Richard Stauber
July 2025 - The Steel Stacks
About the Image(s)
The Steel Stacks in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, transformed from a massive steel manufacturing plant into a cultural center after Bethlehem Steel closed in the 1990s. The site was redeveloped to preserve its industrial heritage while adding venues for concerts, festivals, and community events.
The photo was taken in the afternoon and to get the best lighting from the afternoon sun, the drone was flown to the west of the stacks. However, I think the best view is from the east which will show the Lehigh River with about a half dozen sets of train tracks. I may revisit this location to get an early morning shot.
12 comments posted
Nice one, Richard! The structures are certainly visually interesting and appealing. I like the diagonal framing, and the complementary color scheme. The edges of the clouds look a little bit unnatural to me. Did you go a little heavy on the dehaze? :-)
BTW, there is a similar place in Bend, Oregon. It is called the Old Mill district, and is now an upscale outdoor shopping mall.
I look forward to seeing your images taken from the other side of this structure! Posted: 07/09/2025 07:04:22
BTW, there is a similar place in Bend, Oregon. It is called the Old Mill district, and is now an upscale outdoor shopping mall.
I look forward to seeing your images taken from the other side of this structure! Posted: 07/09/2025 07:04:22
Thanks Patrick, there was one step where I increased saturation to bring up the rust color and that produced a too blue sky. I should have used a HSL adjustment for rust. Posted: 07/15/2025 00:11:14
Nice! Another industrial picture, this one with some nice red rust colors! I like the colors. As well as working on the issue with the clouds mentioned by Patrick, I recommend adding a little vignetting to the lower right side of the image. You also might want to put a radial gradient right in the hardest core of the industry right in the center right and lift the exposure there a little. There is a lot of detail there for the viewer to enjoy, and lightening the exposure a little would make it more visible. Posted: 07/09/2025 19:31:32
Thank you Drema (and Patrick) for these suggestions. Does the image below represent what you had in mind for the changes? Posted: 07/15/2025 14:59:33
Looks better Richard! Posted: 07/16/2025 19:16:40
I like it better, too! Saturating the reds a bit nicely brought out the rust, and the sky looks much better. That bright spot in the lower right corner wasn't really darkened, though. It looks like you might have used a curves adjustment on it, or a blended layer. It might take a more opaque darkening. Posted: 07/18/2025 17:02:45
Hi Richard, I think that this is a great subject. I love rusty old structures and dilapidated buildings. It is wonderful that the place has been repurposed. Your composition is really good and your changes make the colors really pop. Posted: 07/24/2025 21:36:55
Thanks Lou. They also have a gambling casino on the property. I think the local residents would rather have this than an active steel manufacturing plant. Posted: 07/25/2025 01:05:13
Hi richard, sorry I am so late in commenting.
Nice image. Have to love the rust and texture.
Yes, the clouds look a little odd in the original. In V2 I would have tried getting the blues a little darker. And see if you could correct the tilt on the right side via Perspective Correction in LR/PS Posted: 07/27/2025 20:05:42
Nice image. Have to love the rust and texture.
Yes, the clouds look a little odd in the original. In V2 I would have tried getting the blues a little darker. And see if you could correct the tilt on the right side via Perspective Correction in LR/PS Posted: 07/27/2025 20:05:42
Thanks Pete, I appreciate your comments, I didn't see the right side tilt, thanks. Posted: 07/29/2025 00:07:00
Great subject Richard, have you been able to photograph the stacks in different seasons? Would love to see it with snow! Posted: 07/28/2025 21:02:20
I agree, this would be a great scene with snow and ice on the river but that time of year I'm back in FL. But I have thought of making a winter trip north for photos and this is one spot that I would hit. Thanks Lisa. Posted: 07/29/2025 00:10:52