Koorsen Fire & Security lit signage at dusk (click image for larger view)

Indianapolis based Koorsen Fire & Security is serious about protecting the community from fire and security disasters, along with loss prevention, with 20 locations in six states. Starting in 1946 as, “Indiana Fire Prevention and Service Company,” founders, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Stroup, began servicing fire extinguishers in their garage. The Stroup’s daughter and son-in-law, Jane and George Koorsen, took over the business in 1954. Their son, Randy Koorsen, became president in 1984, and in 2004, the company was renamed, “Koorsen Fire & Security,” to reflect its growth and mission —

“Koorsen is dedicated to providing businesses and residential customers with products and systems that will safeguard them from loss and harm due to fire hazards and security concerns.”

Koorsen and the Illuminated Sign Advantage

Day & night comparison of Koorsen’s illuminated signage (click image for larger view.)

Illuminated exterior signs appeal to businesses—especially those next to major roadways. Koorsen sits off of westbound I-70, and you can’t miss it, day OR night. The building is minimalist, so the branded red pops. And makes Koorsen’s name known to the world. What’s really cool about this sign … the “Fire & Security” typeface is nearly black in the day, and lights up at night. TKO Signs, Lee Faulkner, praised the dual color black overlay material for accomplishing this. The comparison above shows the lettering’s stark contrast against the building any time of the day.

Architectural Photography at Dusk and Illuminated Signage

Bracketed exposures to cover a higher dynamic range (HDR) (click image for larger view.)

As with any lit signage, I photographed the sign at dusk while bracketing several exposures. I then combined three exposures, using HDR, extending the dynamic range to provide more drama and clarity than the eye would naturally see. My original final image seemed too bright and abstract. So I re-imaged the shot to better resemble dusk and to allow the lit signage to shine more. The three images above shows the range of images combined to make the featured dusk shot above.

There were slight perspective and barrel distortion refinements, and minor cleanup of debris on the pavement—both common issues with architectural photography. Most distortion (“keystoning” in this case) is avoided by aligning the camera using a tripod and levels, but a little Photoshop post correction is a good finish off.

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