Tag: outdoors

HDR Images Using Topaz Restyle and OnOne Perfect Effects

Posted on August 17, 2013 by Nick Roberts

Ohio River Bridges Project Downtown Span #1

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This first image was created in NIK HDR Efex Pro 2 from a three frame bracket set using +2, 0 and -2 EV. Because it was evening I shot it with a tripod to allow for the long exposures needed to capture such a low light scene. After merging the three frames in NIK HDR Efex Pro 2 I returned the image to aperture 3 where I made some adjustments to the color channels and applied sharpening.

Ohio River Bridges Project Downtown Span #4

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This second image was created by taking the same HDR image as above into OnOne Perfect Photo 7.5 and then opening it in Perfect Effects where I first added a layer with the Daguerrotype effect I then added a second layer where I overlaid the Palladium Print effect after that I added another layer where I applied one of the Border effects to complete the image. As you can see it gives an entirely different feeling to the image which is one of the strengths of the Perfect Effects application.

Ohio River Bridges Project Downtown Span #3

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For this third version I took the HDR image into the newest Topaz Labs product, Topaz ReStyle, and applied the preset named Saffron Sunset. I was amazed by the transformation that Topaz ReStyle made to the image. I didn’t stop with simply selecting the preset; instead I then adjusted the sliders in the preset to give the image the feeling I was looking for. Topaz ReStyle has over 1000 different presets built into it and by previewing them in groups I was able to find one that I liked for this scene. One of the interesting feature of Topaz ReStyle is the ability to select a color pallet to work with and search the entire preset library to find variations that use the colors you have selected. You can then preview the presets with your image before committing to one of them.

I hope these three images help you to see the potential of combining different software options from Topaz, OnOne and NIK to create an image that expresses your personal vision for a particular image. Topaz ReStyle is going to become another tool for me to use when I want to explore variations on a theme and I think over time it will be as valuable in my workflow as the many other plug-ins that I already use.

Topaz ReStyle is on sale for $29.99 (a 50% discount) until August 31 if you use the link below and the promo code restyleit

http://www.topazlabs.com/705.html

Moon Over Angel’s Envy

Posted on July 29, 2013 by Nick Roberts

Moon Over Angel's Envy — Moon Over Angel’s Envy

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This image is a single frame from my exploration of the Vermont American Building last week. I used Topaz Clarity to process it before returning it to Aperture 3 for cropping, sharpening and color channel adjustments.

Focus on Fireworks

Posted on July 9, 2013 by Nick Roberts

Green Hornet — Green Hornet meets the Pink Panther

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This year for the Fourth of July fireworks I tried a new technique that I read about in several various posts around the web. The basic premise is to use focus to create blur around a fireworks explosion. I set my focus at just short of infinity and then refocused after tripping the shutter. I used shutter speeds of 1 and 2 seconds at f5.6 and f8 to experiment with this technique.

Rhapsody in Blue and Green

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Technicolor Dreamboat

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Pink and Green Nucleus

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Flaming Flower

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A Star is Born.

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Cosmic Dust

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BOOM!

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I finished all the images in Aperture 3 and really cranked up the sharpening both in the RAW file and in the finished image. I also played around a lot with the Saturation, Luminance and Range sliders in the individual color channels to intensify the colors.

All in all I am better satisfied with these fireworks images than any I have attempted in the past. I think I’ll work on refining the technique the next time a fireworks opportunity presents itself.

Funnel Cake Fourth

Posted on July 8, 2013 by Nick Roberts

Fourth of July Funnel Cakes — Funnel Cake Fourth

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This past week I attended the Fourth of July event in Louisville’s Waterfront Park to capture some fireworks images. While waiting for the fireworks show to begin I wandered around the park looking for images that spoke to the idea of festivals and the attendant support services that are needed whenever large groups of people gather for a celebration. The sky was leaden with the remnants of our unrelenting week of rain and thunderstorms so I went in search of some color to shoot.

As I strolled through the park I came upon the food vendors area and was immediately drawn to the scene you see here. I liked the graphic quality of the signage and the lights on and in the funnel cake vendor and decided to create a composition that incorporated it. I found a place behind the food wagons that also held some promise of a strong foreground element. I set my tripod up and shot this image because I enjoyed the strong diagonal lines and the contrast of colors between the booths and the park’s water feature. I also liked the way the stainless steel rails contrasted with the concrete and the angles that they created.

I shot a three frame bracket set using +2, 0 and -2 EV to be sure that I had a wide dynamic range to work with. Back at my computer I first took the three RAW frames into NIK Sharpener Pro and pre-sharpened them. I then opened the three images in NIK HDR Efex Pro 2 where I merged them into a HDR image. I applied the Deep 2 preset and then adjusted the amount of tone mapping and contrast to suit my taste. After the initial tone mapping was completed I returned the HDR image to Aperture 3 where I adjusted the individual color channels to bring out the reds and yellows of the signage. I also added some additional adjustments to the contrast and sharpened the image before adding a small vignette to it.

Louisville’s Downtown Bridge Is Underway

Posted on July 2, 2013 by Nick Roberts

The first phase of construction on the Downtown Bridge is underway.

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This is another HDR image of Waterfront Park looking west toward the crane that will be part of the skyline for the next couple of years. I shot this from the ramp to the Big Four Bridge overlooking the Swing Garden. I shot a handheld bracket set of three frames +2, 0 and -2 EV. I was able to hand hold the shots because it was mid morning and the light was high which resulted in relatively short exposures.

I first took the three RAW frames into NIK Sharpener Pro and applied adaptive sharpening to all of them. I then opened them in NIK HDR Efex Pro 2 where I merged them and applied the Deep 2 preset which I tweaked a bit to reduce some of the luminance and saturation. I then returned the merged image to Aperture 3 for final adjustment, sharpening and added a small vignette. In Aperture 3 I also adjusted the exposure and contrast as well as tweaking the individual color channels in the green, yellow and blue areas.