Tag: outdoors

Ohio River Bridges Project Downtown Span Construction Site

Posted on by Nick Roberts
Ohio River Bridges Downtown Span Construction Site
Ohio River Bridges Downtown Span Construction Site

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This image shows the Ohio River Bridges Project Downtown Span construction site looking south from the Indiana approach. The triangular form in the right hand side of the photo is the base for the western section of the north tower that will support the new bridge. Across from that form you can see the rebar structure that will also be formed and filled with concrete to build the eastern section of the towers. These two sections Continue reading “Ohio River Bridges Project Downtown Span Construction Site” →

Ohio River Bridges Project Downtown Span Construction Progress

Posted on by Nick Roberts
Ohio River Bridges Project Downtown Span, January 2014
Ohio River Bridges Project Downtown Span, January 2014

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Yesterday morning I decided to shoot an overview of the Ohio River Bridges Project Downtown Span foundation progress. I wanted to show the entire river crossing foundation work that has been accomplished so far. I went up on the Big Four Pedestrian Bridge to get far enough upriver to capture the view from shore to shore where the bridge will cross the Ohio River. I knew I wanted a panorama so I shot with the final cropping in mind.

I used a three frame bracket set of +2, 0 and -2 EV exposures that I merged in NIK HDR Efex Pro 2 and finished in Aperture 3. Currently most of my HDR work is being sent back to Aperture after very minimal tone mapping in NIK HDR Efex Pro 2 using the Balanced preset as my starting point and then adjusting exposure, contrast, highlights and shadows in Aperture 3. I also adjust the individual color channels and sharpen in Aperture 3 as well as cropping the image to the final size proportions.

2013 in review

Posted on by Nick Roberts

Tonight I want to share the annual report for the Speeddemon2.com blog that the WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared for 2013.

Here’s an excerpt from the 2013 annual report on the progress of Speeddemon2.com :

The concert hall at the Sydney Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 43,000 times in 2013. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 16 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.

This report about 2013 was very exciting news for me. I have worked hard the past year to share my knowledge about Construction photography and HDR photography with the world and the results are very gratifying. People from 136 countries have visited Speeddemon2.com to see my photos and explore the HDR techniques that I have been using to create them. My goal in 2014 is to grow from 950 followers to 10,000 followers and to foster even more interest in HDR photography and my approach to construction photography.

In addition to the Speeddemon2 blog I’m also working on a several year project to document the Ohio River Bridges Project that will showcase the men and women who are building this massive construction project which will forever transform Louisville’s waterfront. My project will encompass nearly three years of photos with quarterly books that will reflect the progress of the project from season to season. Currently I am editing the first volume of these books which will feature the Fall of 2013 foundation work and the people who are building the project. In the end, probably in 2016, I will be compiling a larger book that will draw on the quarterly volumes and document the Ohio River Bridges Project for posterity.

None of this would have been possible without my decision in 2012 to start the Speeddemon2 blog and share my photography with the world. I am so grateful for those who started following and commenting on my work early on which further strengthened my resolve to keep publishing. I also need to thank the men and women of the construction industry who allowed me to embed myself with them as I honed my skills both as a photographer and as an advocate for the people who build our civic infrastructure. I look forward to what the future has in store for me and I sincerely hope that I do justice to the support that so many people have shown for my work as Speeddemon2.com has evolved.

Click here to see the complete 2013 report.

Pattern and Texture Closeups

Posted on by Nick Roberts
Closeup of Rusty Retaining Straps
Closeup of Rusty Retaining Straps

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Whenever I’m on a job site I keep my eye open for interesting patterns and textures to shoot as closeups or macro images. On this particular day I was on the job site to capture a large crane that had been brought in for a pick that night. I was scouting for good vantage points to capture the crane at work that evening when I came upon these retaining wall straps in the material storage area. I was intrigued by the surface texture and the undulating pattern that they revealed so I took a few bracket sets to work with later.

I almost always work in HDR and I decided to merge three frames in NIK HDR Efex Pro 2 and experiment with them. For this first image I applied the Balanced Preset and then boosted the definition to enhance the texture of the oxidized steel and reinforce the pattern. I included the long shadow in the upper left of the frame and the short shadow in the lower right side to create a sense of depth and movement in the final composition. After returning the merged file to Aperture 3 I adjusted the mid-contrast and boosted the  saturation and luminance in the red and yellow color channels. I then applied sharpening and a small vignette to complete the image.

Retaining Straps Closeup
Retaining Straps Closeup

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I used a similar workflow for this image of the same straps that had been opened up and stacked for use. In this case I also worked in the blue color channel to contrast the blue and orange colors.

Closeup of Retaining Straps in Black and White
Closeup of Retaining Straps in Black and White

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The final image is a Black and White version I created using Topaz B&W Effects and a Platinum preset. I also applied a white vignette and a frame from the same software before returning it to Aperture 3 for final contrast and sharpness adjustments.

 

 

Merry Christmas

Posted on by Nick Roberts
Night scene at a christmas tree stand in Waterfront Park in Louisville KY.
Christmas Friends

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This is one of my favorite Christmas images. It was late one evening and I was out looking for something to shoot that spoke to the season when I came upon these guys working at the christmas tree stand in Waterfront Park. I liked the way the wet street was reflecting the lights in the stand and the strong colors that were present in the scene.

Whenever I can I like to include the people who work behind the scene to enrich our lives. These guys looked so comfortable with each other and for me their friendship showed in the way they walked and talked as they went about their job tending the stand. I hope those of you who stop by here today enjoy this photo and that it speaks to you as it did to me.

With that I want to wish you all a Merry Christmas; I hope the day brings you joy, friendship, happiness and lots of egg nog, cookies and fruitcake. 😉

BTW for those who are interested the image was processed in Topaz Adjust and Aperture 3 from a single exposure.