lighting ‹ Mining Photographer

Jan

Let There Be Light!

Mining / Mining Equipment / Photography / 0 Comment / January 7, 2022

There are moments when I am on site and I say to myself (and everyone else around me) “Heeeey, I know this lighting.” x-Glo LED Strip Lighting just brightens up my day. This cost effective lighting solution makes the underground environment a safer place to work.

Questions? Ask my friend Don Bertrand Director/Sales Manager at x-Glo North America Inc ~ https://www.linkedin.com/in/don-bertrand-65a19a22/

www.x-glo.ca

#minintphotog #xglo #xglonorthamerica #minelightsolutions #lighting #undergroundlighting #minesafety

Jan

Shoot Smarter Not Faster

Uncategorized / 0 Comment / January 11, 2019

Came across an article I wrote in 2012 in regards to quality vs expectations.

A quality photograph is much more than a click of the shutter, but today’s society is programmed to think otherwise in my opinion. Just look at the cellphone cameras with all the photo manipulation apps. Photographing in the Mining/Industrial fields I am constantly faced with educating my clients about what it takes to create an Eye Popping High Impact image.

On the job site my subjects really don’t have the time to wait around for the photographer to get things setup and the longer it takes, the more impatient they become. I always get the “Can’t you just take a quick snap?”
The mining/industrial employers that hire me know the difference (that’s why they hire me) but the employees always need more convincing since the information very rarely get’s passed down the chain of command. Don’t be shy to SHOW your clients the difference between a good photograph and a bad one. Include this in your marketing materials, on your website and even during the shoot. This has a HUGE impact on their expectations. Once they SEE the difference, they are more inclined to give you the time you need to create the quality of image you are known for.

I quickly took a snapshot with my point and shoot camera so that I could show them the difference at the shoot. I still see a lot of professional companies using point and shoot snapshots for their marketing materials so don’t be shy to educate your clients about the process of creating your high impact images.

Note: This image was created using 3 Lumopro flashes with Pocket Wizards, A Canon 5dMarkII with a 24-105 lens.
James Hodgins

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Dec

The Tool Is Only As Good As It’s User

Commercial / Industrial / Marketing / Mine Photos / Mining / Photography / 0 Comment / December 12, 2018

Technology is at the forefront of everything these days, making things faster and more efficient as well as simplifying the process. In photography we often hear the comment “your photos are amazing, you must have a good camera.” Yes, I do have a good camera, in fact I have 2. I have also heard people mention that eventually photographers might be out of work since everyone will be able to take high quality images with their phones. I agree everyone will be able to capture high quality images, but a high quality image of crap is still crap. We used to have saying in photography “garbage in, garbage out” which roughly translates to if you have a crappy scene, you are going to capture a crappy scene. Just because someone uses a good tool doesn’t mean they are going to get great results.

The tools are only as good as the users and in photography there is a lot more going on than just snapping the shutter. I need to know where to place my subjects for composition, I need to know how the images will be used for marketing, I need to know where to put negative space for copy and graphics as well as I need to know how to properly light the scenario so specific elements in the image are brought to the viewers attention. I also need to know how to direct my subjects in a situation that is constantly changing all the while keeping track of time for maximum efficiency. The only way you will get the same image with a cellphone is if you manage all of the fore mentioned elements or shoot over my shoulder lol. Photography technology has been advancing since the pinhole camera and will continue to advance but the fundamentals of good photography have not changed.

Jul

Light Is Light Even In The Underbelly Of The World.

Commercial / Industrial / Mine Photos / Mining / Sudbury Ontario / 0 Comment / July 12, 2017

When you have total darkness and I mean where there is no light at all so when you hold your hand 2 inches from your face you still don’t see jack you really don’t need all that much light to illuminate things. I find a lot of photographers (and other people in the photography/industrial industry) have a misconception when it comes to equipment needed vs equipment ego. Learned many moons ago after testing, reviewing and practicing that light is light. One flash or strobe does the same thing as any other light source, it illuminates. I get many emails and messages from other people asking which equipment they should buy and I tell them all the same thing………….”it’s not about the equipment, but how you use it.” If you ask me how much each of my flashes cost I will tell you under $50. Yup. Oh I have expensive lights that I have bought years ago that costs thousands of dollars but over the years I have noticed 1 key factor with them and that is they do the exact same thing as my $50 flashes. The only difference is the googaws. Googaws – the little bells & whistles that come with newer equipment that do nothing different if you know what you are doing. Just like my $50 flashes, they do exactly what is needed, they flash.

When looking at Professional photography one should look for the end product result, the experience the photographer created while on site, the professionalism and lastly the cost.

May

Bright Lights Making Underground More Attractive.

Commercial / Mine Photos / Mining / Sudbury Ontario / 0 Comment / May 31, 2016

The fact that they are quickly installed and illuminate the darkest of areas underground Halo Lights are turning up more and more while I am on locations.

Check out Halo’s Latest Video.

For more info please contact my friend Donald Bertrand at www.halonorthamerica.com

Apr

The Lighting Is There But Sometimes It Isn’t | Professional Mining Industrial Photographer

Commercial / Industrial / Mine Photos / Mining / Sudbury Ontario / 0 Comment / April 25, 2016

Depending on the location I am traveling/photographing factors what lighting equipment I will be using. The first thing I try is to utilize is the lighting that is already present but more often it isn’t enough to properly light the scene so I use external strobes and light modifiers to enhance the already present lighting.

Get a hold of me if you are interested in discussing custom photography for your business, company or product and how you can be using your images to generate more potential clients

James Hodgins is a Commercial Mining Industrial Photographer located in Northern Ontario Sudbury.

May

Illumination- the use of light sources | Sudbury Mining Photographer

Commercial / Mine Photos / Mining / Sudbury Ontario / 0 Comment / May 19, 2015

Sometimes all the elements of a great photograph show up without being invited. This is what I call a pleasant surprise in the mining industrial sectors and when it happens I take full advantage of it.

For more information on the led strip light product please email my friend Donald Bertrand – OCP Canadian distributor for Halo Lighting Solution don@ocp.ca

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