Q: How did you get started in construction photography?
A: My introduction to the world of
construction photography can best be described as completely accidental.
Let me explain.
Light Monkey Photography was created by my partner Terri and I as an offshoot of Sevenstock Photography. Though Light Monkey we focus on and promote our commercial work while Sevenstock is primarily an event photography business. It just was easier to form divisions to keep things clearer for potential clients.
Through Sevenstock we shot a wide variety of material, from sports events to festivals to concerts. Downsview Park has been one of our clients since 2008. In 2009 the Park was undergoing significant reconstruction - a lake was being built, massive earth mounds were being sculpted, retaining walls were being erected, and paved pathways being put in. We were asked to document the change in the cartography of the land from the air and the ground. This work was kind of like dipping my toe into the water of construction photography.
The photography at my first "real" contained job site began 8 months ago. There is a new subway line being built in the Greater Toronto Area that cuts across the top of the Park and Downsview asked us to document the build - until 2015!
Q: Your photography often depicts a uniquely human element of the construction trade. What would you say you're primarily looking for when shooting live construction sites? What type of images do you most want to capture?
A: I am shooting with two purposes in mind. First, Downsview asked me to document the project for their archives. It's an historical event here - I doubt that I'll be around when another subway line is built in Toronto, if one ever is. Secondly, Downsview and Aecon (the contractor) are sharing many of the
images. This means that I have to keep the perspectives of both in mind while I'm on site. One group wants more of an overview and the other is looking at more specific aspects of the job.
I am also trying to give scale to the viewer. It's an incredibly large job. The machines are huge. The tunnel shafts are huge. The volume of dirt is huge. The viewer can't fully perceive the scope of all of this until there is a person in the picture.
I take a photojournalistic approach to the work. I am trying to tell a story. At the end of the day the project is about people. Without them, none of the construction would happen. When people look back at the archives many years from now I hope that they will have a good idea of both the people and the equipment used on the build.
Q: What conditions make it difficult to get these types of shots, and is there a connection between what you're experiencing on site, and capturing that feeling in your photographs?
A: This is going to sound stereotypically Canadian but...shooting in the winter isn't always the easiest. Windchills, snow, sleet, frozen finger tips, and lots of layers of clothing are a challenge.
I hope that there is a connection between what I'm experiencing on site and the resulting image. I do my best to try and put the viewer in the shot. So, for example, if they see an image from
January I want them to experience cold, wind and precipitation.
Q: Is there anything about a construction shoot you'd do differently, if you had to do it again?
A: Well, since this is my first real construction assignment I don't have previous jobs to refer back to. What does come to mind, is the frustration of dealing with natural light all of the time. I like having the ability to bring my own strobes, battery packs, and modifiers to a shoot to control the light. I'll admit, it's nice not having to lug all of the lighting gear around for a change but there are limitations to what I have been able to do.
That being said, I am going to start implementing some studio lighting into the mix on site. I have a lot of ideas floating around in my head and I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that I don't
destroy my strobe heads!
Q: What advice would you give to a general contractor or owner starting the process of documenting a construction project they're working on?
A:
1. Hire a professional photographer. That’s really the best advice. Even if it is just at intervals, but make sure you have a professional onsite at times throughout the project.
2. Discuss what you want photographed. To say "just shoot whatever" is actually harder for the photographer to decipher.
3. Think about the big picture. How will you use these images? Will you build archives, use them for company promotion, annual reports, ongoing project blogs, progress meetings, marketing collateral? Don’t forget to consider how these images could serve you in the future. Discuss this with the photographer.
Q: Any other tips or words to live by on the job?
A: I would say just being open and friendly to everyone on the site - from the security guards, to the project manager - has allowed me to capture more intimate images of the workers than I may have otherwise been able to. I have found that a smile, a wave, and a friendly "hi" can be worth their weight in gold.
- Mark
Light Monkey Photography
