Vale uses a few different methods to manage dust control at their Sudbury Ontario tailings facility. One method (seen here) is the spreading of straw using agricultural equipment across the tailings pond.
Spring is here (so they tell me) and Summer is right around the corner and soon our area will be covered with the color green again. Each year I get to photograph the reclamated areas and I am always impressed with the amount of growth obtained since my last visit. The smells are different, the colors are vibrant and even the sounds are multiplied as new insects and animals make their way into the newest habitat.
At Vale’s central tailings facility here in Sudbury straw is used for dust & odor control. Along with the use of biosolids the transformation of this once barren landscape has now been transformed into fields of swaying stalks of hay with areas of green vegetable growing vegetation.
More information can be found here Vale News & Centre for Excellence in Mining Innovation
It’s almost that time of year again when I start getting calls and emails regarding outdoor shoots in October/November that should have actually taken place during the Summer months when the environment was green and warm. Start thinking ahead now to decide which outdoor environmental images you will require during the Fall and Winter months. It’s much easier to make it look like Summer when it actually IS Summer and digitally removing backgrounds and installing Summer scenes is very time consuming and costly.
Yesterday I spent a little bit of time at the Olympias Nursery just beside the Olympias mine site which hosts an assortment of fauna that spreads over 15 hectares of space. Over 250 species are grown and employees from all over the world like Bakka are proud to be a part of this amazing nursery. Read more about this amazing Greek Nursery here: http://blog.eldoradogold.com/growing-a-business-the-olympias-nursery/
I spent the day yesterday photographing some reclamation progress at the Kokkinolakkas site in Stratoni Greece. The reclamation of a mine site brings new growth, colors and opportunities for new inhabitants.
Routine on site rail & track inspections reduces maintenance costs, improves reliability and increases productivity and safety. I recently created this image for my client BM Metals a division of Milman Industries Inc as they are updating their photo archive and marketing stock for their new website and social media content. Not all company images need to be “professional” for social media but at least every week your company should be showcasing/promoting your company with an image that will draw your viewer’s attention to read the accompanying text or message you are trying to convey. If not, then your media stream could become routine and the message you attach to it will be assumed mundane. When your viewers see information in text format they will only retain a small percentage but if a High Impact Relevant image is associated with that same information the increase in memory retention of that text increases dramatically. #miningphotog
I photographed the recent installation of the new Scipsa System (pronounced Sip-sa System) which is created by Joe Palmer here in Northern Ontario. SCIPSA SYSTEM is the latest innovation in corrosion control and pipe management systems for industries who implement grooved-end mechanical pipes throughout their facilities. It does this through a patented innovative application of sacrificial anodes and coupled with the ability to track, manage and maintain every pipe system within a facility, regardless of how big or small it may be. So what does that mean? It means your company can save money on repair costs on pipes, extend the pipe life expectancy which in turn will have less production downtime due to pipe failure. Traditionally, pipe systems are installed and not given a second thought…until they fail. By implementing SCIPSA SYSTEM’S innovative principle, you will be taking a pro-active approach that will protect and prolong the life of your piping infrastructure. For more information check out www.scipsasystem.com
I spent a good hour photographing Alicia and her grader while visiting Goldcorp’s Red Lake Mine all the while asking her about her job, background and the mining life she is now a part of. When people love their jobs, the company they work for, and the people they are working with the results show through in the images I create for them.
We also see the high-vis workwear of miners and industrial trades people but we rarely see the lab coats. Just as important as getting the payload out of the ground further laboratory testing can determine plant performance, grade quality as well as toxic contents in waste materials. As our science and technology industry is constantly expanding these processes will only become more “refined” to maintain a sustainable medium between all our global industries.
