This image was created for MacLean Engineering at the Agnico Eagle Laronde Mine in Quebec. I used a balance of ambiant lighting from the machine as well as 2 external strobes to add a bit of shadows where needed to draw your attention to the operator
One of the more difficult pieces of equipment to photograph in action the Shotcrete Sprayer is easily photographed before the nozzle starts projecting it’s contents onto the entire area.
Deep underground at the El Mochito Mine, the humidity hung in the air softening the lighting from the jumbo drill and our cap lamps which added some great backlit illumination to the overall scene.
An operator uses a RRC (Radio Remote Control) to maneuver this scoop while maintaining a safe distance from an elevated platform.
An image I created for www.Macleanengineering.com has appears on the August issue of International Mining Magazine.
The cover shows a MacLean Bolter working under supported ground on the deck of a MacLean 975 underground at a hard rock mine in Ontario.
Capture the scene: Create an image that showcases the equipment and operator in the underground environment while enhancing the ambient light with minimum discrepancy.
Capture the personality: Create a portrait where the viewers eyes are drawn to the subject while the corresponding environment adds to the overall storytelling of the image.
Those are my main two goals with my mining photography and when executed properly you create images that are timeless for the subjects as well as versatile for the companies marketing & branding.
Creating images for the MacLean Engineering fleet has taken me all over Ontario and Quebec above ground as well as under. Visiting the Agnico Eagle Mines in Northern Quebec was a great experience as the crew I was with as well as the professionalism of the Agnico employees aloud us to create some stunning images to add to the MacLeans Marketing image arsenal.
I captured this image of Mr. Lopes as I liked the composition this vantage point created overlooking the project that Lopes Ltd (www.lopesltd.com) was spearheading. Felix mentioned to me that it would be a great overhead view of the project and once I captured some installation progress images I took advantage of the scene to create this portrait.
As the remote technology is constantly being modified and streamlined I find myself photographing more and more control rooms with some far away from the equipment that is being operated. Some of these rooms can be tricky to photograph in as the space is usually setup up to maximize the limited space available.
Pictured below is a recent workstation image I created for Epiroc taken at the Hollinger Pit in Timmins Ontario.
I always enjoyed the challenges of photographing the exploration drill shacks. It could be too sunny throwing harsh shadows across faces or points of interest. It could be a dull hazy day so everything is flat and boring (especially the sky through the ceiling of the shack) or it could be raining which just sucks lol. It’s not a glamorous situation in anyway and you have to be light on your toes as the drillers never stop moving for more than a few seconds but if your not challenged then you are not progressing.
