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.
This image showcases a few old school lessons I learned in photography composition. “You look at an image like you read a book, from left to right” was mentioned to me early on in my career and it stuck with me ever since.
Using leading lines and creating highlights and shadows with my lighting I draw the viewer into a specific part of the image. In this case I used the leading lines of the truck to draw your attention to the main subject while utilizing some background lighting for impact. This overall composition leaves room for “copy” on the left side of the image over the negative space of the truck while drawing your attention onto the main subject of the miner and tablet. As well with this composition the image can be cropped vertically isolating the subject thus giving a designer several options for layout placement.
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.
Slow smooth and steady gets the job done efficiently and safely with this MacLean Engineering Boom truck I photographed at the Agnico Eagle mine in Quebec.
“Try catching something with this!” my friend said as he handed me a fishing lure that he received during one of Vale’s Family Day Events. Well me being me I decided to create an image that involved 2 of my passions, mining photography and fishing. The lure had a great color combination that is perfect for Northern Pike and it didn’t take long for the Gator to come chomping at it. I fished a little water system just before my cottage that has the Vale Totten Mine Head Frame in the background using the Vale lure. It was great to see the amount of wildlife in the water system including turtles, water snakes, minnows, frogs………….and pike.
Over the years I have seen my images being put to good use across multiple platforms throughout a variety of clients all over the world. Magazine covers, back covers, headliners, social media ads, trade show booths, job posting, product announcements and press releases just to name a few.
When you compare the cost of professional photography services to the quality of custom images created as well as the versatility and time of use throughout the companies branding and marketing campaigns, these custom images cost dollars to create.
Of course there are hundreds of thousands of stock images you can choose from but I will be honest, those stock images are passed over by everyone who see them. Why? Because often the images used are not associated with the actual company. You want people to invest in your vision, your name, your product and most of all in your company and for these reasons alone you should be showcasing your people, facilities and shops using custom created photography. In the end your ROI will have paid for itself and continue to do so each year new photography is created.
A Geologist takes notes of the thousands of core samples stacked column after column at this Northern Ontario Mine Site.
What could be worse than working outdoors in -24c temps? -34C of course. Living and working in Northern Ontario I go through all the weather spectrum’s throughout the year, from extreme cold to hot & humid (sometimes within the same week). I will be the first to say that I prefer hotter temps over colder weather but each have it’s pro’s and con’s when trying to create images on a tight timeline. Just like your PPE, proper clothing, hydration and food are all critical to a successful shoot, especially if the duration is 12 to 16 hrs.
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But it’s a sexy haul truck. At least that is how I look at it. I have photographed a wide variety of haul trucks over the years and yes they can all look the same but when they are in their environment they take on a different form. This all comes down to being at the right place at the right time. I didn’t just “see” this image, I waited for it to happen. I knew the route, I saw the lighting peak under the clouds and I positioned myself so that the sunlight cross lit the truck as it was making it’s turn.
They are easy to create and for most it’s as basic as pressing one button and voila, you have an image of the scene you wanted to capture. We scroll through hundreds of images on our social media feeds and only stop on the ones that catch our eye or our interests. Sometimes, that is all that is needed to grab someones attention. Sure it could be the title or even some of the copy associated with the image, but mostly it’s because of the picture. Eye catching images compliment content. It’s as simple as that. Yes, sometimes the images is used once and only once and then it is forgotten, but that is what all social media is comprised of so it is important in your marketing, branding, and social media to have images that stand out, catch your customers eyes and intrigue them to take the next step and read what you have to say about your company. Does it work? Yes it does. How do I know? Because I have built a career creating images for your industry.
