of ice and bridge
Floyd’s Fork flowing under a bridge in The Parklands.

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When I’m shooting landscapes I like to include man made structures in the scene to show how they can exist in harmony with the natural environment. This bridge abutment with it’s strong geometric forms contrasts nicely with the flowing water of Floyd’s Fork. The bridge itself forma a frame to the sunlight’s reflection on the water. The railing along the top contrasts and reinforces the ice coated branches rising above it too.

This too is another case where the use of HDR technique in shooting, a three exposure bracket two stops apart, and HDR processing allowed me to capture information in the shadows as well as in the highlights. The extremely wide dynamic range of this scene could not have been captured as easily, if at all, with a single exposure. That is the main reason I totally embrace HDR photography even when I’m striving for strong realism in my images.

Ice coated landscape in The Parklands of Floyd's Fork
Ice coated landscape in The Parklands of Floyd’s Fork

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I liked this landscape because the sun was filtering through the trees creating a starburst of light while casting strong shadows across the landscape. As in several of these HDR images the HDR techniques of shooting and processing allowed me to capture the feeling of cold while gathering enough detail to make the image interesting.

Winter Sunset in The Parklands of Floyd's Fork
Winter Sunset in The Parklands of Floyd’s Fork

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I like the contrast of the complimentary colors of oranges and blues that are a major component of this composition. As in all of today’s images the use of HDR was the determining factor in the success of this shoot.

In closing today I’d like to say that whatever your feelings about HDR photography it has a place in photography. If you haven’t explored high dynamic range photography you are missing a valuable method that can open new vistas and expand your vision. Go on give it a try you too may find it is a wonderful tool that will allow you to express yourself in ways you have never before found possible.