Automotive Parts

Detroit is synonymous with cars, Motor City, and Motown. What are cars made out of? Parts. So, what's a Detroit Photographer to do? Shoot parts. Some clients aren't asking much from photographs of their parts; others want good photography. They care about their parts, care about their image, and think good photography will help them sell more of their products. These are my kind of clients. Let me know what you think.

Handmade Car

Not long ago I had the pleasure of meeting Gerald and photographing his car. Gerald designed and built this car from scratch! It took 35 years. Just standing next to it is exciting; it's a beautiful car. Just getting it to the studio was a job! The car is so low that an ordinary flatbed truck or trailer would scrape the front end getting on or off the ramp. It took a while, but we got it to the studio for a day and a half of shooting. Let me know what you think.

Personal Protective Equipment

PPE, the stuff that's been in short supply at hospitals. People have been wearing it for a long time. It's more effective now than the outfits worn by the plague doctors of sixteenth-century Europe. 

This client started making gowns recently, and so needed photos to sell them. The models were medical and nursing students, so they knew the drill. The agency produced the shoot and did a fantastic job.

Exploded View

Exploded views are often seen in assembly instructions, they serve as a visual representation of the relationship between the parts and the whole. In this case, some great clients that make automotive parts asked me to show the parts of their radiator assembly. We shot them individually in position and assembled them in post-production.

Old Screwdrivers

I am fascinated by old tools because of their hidden stories. Sometimes a mundane story to be sure. Like when someone dripped paint on the handle by accident, whose hands were they in? What were they building? These screwdrivers are still quite functional despite their age. The shape and texture are pleasing too.

Old Tool

Back when this was made, a tool was something one used to get work done. Today it can have the same meaning, but it also has other meanings. I’m captivated to the shape, texture and color. It feels like it could have been in the hands of cranky old plumber with a magical connection to pipes. What do you think it’s story is?

Rust

It’s a C clamp, but it looks more like G to me. It usually lives in my basement. 

I really like low-key images. Shape, volume, and texture all working together to create mystery and drama. You can read your own meaning into the picture. Me, I just like the feeling, the power of the metal, and the possibility of a story.

Playing with Toys

The goal of The Bottomless Toy Chest, is giving toys to children that are in the hospital with cancer. This is the third year they’ve asked for some help with photography for the “No-Show Black Tie” fundraiser. This would be a no-brainer even if Micky & Cindy weren’t loads of fun to work with. Unsurprisingly, toys are the subject. Micky & Cindy did all of the hard work of finding the dolls and props. First, go make a donation, then, let me know what you think.

Carwash

Somebody has to make the brushes that clean your car at the carwash. We spent a day shooting a carwash door that moves up and down quickly to keep the heat in during the winter months, and some brushes. The door was beautiful, but I took a liking to the brushes. Red, graphic, and oddly organic looking, this one reminds me of a sea creature. All in all, it was a great day with a great client, excellent art direction and a stellar crew.

Robots!

We recently finished a project photographing the Litter-Robot 3 Connect in grey. It's always a pleasure to work with this company. It's a great crew and a great product – such a great product I gifted a Litter-Robot to my son and daughter-in-law for Christmas last year. The robot keeps their tiny Brooklyn apartment odor free. Their cats, Andie and Dosa, love to sit and watch it rotate!

Handmade

How to communicate hand-craftsmanship in a photograph? Hands! Specifically, the hands of the maker. I’ve been making photographs of Richard’s hands with his jewelry for over twenty years. I love the juxtaposition of his dirty working hands and the intricate shiny metal. The contrast between Richard’s dark hands and the bright jewelry makes the product pop. I’m always interested in your thoughts.

Chicago Hot Dogs

Here in Detroit we have Coney dogs, Coney Island hot dogs. Like our neighbor to the North's dish of poutine, there is no pretense of health. I suppose you could argue hot dogs themselves are not all that healthy. But when you smother them in chili, mustard and onions you reach a new level. And, like doughnuts, bacon, and all unhealthy foods, they are delicious. Chicago Dogs on the other hand at least have the air of being healthy, with their vegetables, pickles, and the like. Lots of fun to shoot with a super client and crew.

Forktruck Industrial Photography

Without forktrucks, industry would grind to a halt. Since the early 20th century forktrucks have been the way things get moved around a warehouse, and trucks and railroad cars get loaded. Like everything else, technology has made them faster and safer. In my client’s case, industrial designers have made them easier to use and nicer to look at. My job is to find interesting angles and light that flatter the design. I am always interested in your thoughts and comments.

Sausage Photography

Go ahead, guess what this is. Stumped? It’s sausage casing! Really! I just love the things I shoot. I hope the affection comes through in the photographs. Photographers have been shooting circles for ages. Usually it’s pipe, maybe with a couple of people wearing hard hats in front. I was drawn to the the luminescence of the casing. Less and less light getting through to the lower tubes. I like finding beauty in unusual places.

Studio Photography of Industrial Trucks

Visibility is important if you’re driving a fork truck. Vision is important in many jobs. I am generally not a fan of “straight on” shots, but in this case it’s kind of dramatic. The diagonals provided by the red forks are dynamic and the strong verticals of the mast create a sense of strength. And it all frames the eyes. Please let me know what you think.

Making a Contribution

Ordinarily, my job is to grease the wheels of commerce. Not a bad thing, but not quite like Mother Teresa. My studio neighbor is The Bottomless Toy Chest. They take toys to kids with cancer in hospitals. When Micky came by and asked me if I could take a picture of trolls, I was all in. When I found out that the designer / art director was Cindy Sikorski, I was truly excited. On the shoot day Micky and Cindy did the styling, it’s tough to get those tiny clothes to look good on those inflexible little bodies. They did the hair too! It was loads of fun, and profoundly worth while.

Detroit Product Photographer

Very Small Industrial Photography

The biggest of these little steel balls is about a millimeter in diameter, about the thickness of a dime. It’s called wire cut shot. It's used in industrial processes. I had to level the table so it wouldn’t all roll away. It’s challenging to get them into the shape you want and make it look natural and random. I love the little glimpses into otherwise invisible areas that commercial photography provides.

Small Product Photographer

I was photographing jewelry for a catalog with my friend Richard when he slid some small rings onto a bit of rolled up paper. It didn’t work for the catalog we were shooting, but I thought it looked pretty cool. I enjoy spontaneous moments like that one. Because Richard created the jewelry, he has ideas about what it should look like in 2 dimensions. Collaborating on projects like this one is a highlight of my job.

Large Product Photography

Every now and then we need to photograph large products. Fork trucks are not the largest product we’ve had in the studio. We’ve had large trucks, turf maintenance vehicles, salt spreading equipment and truck bed liners in the studio too. These fork trucks are fun to photograph because of their excellent industrial design. Please, let me know what you think!

Aerospace Industrial Photography

They're not jewelry, they're far more functional. The only outward similarity is that they're shiny metal. They nonetheless, feel kinda like jewelry, or at least that’s one of my goals. Despite the need for rigorous functionality they are surprisingly beautiful objects. Whatever their purpose, they're fun to shoot. As always I am interested in your thoughts and comments.