Category Archives: Location

Spice of Life

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As a commercial photographer in Detroit, the next assignment can be incredibly different from the previous one.  One day I may receive a request to photograph a jet, and the next I’ll be quoting a studio or location car shoot.  Industrial facilities are a common request as well as executive portraits or product shooting in our Troy based studio.  It is a diverse mixture of needs in the photographic world, and as the saying goes, “variety is the spice of life”. 

I was able to experience some of that variety during the last two weeks as I was assigned to shoot an architectural commercial building in downtown Detroit, followed up by a luxurious homesite on Lake St. Clair, for a brick and stone company.  I photographed the home from several angles, including detail photos as requested by the client.  It was an enjoyable shoot, once more adding a little spice to the business of photography in Michigan.

 

Lumber Mill

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I’m sure I’ve said it before, but its probably worth repeating: commercial photography is a rush. I was recently in northern Michigan photographing a lumber mill for a repeat client when about three-quarters through the shoot she commented, “This was probably a dull shoot for you”. “On the contrary”, I replied.  I had been just thinking how awesome it was to make a living at something I love to do, travel (even though its just to an out-of-town industrial site), and see and learn things we have a tendency to take for granted.  Like what goes into creating a 2″x6″!  It was really quite fascinating to see the entire process of giant timbers being off-loaded from logging trucks, debarked, ripped, dried, sorted, planed and bundled, before once more taking a truck ride to Home Depot or an alternative lumber yard.  The automation process was a thing of beauty and I couldn’t but marvel at the ingenious minds that put it all together.

Commercial Photography

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One of the really great things about being a commercial photographer is the glimpse we get into processes or industries that normally go unnoticed. We did a shoot for a company that makes, among other things, speaker grills for cars. As we shot, our client  explained why his product is superior to his competitors’. This is not only interesting, but helps us highlight or emphasize the important features or manufacturing processes.Metro Detroit Product Photography

This is another job that Dave and I used a tag team approach to execute. As usual, I completed the studio portion of the project, while Dave did the location shooting.Location Industrial Photography

I suppose you could call this industrial photography. It is for business to business communication. It is as likely to be used in a powerpoint presentation as in a trade show, trade ad, brochure or web site. The key point is that our images help clients communicate their story more effectively and help enhance their overall image.

Back to Detroit

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As a photographer living in metro Detroit I have to admit with a shade of chagrin, that I don’t often enter Michigan’s largest city except when passing through on my way to an alternative destination. There are of course exceptions: the annual pilgrimage to the North American Auto Show, the occasional Tiger’s game at Comerica Park, or a sumptuous repast with friends in Greektown.

Fiat 500

However I recently found myself drawn to Detroit’s city center in search of suitable locations for photographing the new Fiat 500. I spent a good part of a day walking the streets of downtown scouting for the quintessential backdrop for my planned automobile shoot. Not only was it a successful photo scout and car shoot, but it was enjoyable to reconnect with the Motor City, not just by driving through, but by actually treading feet on pavement.

Bottom line: It was fun to be Back to Detroit !!!

 

Anything with Wheels!

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Industrial Studio Photography

Dave and I recently finished a shoot for Raymond. The project included shooting in the studio (Tom) and on location in a warehouse (Dave). The project included video as well, so we had to coordinate closely with the video crew to make everything work smoothly. We had two excellent models from Productions Plus. Thanks to terrific clients, organized pre-production and teamwork, the shoot came off smoothly!

Industrial Photography on location

Teamwork

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In all the years Tom Kirby and I have been business partners, well over two decades worth for those counting, it’s been a rare opportunity for us to actually work on a project together. We have collaborated numerous times with Tom shooting the studio portion of an assignment and myself handling the out-of-town location photography, but recently we had the occasion for real teamwork.

"Chefs Joe Muer and Jim Oppat"

In case you haven’t heard, Joe Muer, the famed Detroit chef is making a comeback with a new downtown restaurant in alliance with the Andiamo chain. And fortunately for Blue Sky, we were chosen to create the photography for this upcoming event.

"Delicious"

Shooting at Andiamo’s flagship restaurant, Tom and I worked in close quarters, with Kirby photographing the plated foods and myself taking on the lifestyle shots of Chef Muer and his associates. We shared an assistant and equipment, but more than that we shared an experience of real teamwork, both of us working together to create photographs the client would be proud of showcasing for their new endeavor.

In business, choosing a team that you can trust is one of the most important decisions an entrepreneur can ever make. I knew early on that to have a business capable of riding out both the good and bad cycles of our industry, I would need a partner that I could trust, and in turn, for that partner to be able to rely on me.

Don’t get me wrong. Tom and I can be like The Odd Couple at times, from the differences in our lifestyles, to our politics, to our choices of restaurants; but, we do have that one paramount notion in common…..to run and sustain a business using teamwork.