Tag: texture

West of the Wharf

Posted on by Nick Roberts
Louisville Shoreline
Louisville Shoreline

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This image was taken on the west end of the Louisville riverfront between the Third Street Wharf and the McAlpine Locks. The source files are all bracketed HDR images that were merged in NIK HDR Efex Pro 2 where they were first tone mapped before returning the merged file to Aperture 3 and then processing it in OnOne Perfect Effects where I applied a slight vignette.

Under the Interstate
Under the Interstate

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This image is from under Interstate 64  just past 6th Street. The view is looking east toward the Kennedy Bridge. Once again NIK HDR Efex Pro 2 was used to merge the three bracketed files. After that was done I opened it in OnOne Perfect Effects where I experimented with stacking several different effects to bring out the colors and contrast in the scene. I really should write down what I use but many times I am experimenting and go through many different filters before settling on a particular one. One feature I really like about using the OnOne Perfect Effects filters is that they can be stacked and that I can control the amount of strength I want by varying the opacity of each one and stacking several filters together using the layers feature. I then finished the image in my normal way using Aperture 3.

Solitary Sentinel
Solitary Sentinel

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This is an image from a merged bracket set processed in NIK HDR Efex Pro 2 and finished in Aperture 3. The bridges in the background are K&I Railroad bridges that connect west Louisville to New Albany, Indiana.

Ninth Street Ramps
Ninth Street Ramps

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This final image is also Processed in NIK HDR Efex Pro 2, OnOne Perfect Effects and Aperture 3.

Combining Different Maker’s Software

Posted on by Nick Roberts
Big Four Lighting #1
Big Four Lighting #1

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Last night I was playing around with some images I shot last week from the Big Four Bridge at sunset. I was intrigued by the patterns that the lights cast on the deck and how they contrasted with the somber sky above. The images were all created from three frame bracket sets of, -2, 0, +2 Exposure Values. The artificial lights on the ramp were set to red and I thought I would experiment with the resulting photos after merging and tone mapping them in NIK HDR Efex Pro 2.  For this image I took the HDR image into Aperture 3 and adjusted several sliders in the exposure, enhance and sharpening panels before loading it into OnOne Perfect Effects where I added a vignette. The OnOne suite is another iceberg that I have barely seen the tip of; the range of effects that are available and the ability to combine them in layers within the software leads to an infinite range of looks to explore. Anything you build up in the layers can be exported as a custom preset which you can then apply to similar images and get consistent results.

Big Four Lighting #2
Big Four Lighting #2

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 This image is another HDR that I merged in NIK HDR Efex Pro 2. I was pleasantly surprised by how the colors of the red lights combined with the silvery blue of the overhead LED lights to create such an incredible color palette. I kept the anti-ghosting set at 20%  which allowed the fast moving clouds to soften and blur as well as keeping the lone runner on the bridge in a state of motion too. I used Photoshop CS5 to do some lens correction and straightening to the image before finishing it with Aperture 3.

Big Four Lighting #3
Big Four Lighting #3

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This image too is a three frame HDR but in this case I stayed within NIK HDR Efex Pro 2 to enhance and play around with the colors before taking it into Aperture 3 where I further altered them with the Vibrance slider. After that I simply sharpened the image and adjusted the horizon using the straighten tool in Aperture 3.

Big Four Lighting #4
Big Four Lighting #4

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This final image is also an HDR with some OnOne adjustments and final finishing in Aperture 3. I’m beginning to discover more and more ways that combining different software from different makers can open more avenues of expression in my photography.

On a similar note there seems to be a price war going on right now between the software makers, NIK has some incredible pricing like their entire Suite for $149.00, you can add in a 15% additional discount if you use the discount code MOATS at checkout. OnOne is having a spring sale at 40% off; you can see what they are offering by clicking on the OnOne Banner in the sidebar on this page. Topaz hasn’t announced anything yet but I suspect they will be joining in on this discount war soon. There is also a link for Topaz in the sidebar. I am an affiliate for OnOne and Topaz so clicking on the banners allows me to earn a small commission should you decide to order anything.

One more plug here is for my good friends at Outdoor Photo Gear whose banner is also in the sidebar. These guys and gals are the friendliest and most knowledgable photo gear suppliers I have ever done business with. They run specials all the time and I would recommend you take a look at their site too.

 

Alabama Morning

Posted on by Nick Roberts
Alabama Morning
Alabama Morning

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These images are from my trip down to Alabama a few weeks back. While exploring the countryside I came upon this old log building that has become a piece of Americana. The owner of the property is obviously into collecting old signs and old gas pumps. The sky was full of clouds that were remnants of a thunderstorm that went through the night before while off to the east the sun was breaking through and illuminating the cabin and the surrounding area. In the distance the sky and horizon were still dark and foreboding. The light was bright enough that I was able to handhold the shots and that allowed me to move quickly around the scene.

I processed this image using NIK HDR Efex Pro 2 for the merging of my three frame bracket set.  My bracket set was -2, 0 and +2 EV.  After I tone mapped the image I made some adjustments to vibrance and contrast in Aperture 3 and then I took the image into OnOne Perfect Effects 4 where I applied a vignette using the Big Softy preset.

Alabama Morning #3
Alabama Morning #3

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This is another image from the same shoot. I loved the way the sun was lighting the buildings and the field around them while in the distance the horizon and sky were still dark. I followed the same basic procedure for processing this image as I did in the one above but I spent a little more time in OnOne Perfect Photo 7 playing around with Perfect Effects where I once again added the vignette using Big Softy preset as well as experimenting with some of the other adjustments that Perfect Effects has available.

Alabama Morning #4
Alabama Morning #4

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In this image the sun went behind some clouds and it really softened the light. I shot a handheld three frame bracket at -2, 0 and +2 EV and merged them in NIK HDR Efex Pro 2 before taking the merged image back into Aperture 3 for final processing. The change in the quality of the light creates an entirely different feel to the scene and I didn’t feel that Perfect Effects 4 would be of any benefit on this image so I finished it with Aperture 3.

 

Rusted Relics

Posted on by Nick Roberts
Rusted Memories of a Bygone Era
Rusted Memories of a Bygone Era

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While I was down in Alabama I took a drive out past the place where my Grandparents lived. The old house is gone now and I drove a little further down the highway to see if there was anything that might make a good photo along it. I came upon a log cabin, sitting in the middle of a field, that is covered in old metal signs and has several old gas pumps in the yard. This image is a detail of one of the pumps.

As is my practice today I shot a three bracket set of images for HDR processing. Another advantage of shooting brackets is the near certainty that one of the images will be a good exposure if I need something quick for a deadline. I don’t often need to do that but it sure is handy when the need arises.

The first thing I did was merge the three frames in NIK HDR eFex Pro 2 for tone mapping and detail adjustment. I used one of the Realistic presets as my starting point. I then took the HDR image into OnOne Perfect Photo 6 where I used a few different effects to add a vignette and enhanced some of the color. On e of the nice things about Perfect Effects is that it allows me to create layers and apply the effects in varying amounts. By stacking a few effects and adjusting the amount of each one from zero to 100% it is possible to get the feeling I’m looking for. After I had the image nearly finished I returned it to Aperture 3 where I adjusted the shadows and highlight, contrast and sharpened the image.

Keep Out
Keep Out

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This bird house seemed such a great subject with it’s weathered texture and the sign below it. I ran it through the same basic process and settled on this final version. I’m glad I started exploring the OnOne Perfect Photo 6 Suite again. In the future I will be using it more often when I want to convey more emotion than using only HDR techniques affords me.

A Couple of B&W Images from Decatur, Alabama

Posted on by Nick Roberts
Inside King Cotto's Temple in Black and White #1
Inside King Cotton’s Temple in Black and White #1

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This image was first created from a three frame bracket -2, 0, and +2 EV that I merged in NIK HDR Efex Pro to tone map before returning it to Aperture 3 where I converted it to Black and White and applied additional contrast and sharpening.

Inside King Cotton's Temple in Black and White #2
Inside King Cotton’s Temple in Black and White #2

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This is simply a different crop on the first image in this post.

One final thing I want to share is this link to my HDR Workshop here in Louisville later this month.

http://outdoorphotogear.ticketleap.com/nick-roberts—hdr-photography/

I know it’s probably shameless self promotion but I really want to help other photographers and artists to develop their own HDR style.