The Morning Shift | Mining Industrial Photographer
Spent the morning photographing the tail end of an open pit mine as it was being prepared for retirement. Once the morning fog lifted the site was full of activity.
Spent the morning photographing the tail end of an open pit mine as it was being prepared for retirement. Once the morning fog lifted the site was full of activity.
Just like my last post where I mentioned where I just let my subjects be themselves while I circle around in the distance capturing candids while they work. This is much easier with open air facilities like this gas plant I photographed in Cuba.
Did you know that www.norcat.org has an underground center located in Sudbury Ontario? Since the majority of my clients contract me to create images of their equipment in an underground scenario, the Norcat Underground Training Facility is an ideal location for this type of application. From heavy equipment to software logistics there is always a spot on site to create/test a variety of scenarios. I have photographed everything from scoops, lighting, software, surveying and PPE for a variety of clients over the years.
If you or your company is looking for an underground environment that can fit your time schedules without having the difficulty of navigating a full operating mine site, then the Norcat Underground Training Facility is a perfect fit. You can reach them at Phone 705-521-8324 or email support@norcattraining.com. Ask to speak to Greg Major – Mine Manager, he and all the staff at the Norcat Facilty are amazing to work with and their professionalism and knowledge of the facility will ensure that your visit will be productive and safe.
Getting up close and personal with my subjects is key to drawing the viewers attention to a specific part of your image. I will watch the motion of the machine, the angles of its components and how the shadows and highlights interact with the equipment as I walk around taking in the environment we have placed it in. A good image can make or break your marketing material and the copy and image have to be relevant to each other or both will lose your customers attention. The main focus of this image is the Hydraulic Breaker in the foreground which is up front in your face while the rest of the machine takes a bit of a backseat but still ads foundation to the image. This is the same formula you should be using for your copy and marketing material. The image is upfront and in your face grabbing the viewers attention and the accompanying text should support and be relevant to the image. It’s a dynamic duo.
When prospective clients are walking through the trade show floors, one dynamic image can grab their attention from across the room which means one more person at your booth for your sales people to interact with and make that client connection.
While I am on site creating images that my clients require for their proposals, financial reports, websites or whatever the media is, I will also keep my eyes pealed for those “instagram” type scenarios. These images are not the bread and butter images used to showcase the full potential of the company but instead are used as “fillers” throughout their social media spectrum. To me, the proper photography term for these photos is “snapshot”. They are created on the fly where all you do is lift the camera and capture the moment you see it because after a few seconds the scenario is gone. These scenes are things we photographers see day in and day out and there are hundreds of them happening every day on the site that most people would not even consider a second look or thought. So the next time I am on site for your company, ask me to grab a few dozen of these “snapshots” for you to use in the upcoming months. No they do not have the same impact as my regular concept photography but they do serve a purpose with your companies social media branding.
It’s popping up everywhere on the scene. You read about it in the trade magazines, you see it on the marketing brochures and you read it on the side of the equipment at the trade shows. Electric (E) has hit the mining scene in full force. With technology advancing at a higher rate day by day the mining industry can now dig deeper than years before but with that comes a cost with ventilation and fuel for diesel machines. With most major brands in the Mining Industry now turning to the “E” the costs are lowered for the overall long term duration of the mining projects, not to mention they run cooler, quieter and cleaner.
Below is the Sandvik LH514E that I recently photographed. I was impressed with the maneuverability of the tethered tram in close quarters while at the same time I was able to communicate with my assistants while it was in production. The images I created on the shoot will be used for marketing materials and promotional products as the Iphone “snapshots” don’t belong in the realm of Professional photography.
Last week I had the opportunity to photograph an Alimak Raise Climber (Click here to see a video) in action and up until then I have never seen nor heard of one. When I arrived at the base the Alimak platform was still out of site making it’s descent to the bottom and with only 15 minutes to setup I anxiously awaited it’s arrival still not knowing what to expect. Think of it as a caged elevator slinking it’s way up into an abyss of darkness but this elevator also has the capabilities to Drill, Load, Blast, Vent and Scale all the while hanging in a vertical position.
When I am on a job site the first thing on my mind is safety. I have to be just as safe as everyone else that works there. Not only do I have safety on my mind while creating the images (ensuring everyone has proper PPE for the location and job) but I also have to be safe as well. My wife is counting on my coming home, I like my health the way it is, and at the present moment I have s 100% safety record which I plan to uphold as long as my career will allow it. Also know your surrounds, who is in it, what obstacles there are and what safety precautions need to take place for a successful day on the job. I deal with a lot of moving vehicles on site, including the forklift. This thing can zip in and out of everywhere and turn on a dime. I have met some skilled operators in my time, and unfortunately I have witnessed some that are not so skilled. Here is a great blog post for “Tips On Operating A Forklift Safely”
Safety is not just about yourself, but involves everyone and everything in your working environment. Always take a moment to stop, look around and listen to what is immediately around you and inspect your surroundings top to bottom. For one shoot I had to capture a few images from a tower overlooking the facility at night. As I got to the top of the tower and was looking around I quickly noticed some movement at my feet. Trying to be as stealthy as possible and not causing any more stress to the occupants of the balcony I quickly and silently descended back to the ground to locate another vantage point to shoot from. Happily momma bird arrived back on scene shortly after I reached the bottom. By then it was time to go for the night, but I did manage to capture some images throughout the night and above (on the opposite tower). No matter how big or small be safe for all.
I was contacted by the Globe and Mail last month to create a few images for articles on Mining Automation along with testing at Sudbury’s Northern Centre for Advanced Technology (Norcat). For images used in featured articles and cover photos there is always some planning involved on how the image should look and feel while placed within the layout of the accompanied text. Just as important as the Title of the article a strong image will peak the viewers interest to read the subject matter.
A professional photographer with experience in the mining industry will get the job done with as much efficiency as possible while underground while still maintaining all safety standards required/expected while on location. It’s not about the equipment the photographer uses (even wedding photographers have great equipment) but how well they know the industry, the environment and the needs of the client. They will research the company, the product and past articles on the subject to ensure the images created will have symmetry with the text and view point the author is trying to convey.
If you wish to start a dialogue and discuss your project simply contact me via phone, email or my contact form.