Metal Management, a major player in the metals recycling industry, needed new photography of its substantial materials handling yards in the Chicago area. Michelle Cannova accompanied Erich and trusty assistant Zander Schrempp on two days of shooting among the giant machines that grind, chop, shred and pulverize tons of metal every day.
These fellows were servicing the massive shredder that grinds up cars, refrigerators, and anything else the conveyor belt pulls in in a typical morning. The motors that drive this mechanism are so enormous that electric rates dictate their operating times, and thus the downtime during peak usage hours are used for maintenance.
The entire shoot was captured digitally, with the busy shoot schedule precluding bringing in any additional strobe lighting. Fortunately, the workhorse Kodak 14NX could rapidly correct for ambient light conditions and shoot quickly, enabling us to capture over eighty shots in two days of work.
Many thanks to Michelle and the folks at Metal Management who accomodated our many requests (often well before dawn) for moving trucks, forklifts and tons of steel to bring everything together.
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