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.

Face Masks

You know you’re living in the Twilight Zone when wearing a mask is controversial. So why not wear one as exciting as the times? Liam and Maria, my son and daughter-in-law, make these striking masks with 3D printing technology. Definitely more exciting than a cloth mask! Let me know what you think--and check out LMX Unlimited if you want to wear one yourself.

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.

Transparent Product Photography

Shooting glass products can be tricky. It's not just transparent – it's also shiny. It's essential to see the background behind the glass and have things (lights) reflecting in the glass to reveal it's shininess. The edge of the glass needs to be a different value than the background so you can see the shape. I think I solved those problems for my client that manufactures these industrial LED lights. What do you think? 

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.

Iconic Old Oil Can

You know that this oil can hasn’t been used in a while. Years? Decades? Hard to say, but that’s a fine layer of dust. The overall patina is pretty nice too. I can imagine some old creaky geezer oiling a noisy machine 60 years ago. A simple white background lets it speak for itself. Let me know what you think. 

Jewelry Photography on White

This photograph is from a shoot Richard and I did a while ago. Not all pictures need to be dramatic, some only need to display the jewelry and describe it visually. One can think of this as an illustration, I suppose—but it still has to be attractive. It’s convenient for me that Richard makes beautiful jewelry. As always, I'm interested in what you think.

Drop Forged Parts

These parts are made for Harley motorcycles. They get machined in the next production step, which makes them shiny and more photogenic. Nonetheless, even at this stage they are way prettier than when they come out of the press. I like the perspective and texture. What do you think?

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?

It's a Box (or rectangular prism)

Lead-acid batteries have been the standard in cars since the beginning. They are rectangular prisms too. This is a lithium-ion battery, so it's smaller and lighter. But still a box! The orange background helps it out. What do you think?

A Wrench in the Works

That’s how I feel about plumbing. Is it really not leaking? Why is this thingie the wrong size? Rats, I’ve got to go back to the store again. No Fun! 

On the other hand low-key images with lots of texture make me smile. Either it’s a metaphor for midwest industry, or just a couple of old monkey wrenches. Regardless, I like the color and feel of the image. Let me know how you feel.

Small Cog in a Big Machine

We are all part of a larger whole. The scope of the larger whole is sometimes difficult to fathom. In this case, these are pulleys, not cogs, and they have a bit of silicone or rubber to absorb shock and vibration. Smoothing out the bumps seems like a good idea in many contexts.I like the way the translucent silicone looks. It's always fascinating how industrial parts are beautiful objects with the right perspective and lighting. 

Old Saw

My next-door neighbor has a lot of interesting old stuff. His door was open recently, and I saw this table saw. It's a working saw, my neighbor still uses it. I was drawn to the colors and textures. It feels like it's hiding wisdom. I asked him if I could borrow it for a few hours. I'm interested in your thoughts.

Construction Photography

Location Photography has its share of challenges. There are lots of things you cannot control, weather large among them.  On this day it was snowing and below freezing all day. We persisted and ended up with lots of good photography—the result of a great client and crew. 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!

The Bottomless Toy Chest

It’s hard to believe that it’s been a year since the the last “No-Show Black Tie” fund raiser. The Bottomless Toy Chest delivers art projects, crafts and interactive games to hospitalized pediatric cancer patients. Toys are the subject again. It sorta fits. This is a Mr. Potato Head year. It was lots of fun playing toys and taking photos. We should all be heading over to The Bottomless Toy Chest do donate. Do it!

Shiny Tools

I love photographing shiny things. Kinda doesn't matter what it is. Cars, jewelry, industrial parts or tools, as long as it’s Shiny. I photographed this tap on a white background and put in the blue handmade paper in post production. I’m always interested in what you think.

Surgical Torque Wrench

Who knew surgeons used torque wrenches? I don’t think about it that much, but I guess it makes sense. Surgeons are sort of body mechanics. True, the stakes may be higher than a brake job on your car, but a bad brake job could be fatal too. Anyway, we spent the day working and collaborating with an excellent art director and ended up with a bunch of nice images and had a good time as well. Let me know what you think.

Medical Device Photography