Tag: photography

Rigging for the Caisson Pick

Posted on by Nick Roberts
Rigging the Caisson For Lifting #1
Rigging the Caisson For the Pick #1

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These Ironworkers are setting the rigging to pick this caisson and right it so that it can be lowered into the casing for final placement. To lift it two cranes must coordinate their actions so that the main crane can upright the assembly and transfer it from the barge to the pier casing. Photo Tip: Having the men in the photo helps give scale to the size of the structure.

Once more this is a three bracket set of exposures using -2, 0 and +2 EV to capture the broad dynamic range between the sky and the foreground I encountered. This is one of the most important reasons to learn and use HDR techniques so that in a situation like this there is a reasonable chance that there will be enough data to create a good image after merging the exposures.

I used NIK HDR Efex Pro 2 and Aperture 3 to merge and process the image.

Rigging the Caisson For Lifting #2
Rigging the Caisson For the Pick #2

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This second image is not an HDR image. There was too much movement of the cables and hooks, between frames in the bracket set; for the anti ghosting to handle in NIK HDR Efex Pro 2. I decided to take the normal (0 EV) exposure into Topaz Clarity to see how well it would do with the wide dynamic range. All in all I am fairly pleased with the way that I was able to bring out some shadow detail and still hold the sky detail using a single exposure. I know some folks like to take the normal exposure and change the exposure value in subsequent copies for a faux HDR look but I don’t go that route since there isn’t any additional data captured as there is when a bracket set is used.

 

Using HDR Photography to Create Your Own Personal Style Workshop

Posted on by Nick Roberts

Nick Roberts – Using HDR Photography to Create Your Own Personal Style Tickets in Louisville, KY, United States.

Fourth of July Funnel Cakes
Fourth of July Funnel Cakes

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There is still time to join me for my HDR workshop in Louisville, KY, November 9, 2013. Learn how to use HDR techniques and NIK HDR Efex Pro 2 to create images that reflect your own personal style in this hands on workshop. You’ll be taught how to shoot for HDR along with what equipment you’ll need.

Ohio River Sunset Panorama
Ohio River Sunset Panorama

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We will also go over shooting handheld brackets, using single frames and software plugins to create faux HDR and applying plugins from Topaz Labs and onOne Software to get unique results without beating your brains out in Photoshop. My past workshop participants have all said it was well worth the time and money to attend and they still share images with me that show how well the class prepared them to build their HDR expertise.

Parkland Morning
Parklands Morning

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Learn how to create images that defy the cliched, halo riddled, over saturated, grungy look that many people think of when thinking about HDR. After this workshop you will have the knowledge and the tools to create realistic yet powerful HDR images that show your vision for the subject without drawing attention to the technique that you used. In addition to learning how to use HDR to improve your images we will also talk about composition and it’s contribution to successful and memorable images.

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I have an affiliate relationship with Topaz Labs and onOne Software, and earn a small commission, which helps support this site, on any sales that are made by using the links below. Even if you aren’t ready to make a purchase you can use the links to access a Free 30 day trial of any of these products to determine whether or not they will fit your own digital workflow.

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

http://www.onOnesoftware.com/affiliates/idevaffiliate.php?id=459

One additional thing to note is that both Topaz FX and onOne Perfect Photo Suite can be used as stand alone photo editing programs as well as plugins for Photoshop, Lightroom, Aperture and Photoshop Elements. Both Topaz FX and onOne Perfect Photo Suite have built in layering features that make it possible to combine their own plugins when using them.

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Excavator Teeth

Posted on by Nick Roberts
Excavator Teeth
Excavator Teeth

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Sometimes the simplest approach to processing with plug-ins can yield good results without a lot of time consuming steps. A case in point is this image that I used Topaz Adjust on to create a faux HDR version. I worked with the zero EV frame and applied the Spicify preset. I then tweaked the sliders in Spicify to get the texture and contrast I wanted, then I returned it to Aperture 3 and sharpened it for the final image you see here. While in Topaz Adjust I also added a small black border that, to my thinking, helps isolate the image on the page.

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I have an affiliate relationship with Topaz Labs, and earn a small commission on any sales that are made by using the Topaz Labs link below, which helps support this site. Even if you aren’t ready to make a purchase you can use the link to access a Free 30 day Trial of Topaz Labs products to determine whether or not they will fit your own digital workflow.

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

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Robyn Again

Posted on by Nick Roberts
Carpenter Robyn Keith
Carpenter Robyn Keith

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Today I’m sharing the three images that I used to create this HDR image. I merged them in NIK HDR Efex Pro 2 and applied the Balanced preset. After that I returned the image to Aperture 3 for final adjustments.

2 Stops Underexposed
2 Stops Underexposed

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Proper Exposure
Proper Exposure

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2 Stops Overexposed
2 Stops Overexposed

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As you can see each of the three images probably would not have produced such a broad dynamic range. Using HDR processing allows me to take a bracket set such as this and create a powerful and dynamic image.

 

 

This Is Why I Get Up Early Each Day

Posted on by Nick Roberts
Iron workers Placing Reinforcement Steel into Concrete Form For Pier Cap.
Iron workers Placing Reinforcement Steel into Concrete Form For Pier Cap.

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I get up every morning hoping to find a sky with this much texture and color. On this particular morning I was given a wonderful start to the day when I saw the colors start to intensify as the sun rose in the sky. The morning light and the wide range of light made this scene a natural for shooting it as a high dynamic range image. Even with such a wide range it was only necessary to use +2, 0 and -2 EV to capture the shadow details as well as the highlights and mid-tones. I try to keep the number of frames I use to a minimum to help combat the noise that inevitably occurs when underexposing the frame to capture the highlights and then merging them to create the HDR image.

The more I use HDR techniques and adjustments the more comfortable I become with them. In my book NIK HDR Efex Pro 2 is the leader for creating realistic HDR images with minimal halos and believable transitions across the tonal range. I want my images to convey a sense of the wonder I feel when I’m shooting them and the natural beauty in the scene. In this image I am very pleased with the balance of warm and cool light and the peaceful mood that accompanies sunrise on the river.