1107 - The Harmony Of Industry And Nature II

2009-10-25

This is the Infineon microchip plant, the biggest employer in Villach, just 200 meters south of where we live. I’m standing on an artificial hill, maybe all the material dug out when they built the plant.

This image began as an HDR, and somehow it didn’t satisfy me at all. I experimented quite a while, and in the end it became this 26 layer job, groups not counted.

I like these images where I overlay local contrast enhancements with blurs of various kinds. Using masks, I can selectively keep parts of the image more or less free from the effect, allowing me to set accents and emphasize certain parts of the image. Here it is the building diagonally opposite from the sun. You only have to be careful to make it not too obvious.

Just like in “904 – The Harmony Of Industry And Nature”, the Song of the Day is from the Nine Inch Nails album “Ghosts”, and this time it is “12 Ghosts II”. Enjoy it on YouTube.

There are 8 comments

Earl   (2009-10-25)

Andreas, I very much like this effect. It's almost as if looking through a type of translucent curtain, one not of material but of energy or light. Very nice indeed.

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andreas   (2009-10-25)

Thanks. I originally wanted to somehow accentuate the many short verticals. When I saw what the effect did, I thought of energy as well 🙂

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Paul Maxim   (2009-10-25)

Please don't take offense, Andreas, but my very first impression when I saw this image was "Omigod, Andreas has captured Captain Kirk and his away team beaming down to the surface of some alien planet!" If you've seen any of the Star Trek movies, you know what I mean. Again, please don't be offended. I can't recall ever seiing an image of yours I didn't like (including this one). It was just the first thing that popped into my head. Which tells you something, I guess, about where my head is at!

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andreas   (2009-10-25)

No problem at all. This is one of those images where I work kind of "on autopilot", one of those pictures that are not planned, that happen. I am not entirely glad about how the steam cloud to the left smudges, it's too blocky, and now that I think of it, I would even have a remedy, but overall I am quite satisfied 🙂

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Micheline deJordy   (2009-10-26)

Its a very special picture, but I like it. I thought it was pouring with rain in spite of the sunny day. Hope to see the corrected copy. You show us a lot of places and point of view no tourist will go after. I like this series The Harmony Of Industry And Nature II” .

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andreas   (2009-10-26)

OK, I've just replaced the image with an edited version. The only difference is in the steam cloud to the left. Basically I've cloned the cloud out of the image before applying the motion blur. Due to the diagonal form of the cloud, it did not respond too well to a vertical motion blur.

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Esther Emma   (2009-10-26)

very clever post-processing 🙂 i know that thing with layers, blend modes and masks. the most important thing is to choose 🙂 you did well 🙂 red your posting 1108 get better soon you had a very intensive period with changing your blog etc illness comes most time after such a period. it won't last for ages, only days. (i think. at least i hope so 🙂

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andreas   (2009-10-26)

Thank you. I'm already feeling better, I think I can travel to Vienna tomorrow. Hope so 🙂

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