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Commercial and Industrial Photography
We never see this anymore
Nov 30, 2018 20:34:28   #
Tim Stapp Loc: Mid Mitten
 
This is one of many that I see at this customer. They are display in the cafeteria and the halls.

Here is one from their website: http://www.belwith.com/

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Nov 30, 2018 20:37:51   #
RichardTaylor Loc: Sydney, Australia
 
Thanks for the link. Good to see.

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Dec 4, 2018 20:02:25   #
E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada
 
What is it that we don't see anymore? I do lots of historical and public relations photography for all my industrial clients- new and old companies. The images are used in annual reports, inplant displays in offices and sales areas, boardrooms, and employee areas, advertising, all kinds of exhibition- trade shows, conventions etc. We have restored and inclusd old photography and combined them in slide shows, print displays and videos.

Did I miss something in the link? Please let me know.

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Dec 4, 2018 20:58:32   #
Tim Stapp Loc: Mid Mitten
 
Ed, I don't have the opportunity to see what you photograph for your clients. I do know that in my area, the desire for trade secrets doesn't allow for anything like I posted. Many of my "day job" customers are in the aerospace or electric automobile industry (lithium batteries. My employer has a very secretive department dealing with this product on the industrial lift truck platform).

Only when a company has a centennial celebration are the old photographs are presented for a web presence. The company that I work for recently had shots taken, but it was only promotional, not environmental. ie. not once showing the workers in their environment; casting flasks, belt driven buffers, etc. like what was shown in the link. I realizing that today, they would be photographed in front of the CNC machining/polishing stations with robots positioning the product, etc.

My statement was only that corporate fear of stealing of trade secrets prevents photographs of more than their product for promotional purposes. The people are missing from their environment. As an example: at one of my customers (for my day job) I had a permanent pass that was labeled "escort not required" until it became known that my daughter was an engineer for one of their competitors. Now, I'm required to have an escort anywhere on their premises, including the parking lot while I unload and transport my tools. Cell phone with camera? Has to be left in the service van. Heaven forbid that I have to communicate with factory technical support.

I was commenting on the environmental portraits of the workers at their workplace with the industrial dirt and grime in the workplace, their clothing and on their faces. Today, it is different. Less real and more "what we want you to see."

I have to admit, I was taken by the raw "this is where I work/this is who I am" photographs that were portrayed. I was taken by the sheer manual labor type of environment compared to now.

I may not have put it clearly in my initial post. I do not have your exposure, experience nor you expertise regarding photography. These just touched me as not many photographs of industrial historical photographs have. Maybe because I have seen this particular industrial customer of mine change over the past 40 plus years. Now, they import by the container load, repackage and ship to the box stores. They used to do the casting, machining, finishing and ship to local furniture manufacturers. Look it up. Grand Rapids, Michigan used to be the "Furniture Capital of the World." My local bias may be showing.

Just to add: I was taken by the photograph of the workers in their environment and the "moment in time" that they portrayed. Sadly, the link posted doesn't show all of the photographs that are displayed in the hallways and break rooms that I see from that era.

It reminds me of the time, twenty years or so ago that I stood on a landing outside the washroom of a railroad engine house. I was looking at a photograph taken from that very spot in 1943. I looked down and saw that the only thing that had changed was that there were diesel locomotives instead of steam. There was still a pry bar propped in a corner in 2003 that was in the same place as it had been in 1943 when that photograph had been taken. FYI the railroad is now the Canadian National. It was then a subsidiary known as the Grand Trunk Railroad. -:)

Thanks for your input.

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Dec 5, 2018 13:01:38   #
E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada
 
Tim! Thanks for you response- I now understand your meaning!

I do try an encourage environmental portraiture and industrial shots for my corporate clients. Some go for it, other just want so-called "head shots". Perhaps some are too lazy to get involved in more time consuming projects or the may be worried about "industrial espionage" or as you alluded to, revealing trade secrets. Of course, my response or arguments is that we don't need to show fine details of every facility and images telling stories of people at work are more interesting in annual reports etc.

A far as old and historical images are concerned, sometimes a bit of ageism sets in. The younger folks seem only to be interested in "NEW" and the adverting gurus still tell me that "NEW" is still one of the strongest words in advertising. Some of the companies I serve still have establishment dates in the logos and advertising. One of my clients has me restoring dozens of old photographs from his company- going back over 100 years- for a big trade show exhibit the are planning.

I always like to inject the human aspect in my images- I think folks relate to seeing other folks doing things, using products etc. Alas- some of the clients are only interested in the hardware. Folks on production lines are being replaced by robots. My latest client makes vending machines that make duplicate keys- I rather go to a locksmith! I suppose someday I will be replaced by a machine!

Regards!

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Mar 23, 2019 18:06:58   #
Blenheim Orange Loc: Michigan
 
Tim Stapp wrote:
It was then a subsidiary known as the Grand Trunk Railroad. -:)


The Grand Trunk Western, I am thinking, judging by your location. I have no doubt stood in the exact same spot that you are referring to - Pontiac? Milwaukee Junction? Durand? Good memories.

There were a lot of photos in the old days with the workers all over and around the locomotives posing for photographs, but the builder's photos were pretty plain. The tilt backs on the old cameras let them get the locomotive nicely in focus front to rear.

The first image on this page shows a builder's photo at Baldwin Locomotive works of the Santa Fe 2066:

https://sites.google.com/site/steamlocomotivephotographs/

I think they photographed those steam locomotives before they got the finish coat of glossy black enamel, to cut down in reflections.

Mike

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Mar 24, 2019 06:30:04   #
Tim Stapp Loc: Mid Mitten
 
Blenheim Orange wrote:
The Grand Trunk Western, I am thinking, judging by your location. I have no doubt stood in the exact same spot that you are referring to - Pontiac? Milwaukee Junction? Durand? Good memories.

Mike


Mike, it was in the locomotive shops in Battle Creek.

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Mar 24, 2019 11:23:50   #
Blenheim Orange Loc: Michigan
 
Tim Stapp wrote:
Mike, it was in the locomotive shops in Battle Creek.


Very good.

Mike

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Apr 7, 2019 11:42:23   #
JD750 Loc: SoCal
 
Tim Stapp wrote:
This is one of many that I see at this customer. They are display in the cafeteria and the halls.

Here is one from their website: http://www.belwith.com/


Never see what? Historical Images? I see them frequently, most often in restaurants?

FYI - Having just viewed the web site, I have absolutely no idea what they are selling.

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