Fort McMurray Industrial Photographer
FORT MCMURRAY INDUSTRIAL PHOTOGRAPHER
Fort McMurray Industrial Photographer – Philosophy
Industry is a pleasure to photographer for me. There is some kind of magic about shooting industry and oil field work in Fort McMurray. The subjects are often characters in themselves. I enjoy the simplicity and the opportunity to interact with a world so different than my own.
Fort McMurray Industrial Photographer – The Dynamic
Very often the subjects working in Fort McMurray Oil Sands projects do not want to be photographed. This is difficult to understand for clients and photographers based USA, Calgary, Edmonton and Toronto. Often non Fort McMurray photographers do not understand the dynamic between blue collar and white collar workers. These workers tough blue collar people. Their jobs are tough so naturally it takes a tough person to do them. Many non Fort McMurray photographers simply walking in to a shop with new steel toes, a Wal-Mart hard hat and nice jeans and start taking control of the shoot. With out even knowing it, they have separated them selves from the herd… Its like walking into a board meeting in sandals and shorts.
Fort McMurray Industrial Photographer – Curtis Comeau Approach
My approach is quite simple. I change in the parking lot to my industrial PPE clothing and well-worn steel toes. This way when I enter a shop I am on the same level as the worker. He has a welding torch and I have a camera. My clothing makes me appear less intimidating and more experienced to the worker. Then I ask to photograph the worker doing his job, always with a telephoto lens. I don’t ever ask for a smile at this point. I do however ask plenty of questions about what they are doing. Now we have a dialogue going. I then ask the worker to move around so they can see I am looking out for their best interests.
Fort McMurray Photographer – The Joke
In Fort McMurray almost always while I am photographing one subject in a shop or on a rig one of his colleagues will make some sort of joke to my subject. I am ready for this and quickly respond to the “comedian” using the tired and tested response “Hey don’t make fun of him, your next, and I need you to take off your shirt for your shoot boss.” Laughs all around. I am now accepted into their environment. From that moment on, the industrial crew constantly jokes with me. Guys smile, I take pictures… mission accomplished, happy client.
Fort McMurray Photographer – No Smiles
Smiles are often appear fake if forced, so I find many times when a Fort McMurray worker is not in the mood, its fine, infact the images are often more striking when the worker is not smiling.