Tag: NIK HDR Efex Pro

Another Louisville Sunset

Posted on by Nick Roberts
Sunset on the Ohio River at Louisville, KY

Here’s another image taken at sunset from the Clark memorial Bridge. I can’t stop going downtown and shooting from the bridge. This particular evening the sun was just dropping below the horizon and the colors were amazing. I especially like the way the sunset is reflected in the Yum Center windows.

The composition relies on the balance of the building and roadway with the texture of the clouds. There is also a complimentary color harmony going on with the blues of the sky and the oranges in the sunset.

I processed this image using NIK HDR Efex Pro using the “Realistic Strong” preset and Aperture 3 for final sharpening.

Golden Hour on the Clark Memorial Bridge

Posted on by Nick Roberts
Golden Hour on the Clark Memorial Bridge
(Click on the image to open in a separate window)

This image is on the Clark Memorial Bridge approach from Louisville looking north into Indiana. I chose this composition because I like the way the bridge railing and sidewalk lead the viewer’s eye into the image. The afternoon glow of the “Golden Hour” on the bridge and in the sky is a nice contrast to the coolness of the shadows in the lower third of the image.

I processed this image in NIK HDR Efex pro using the Realistic (Strong) preset as my base point. After the six images were merged I applied the anti-ghosting at the high setting which cleaned up the cars on the bridge and reduced the ghosting they were exhibiting. I then slightly adjusted the shadows and highlights sliders before saving the image back into Aperture 3. I then reopened the photo in Aperture 3 where I did some further enhancement to the colors and vibrancy before the final sharpening.

Louisville Waterfront Sunset

Posted on by Nick Roberts
Waterfront
Louisville Waterfront Sunset

I took this image last week from the Clark Memorial Bridge. I used five exposure values +2, +1, 0, -1, -2 to capture the scene. I then processed them in NIK HDR Efex Pro to merge and tonemap the image. I also reprocessed the merged image with the anti-ghosting feature set at medium to clean up the vehicles on the highway and any ghosting in the clouds.  I chose the Realistic Strong preset as my starting point and then tweaked the sliders until I had the colors and details where I wanted them. After that I returned the image to Aperture 3 for a little boost to the color temperature and sharpening.

I am especially pleased with the way the sky is reflected in the YUM Center in this image. I had been trying for several weeks to catch a sunset that was dramatic enough and high enough in the sky to reflect in the building’s convex glass. I checked cloud maps every evening for almost a month in hopes of being able to capture a dramatic sky such as this one. Many times the clouds would be where I wanted them 30 minutes before sunset only to fade away just as the sun set. On this particular evening the cloud map showed a  lot of clouds out to the west so I set up my camera and tripod on the Clark Memorial Bridge and waited for their arrival. I was rewarded by these clouds moving in at just the moment  the sun was setting.

Studying your location and accessing relevant sources, such as the cloud map, can really help when seeking to capture an image that you see in your mind’s eye. Keep this in mind the next time you wonder why you can’t seem to catch the scene you are seeking, patience and planning will eventually pay off if you do your part too.

LaSalle Lenses

Posted on by Nick Roberts

I’ve always been a fan of automotive designs from Harley Earl who was the first Vice President of the Art and Color Division at General Motors. His most ambitious work began with the LaSalle line of cars which set the standard for opulence and refined design during the short life of the line. As an offshoot of the Cadillac line many considered it to be the “baby” Cadillac and that in itself was the seed of it’s eventual demise. People were buying LaSalles because they were less expensive than Cadillacs but were built using virtually the same chassis and driveline as Cadillacs.

There aren’t many LaSalle in the streetrod scene so finding this early 30’s LaSalle at the Streetrod Nationals was a real treat. I loved the way the builder had kept Harley Earl’s design details intact and created a modern car within the framework of a classic LaSalle.

I chose to use NIK HDR Efex Pro to produce this Black and White version. This composition relies on repetition of form to build it’s foundation along with the strong diagonal lines formed by the headlights and grill. The black and white effect also emphasizes the clouds and adds texture to the image.

 

REO Speedwagon

Posted on by Nick Roberts

This REO Speedwagon was at the NSRA Streetrod Nationals last year. It was powered by the Buick Fireball Eight Engine I featured a few days ago. I’m sharing this because I think the way I chose to shoot it really worked out well. I was using my 18mm-200mm Nikkor VR lens and I got down on my belly to frame the shot. I shot at f8 with the lens set to 18mm. I wanted to accent the wheel and tire in the frame while including the Cadillac “Lady” hood ornament. I really dig the way she is soaring into the clouds while the wheel heads straight at the viewer.

I processed this in NIK HDR Efex Pro from a single frame image. I first did some minor cropping in Aperture 3 then adjusted the exposure and vibrance before finally sharpening the photo slightly. After doing this I saved a virtual copy with my Aperture 3 adjustments which I then took into NIK Hdr Efex Pro for the final version you see here.

One additional note: as with all the images I post here; if you click on the image it will open in another window at a larger size.