mining photography

21
Dec
The Hemlo Hour | Mining Industrial Photographer
Uncategorized / 0 Comment / December 21, 2020

The Hemlo Hour

I have driven past this site dozens of times in my travels and always thought this would be a great capture. Last month I had the opportunity make it happen.

It was the last morning on site and the sky was clear for the first time in days. It was still an hour before sunrise and a thin layer of ice formed on the water below reflecting the lights and color tones throughout the view. It did not disappoint.

#miningphotog #minescape #hemlo #barminco


1
Nov
The Mining Life | Mining Photog
Mine Photos / Mining / underground / 0 Comment / November 1, 2020

The upward climb to the surface after a long day in the warm humid environment of the underground.

Sometimes you wake up and go to work in the dark hours of the morning, work all day in the underground with the minimal light your equipment provide and at the end of the shift when you exit the portal, the sunshine slaps your face and your eyes protest for the briefest moment as they adjust to the ambience of the surface world.


23
Sep
Placing The Ad|Mining Photographer
Uncategorized / 0 Comment / September 23, 2020

Another great example of placing negative space in an image for copy (text). We created a series of images for MacLean’s IQ Series Product LineSeen in the September Issue of www.im-mining.com magazine.www.macleanengineering.com.


7
Aug
The Core Shack | Mining Photographer
Marketing / Mine Photos / Mining / Photography / The People / 0 Comment / August 7, 2020

The Core Shack

Images from the core shack have been seen and used in publications for years throughout every media form available. People looking at core samples, logging core samples, closeups of core samples as well as visible gold are key images from the shack. I LOVE photographing these types of images. I know I know I say I love everything I shoot and I do, but with the core shack comes an added challenge because these types of images have been seen and used everywhere, so the challenge for me is “how do you make these types of images better?” For me it’s quality of sharpness and readability. Visible gold should be visible and stand out using shadow placement. Geologists should not blend in with the background and closeups of visible gold should be crisp and clutter free.

It does take a little bit more time and effort to capture these images but in the end the effort and time is worth it. These were a few images we created at Alamos gold Mulatos & Island Gold Sites

Have a great Friday & weekend everyone. ~ James


5
Aug
Even in total darkness a flicker of light is bright.
Mine Photos / Mining / 0 Comment / August 5, 2020

Even in total darkness a flicker of light is bright. There is a method of madness to the images I try to create and capture in the industry. There are few fundamentals that I always need to address before the capture. If it’s a new scenario that I have not photographed in the past I will ask to see the process 1 or 2 times if possible. I watch where my subjects stand/sit/walk or move to. I look at the light that is already available, what direction it comes from, where it is going and how it casts shadows on the environment. I have created images across the lighting spectrum from the darkest of the dark to the brightest of day and throughout the years there is one simple rule to follow. The viewers attention is always drawn to the brightest part of an image. Anywhere else in the image should be secondary and it should not compete with the main subject but compliment the overall scene.

I love what I do.


31
Jul
The Jackleg | Mining Industrial Photographer
Mining / Mining Equipment / Photography / The People / underground / 0 Comment / July 31, 2020

The first time I was at Pure Gold’s www.puregoldmining.com site I had the opportunity to capture some great underground images like this one below. I don’t get that many opportunities to photograph the jackleg now a days but I wish I did as I have many creative ideas on how to photograph it differently than in the past.

#miningphotog #jacklegminer #undergroundmining #puregold #miningphotographer


30
Jul
Up Close In The Dirt
Mine Photos / Mining / Mining Equipment / Photography / The People / 0 Comment / July 30, 2020

Driving to the next location on site we passed by this Hitachi front shovel excavator that was in the process of getting refueled. It was the perfect opportunity to capture a few images without disrupting production. We drove past this area a few times during the last few days but when the shovel is in operation I could only capture images from an outer perimeter but I wanted to show something up front and personal.


29
Jul
Give me 5 minutes.
Mine Photos / Mining / Mining Equipment / 0 Comment / July 29, 2020

If you can give me 5 (maybe 10) minutes of your time I can capture a portrait of you to show your family and friends as well as create an image that can be an asset to the company’s image library. I LOVE creating images of people at work. It’s one of my favorite aspects of my career. A lot of the times the people I photograph have never had their image captured at work except for cell phone snapshots.

In my 25+ years experience I know that if you capture a great portrait of someone, they will cherish it, talk about it, and show it. I get excited when I am the “first” to create a work portrait of someone, especially if they have been in the industry longer than I have. When people are proud of what they do and where they do it, share it and talk about it, you just can’t go wrong.

#miningphotog #alamosgold #islandgold #epiroc #minetruck #miningphotographer


20
Jul
Pouring The Gold | Mining Photographer Canada
Marketing / Mine Photos / Mining / Photography / 0 Comment / July 20, 2020

It’s a momentous occasion and one that should be documented for any company, the gold pour. It’s fast, it’s hot and in order to get an ideal image some planning needs to be done in regards to when what where and how.

There is a process to the pour and specific steps need to be completed before we proceed with the capture. When and where is the technician going to be and how do you successfully capture the composition while remaining safe and out of the way during the whole process? How do you frame the image for marketable use and how do you coordinate the ambient lighting as well as the intensive glow during the pour?

We go through “practice pours” and I note what movements the technician takes within the operating space so we can safely capture the image. There is a lot of movement in close quarters so safe positioning of equipment and personnel are though through. It’s fast, and over in a few seconds and if you don’t have all your measures in place before hand you can easily miss the “money shot”.

www.alamosgold.com


10
Jun
First Time In The Test Mine|Sudbury Mining
Mining / Mining Equipment / Photography / Sudbury Ontario / underground / 0 Comment / June 10, 2020

I finally had the chance to shoot at the bottom of the MacLean Engineering Test Mine located right here in my hometown Sudbury, Ont. Previously I had only photographed at the entrance and around the first bend but this time it was direct to the bottom.

The subject? MacLean Engineering’s SB 12 Blockholer.

Here is a well written description of the blockholer from Ernest V. Schaffernicht

“Blockholers are very important to modern mines as they are an essential part of the ore flow process. Even under the best of conditions and practices drill and blast or block cave operations have to deal with oversize pieces of rock that won’t fit into a scoop bucket. Sometimes these big chunks occur further up into the draw point.

These single boom purpose built drill rigs will drill the holes and load the explosives (emulsion or “pencil” bombs” remotely with TV cameras and radio remote control (RRC).”

Thanks again to Stuart Lister and MacLean Engineering for the opportunity.



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