Shooting the massive 800-ton press at Mercury Metals' Detroit facility presented several challenges. The sheer size of the machine, (as well as the need to complete a long list of other shots in one busy day) precluded the approach of lighting the area with the usual electronic flash array. We opted instead to use existing light and correct for any irregularities later in digital postproduction. Filtering for the metal-halide lighting and working from a lift platform, the exposures were made quickly and from several vantage points with and without operator.
Once the negative films had been proofed and the client had selected the best frame, the film was hi-res drum scanned and imported into the studio workstation for retouching. The background was subdued and simplified, bringing the viewer's attention to the subject. Numerous scrapes and smears on the finish of the machine were eliminated, and distracting elements removed from the surrounding scene. The final image was output to disk and incorporated into Mercury Metals' latest capability brochure.