When photographing equipment I always try to get someone outside the vehicle to give the viewer a better sense of scale, especially if the operator is not directly visible.
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.
I was getting my gear setup for the next scenario and looked over to see these two checking each others safety harness and gear before entering the ball mill. I quickly grabbed my 2nd camera and captured a few images using the available light. These two worked as a team and they took their time going over the safety details involved in the next operation. Communication and safety go hand in hand.
The bigger the better I always say! There is no denying that this Joy Global Haul truck has an “in your face” big box.
I am seeing the power switch from diesel to electric everywhere I photograph now from surface to thousands of feet underground. With remote scoops, haul trucks and drills coming to the forefront of innovation EV’s are right behind them filling in the gaps of efficiency and safety. I created this image at Agnico Eagles Laronde Site in Northern Quebec for MacLean Engineering and it is now featured on their mainpage of their website www.macleanengineering.com
I was waiting patiently for them start emerging from the mine entrance so that I could capture some candid moments during the shift change. Some walk on past without lifting their heads. Some are already in a deep conversation with their coworkers reviewing the days activities and some take a moment to pause, look at the camera and give me a little something to capture.
Photographed at the El Mochito Mine in Honduras with www.ascendantresources.com
This gentleman is what I call the “keeper of the Kiln” as he tends to the furnace while it rotates throughout the day at the Menchin Mine in Maracás Brazil. A few clicks and then we had to back away from the kiln as the hot air was blowing out the furnace door. Just a few of the many images I created for www.largoresources.com last week while I was on site.
Be sure to check out my other “People Portraits” in the mining industrial industry by clicking The People tab at the top of this site.
I have been in the mining industrial industry long enough to see numerous changes in how a company markets their products, equipment and software. Social media has been a major factor in how information is presented, stories are told and connections are made. The faces of mining are at the forefront of marketing and storytelling has become a key ingredient in marketing and branding. Companies are no longer using “stock photography” of nameless people that have nothing to do with their company or even the industry. Nowadays people connect with people first and when you have a story that is relatable to the person reading it the connection to your company is stronger.
This is what I love to do and what I have built my photography career around and when I give my elevator pitch to prospective clients I suggest to them to showcase the companies story through the people that are representing the company from the bottom up. Highlight them, showcase them and inspire others through them.
