Photography in a Woodworking Shop

We had a project shooting at a high-end woodworking shop in Detroit. The shop's products and tools were a stark contrast to the ancient building's rough appearance. The shop had ample windows, providing excellent lighting for the shoot. We spent an entire day shooting with a fantastic crew. It was loads of fun. Please let me know what you think of the outcome!

Portrait Project

I recently did a portrait project for a client. We photographed a bunch of employees for posters to be displayed on workplace walls along with inspirational quotes. The plan was to create dramatically lit portraits to print in duotone. Here are a couple of the images. One was taken in the warehouse, the other in the offices. Let me know what you think.

Detroit Industrial Photography

Every picture tells a story. That's what Rod Stewart said. For this project, my client wanted a story about the people who develop and manufacture the product. It could have been about the manufacturing process or about the product. We spent the day shooting and encountered lots of remarkable people. Let me know what you think!

Industrial Editorial Photography

This is kind of niche, but it sure was a lot of fun. Everyone was wearing masks—but not because of COVID, It’s just something you do in a dairy plant where there’s lots of bacteria and stuff to keep out even without a pandemic. Learning about things that other people do is what makes this job fun.

Simple Portrait

Sometimes a simple portrait is all you need. We do headshots for a local credit union. Between their massive growth and modest turnover, we shoot quite a few. Many find the idea of getting a portrait unpleasant. It's like hearing yourself on voicemail. We try to make the process as pleasant as possible, which I think makes for a better headshot.

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.

Custom Car

It's always fun to shoot beautiful things. This car is no exception. We only had a day and a half, and a long shot list, so we were moving pretty fast. It was pretty interesting working with Jerry, the automotive designer who designed and built the car. He had lots of insight into the shape and rendering of the values describing the vehicle. As always, I am interested in your thoughts and comments.

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.

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.

Executive Portrait

This portrait was shot at the client's office, but the background is from an office at the Domino’s Farms Office Park. It's a low, sprawling Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired complex. I'm not sure how Mr. Wright would feel about it, but I liked it. There are cows in the fields adjacent to the building. A pleasant environment. Let me know what you think.

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? 

Environmental Portrait

Not a portrait of the environment, nor the "Environment" as in climate change. Instead, a portrait of someone in their environment. Perhaps including things in the background that tell you a little something about the subject. Maybe this person works in a trendy office, lab, factory, or plays the guitar. Let me know what you think.

Location Portraits

I like shooting portraits on location. Getting people in their own environment. In some ways, it's easier to see someone's soul when they are on their home turf. This day I was photographing some exceptional women who were being recognized for there work. I enjoy the excitement of pulling together the location/background, the lighting, and posing until everything works. Or at least I think it does. 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.

Industrial Location Photography

Shooting on location is often full of surprises. You’re never sure what you'll find when you get there, even if there has been a lot of pre-production. Often there is not. I enjoy the challenge of pulling a photograph together on the spot. Fortunately, this client had prepared well and knew what they needed. This makes it easier for me to make better photographs. I am in awe of the amount of coordination required for a factory to function smoothly. It was like watching a dance. I am lucky to be able to illustrate it with photography.

Corporate Portrait Style

I did this portrait several years ago, but I think it illustrates the value of design. The C suite employees were represented on the website with these photos. My partner Dave did a few, and I think there were some done in Germany too. Everyone was wearing white shirts on a white gradient background, looking pretty serious. The style integrated with the website well. The total effect was striking. Let me know what you think!

Photography in the Time of COVID 19

To be fair, these were taken on March 4th shortly before the lockdown. A maintenance guy was wiping down door handles—someone there was on the ball! We photographed three outstanding women working in different parts of the organization. 

Photography is all but stopped now. I did shoot some products that a client dropped off outside the studio. With some luck and good leadership, perhaps we can pull through this without losing too many lives. 

Let me know what you think of the photography, or anything else!

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.