Sometimes when I setup my shots others want to get in on the captures. The morning fog was going to lift when the sun got high but I wanted to capture the fog before it did. A few others wanted a quick pic to document the moment as well so why not grab that image too I thought.
As I was working on this image this morning for a client I decided to strip away the color to get a better look at the details and grain structure. When you remove the color all that is left to view is the dominant subject of the image and that is where your eyes are drawn too.
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.
I received a few messages in regards to my last post in regards to candid images while on site. Do I use lighting, do I stage them am I stopping production?. The answers are yes, no and no. Photographing weddings over the years (I stopped 6 years ago) hones ones skill in anticipating a moment. You look at the current scenario and visualize where the next moment will happen, so while on site if I do have lighting with me, I place my lighting where I think the “scene” is heading and anticipate the moment I wish to capture. Just a little bit of extra light can help fill in some shadows and draw the focus to the subject of the image.
As the sun was high over the rim emphasizing the shadows of the clouds I thought it was the perfect opportunity to create a portrait of our lead rep on the project. It was the least I could do since he was at our sides the whole time, organizing location, people and procedures for us while we were on and off site. All the ingredients were there for something visual in what most might deem a very mundane environment but to me I see “impact” all around me. I stole a few minutes to find the right angle for a background that wasn’t too distracting but added to the story of the main subject even though I knew the green of Brads jacket will always bring the viewers attention back to him.
While I was on my latest project I had the chance to scratch off a few things from my photo bucket list. Yes I have one of those and I am constantly adding stuff to it as the years go on. Recently I had the chance to watch a controlled blast at the Copper Mountain Mine just outside of Princeton British Columbia. We had a great vantage point high up on the opposite side of the pit where we had a birds eye view of the whole event. I have photographed many things in the explosive industry but this was the first time I was able to witness the finished explosion. I hope in the future I can get the opportunity to create some unique visuals using the blast as a sub focal point. Yes, the brain was ticking immediately after this event.
Instead of Throw Back Thursdays on Social Media for me it’s been a Throw Back Month. I don’t think I have had to dig through my archives this much in years but since most of my clients are now ramping up their social media content I have been taken down a memory lane of my images these past few weeks. The image below I captured in 2014 while on my way to the bottom of the pit where I was to begin my shoot. The haul trucks were coming up one after another and as the fog was lifting I thought it was a great opportunity to capture a few as they were making their way around the bend.
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I tend to get distracted while doing the most mundane task like digging an image out of my archives. I usually spend a copious amount of time looking through my other images of past clients that I have long forgotten about. Like the image below that I created for Pioneer Construction in 2012. So as I am looking for an image for one client, I tend to get distracted by my other clients images and time tends to spiral out of control. What I do like about this situation is that I get to see which images can stand the test of time and still be used today.
I few months ago I had the opportunity to photograph some heavy equipment with Pioneer Construction at one of their open pits. By itself this truck looks like a Tonka Toy in a sandbox, but as soon as you put a person in the frame to show some scale, you can see just how enourmous this Caterpillar Off Highway Truck is.
It was a pleasure working with this company and their employees as they all showcased the upmost professionalism and courtesy.
