Morecambe Bay Shrimp Fishing
It was Grey, cold and wet on the day arranged to shoot the Morecambe Bay Shrimpers. I was asked to provide images for POS, Display Boards, Banners and Internet page headers in a variety of shapes and formats, but despite the weather I knew there would be some great images ready for the making. [caption id="attachment_342" align="aligncenter" width="492" caption="Morecambe Bay Shrimp Fishing, with reporters and magazine editors around, it wasn't going to be as easy as I thought"][/caption] On meeting the client in a car park after asking him whether he knew if there was a Shrimp Farm nearby (as we'd never met ...
In the Field – in the dark
'We're shooting the picking and delivery of new potatoes.. it happens at 3.00 a.m. but we're going to shoot it at 9.00p.m. the day before'. OK, that should give the same effect, what do you want? 'We need the images for POS, Banners, Header Boards, Internet.. something like this...' [caption id="attachment_324" align="aligncenter" width="492" caption="Artwork visual"][/caption] 'We have a few comments too.. Client comment: Looks good, I think we will need the sky to be pitch black, lots of space for the bright lights of the tractor and then at the forefront of the image Sean and the potatoes... giving the potatoes extra prominence. Our comment: Need to see ...
Kirkwall Airport: 8.00p.m. Be there.
Well, it wasn't as curt as that, and there were quite a few provisors as well, like.. if you get there and the weathers not right it won't be happening.. we've got a time frame of a week.. it's been raining and we've lost 4 days out of the last 5.. and... when can we get the photographs? BTW.. It's a bit dark there. Pretty standard stuff really, except Kirkwall is in the Orkneys, which would mean that at least a flight into the island was required, (yet when?) or a ferry might be more appropriate. From the sounds of things ...
Water Main installation – 55km
'I could hear the sound of some sort of activity but it was so dark down there I could see nothing..' The installation of a 55km water pipe was an interesting project to photograph. After a late afternoon phone call on a Friday followed by an early Monday morning site induction I was ready to go. Despite the amount of works going on along the 55km excavations on the West-East Link Trunk Main, only certain areas were in a suitable condition to be photographed. The first location was a 30m vertical shaft. I could hear the sound of some sort of activity going on down ...
Industrial Photography. Waste Treatment Recycling
With the sweet hot smell of rotting vegetation and humid conditions making camera equipment and lenses drip like something resembling the glass of an ice cold drink on on hot summers day, the challenge was going to be more than the usual logistical problem of lighting, schedule and brief.. this was going to be much more fun! After initially uploading only one of the images from this shoot, I've finally got around to providing a little more on the subject. The smell was sweet and sickly, this was the place that all the garden waste around the North-West tourist region around near Blackpool gets recycled and was a far cry from the ...
The man at the wheel of Stobart
I had the opportunity to photograph Andrew Tinkler a couple of days back for 'A' magazine - the publication by RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects). This was during an interview for the magazine and on a tight time frame as students from his old school were visiting the company as part of their business studies course and their arrival was immanent. Andrew is involved with improving local school resources and has invested a large sum of money in the design and build of two new school buildings in the area which he hopes will encourage students to stay in the ...
DHL Domestic
It's not often we get such a clear concise brief.. [caption id="attachment_92" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="DHL Exchange brief"][/caption] Something like that!! It wasn't quite the brief we were working to but it's surprising just how young art directors are starting these days - especially under the watchful eye of their mothers.. Photographs were required for a marketing leaflet for a revamped service and this photography was located in Hounslow, both in offices and at home. The objective was to document the exchange of faulty goods or goods requiring upgrades in both offices and homes for a marketing leaflet. [caption id="attachment_93" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="DHL Exchange delivery, Hounslow"][/caption] [caption ...
Traffic Officer Training
Working on our motorways as our traffic officers do, leaves little opportunity for any sort of photography amidst speeding traffic and the dangers of the highway. The most was made of a training day for these traffic officers from the Milnrow Outstation on the busy M62 motorway between Manchester and Leeds, by photographing the training for inclusion in future publications. [caption id="attachment_60" align="aligncenter" width="316" caption="Traffic officer radios details of an incident to the control depot requesting recovery and emergency services"][/caption] Taking advantage of any available opportunity pays dividends. It is always the case that when deadlines loom suitable images are never available, particularly ...
Industrial Update
'We're doing an exhibition for the Oil Industry - We need an update on some of our machining capabilities'. Nothing was visualised until we arrived. Just a brief outline of a requirement for a couple of photographs and permission to photograph some large pieces of engineered product. A couple of photographs extends to a few other projects and updates as it does, and the photographs prove really worthwhile for other marketing purposes besides. [caption id="attachment_81" align="aligncenter" width="314" caption="Industrial photography of Mecof engineering machinery"][/caption] 6 light were used on this sample, one can obviously be seen, although variations without were obviously taken. As a ...
Oil separation from water
[caption id="attachment_225" align="alignnone" width="492" caption="Oil separator tanks on Flota Oil Terminal"][/caption] Details to follow
Before and after…
Images to inspire from the mundane and ordinary. This is what I see. You take me on a walk around your site and I will find them, explain them and produce them. Then you use them to impress. Before: [caption id="attachment_288" align="aligncenter" width="492" caption="Before shot of the location"][/caption] And after... [caption id="attachment_289" align="aligncenter" width="492" caption="Industrial photograph of pipe lathe and engineering machine shop"][/caption] Sometimes words seem pointless. Just see what I do. Before: [caption id="attachment_290" align="aligncenter" width="492" caption="Storage industrial building, the everyday scene. BTS."][/caption] Making the most of very limited resources.... before even the resources arrive. It's still possible to create the image to portray your point. After: [caption id="attachment_291" align="aligncenter" ...
Jul 13
13
This makes it all worthwhile..
Email from client..
Hi Ian,
Just a quickie to say thanks so much for todays shoot, it’s always a bit nerve wracking using a new photographer on a client shoot so it was a huge relief that you were so flexible, personable, professional and generally on the case. I’m really looking forward to getting the shots back and look forward to working again in the future.
Thanks again,
Sally.
Jul 13
23
Corporate Portrait
Tasked with keeping commerce communication working through massive influx of users at peak times in London, property management companies and IT managers were faced with averting connection outages with their wi-fi connection capabilities.
This was a corporate portrait to accompany magazine articles and video interviews for a well known internet provider.
Corporate Portrait
This was an interesting assignment to show a 165M x 14M high retaining wall constructed in 4 Weeks.
The work was to culvert an existing stream into 1200mm dia concrete pipes and construct a retaining wall using 2 different systems that interface with each other. the wall is 160m long and 14m high. Approx 40,000t of stone was used behind the wall with 68,000m3 of earth moved around site to create a 185m x 85m plateau. Bases are yet to be cast in situ to enable the outage to be met.
Retaining wall construction
Retaining wall construction
Retaining wall construction - team shot
Jul 13
23
Armistead Wind Farm
Alternative energy project Armistead Wind farm was an interesting project to shoot with various obstacles to overcome including exclusion zone working, turbine erection only happening in fair weather and some of that fair weather only happening at night.
Much of the construction work of the wind turbines is done off site leading to the final assembly of the large recognisable components being done on site. These, by virtue that the locations are suitable for ‘wind’ farms, suffer from… wind. Windy conditions are not the most sought after element when it comes to swinging rotor blades on the end of a crane jib, for obvious reasons. Having light or reasonable temperature don’t figure either it seems as this shot after midnight illustrates.
Armistead Wind Farm
The large components are delivered to site by police escort with local residents informed of delivery schedules which are arranged to avoid any peak time travel. Here, a rotor blade is being delivered to site passing through Old Hutton, adjacent to footpath installed by the contractors financed by a social fund – a community benefit fund provided by the windfarm.
Wind turbine blade being transported through Old Hutton
After preparation of the support pads and installation of the necessary cabling and control equipment, the main structures of the wind turbine are delivered to site and assembled. This takes place at times allowed by weather conditions, hence, there is no 9.00-5.00 working schedule. This often requires working early or late.
Preparing Wind turbine tower section for installation
Wind turbine tower installation
Wind turbine tower installation
Attaching the rotors to the tower and nacelle is a well practised operation. With the promise of good weather the rotors are assembled on the ground and the cranes maneuvered into place. Ropes are fitted to the ends of the rotor blades to assist positioning of the rotors and to assist in supporting the rotors in position whilst securing to the Nacelle is completed. Seeing such a large structure being swung into position by two cranes and two rope teams working in unison is a sight to behold.
Attaching wind turbine rotor blade to nacelle
Installing wind turbine rotor
Installing wind turbine rotor
Installing wind turbine rotor
After the wind turbines are installed the farm site is tidied up to return the ground works back to a natural environment. Here the groundworks team are maintaining the surface water drainage systems installed.
Maintaining drainage system at wind farm
When all the civil construction, installation works and landscaping works are complete the countryside is returned to a location which can be enjoyed by the public from the public bridal ways and footpath which crosses the site.
Bridal path across wind farm
Runners enjoying the footpath across a wind farm
Wind farm tower, nacelle and rotor blades
Jul 13
23
Hydro Electric Power scheme
This is one of the images produced for Hydro Electricity Engineering company Gilkes, of their Coniston Hydro scheme in the Lake District. This was part of a calendar shoot where I intended shooting this particular image at night and lighting the scheme incorporating light trails, but access to the site was deemed too dangerous for staff at night so an alternative image was created instead. The light trails – which were previously trialled and successfully achieved to great effect have been reserved for future projects.
Coniston Hydro Electric project