Comments on: How to Photograph Industrial Deserts http://www.digital-photography-school.com/how-to-photograph-industrial-deserts Discover how to use your digital camera with our Digital Photography Tips. We are a community of photographers of all experience levels who come together to learn, share and grow in our understanding of photography. Tue, 14 Feb 2012 08:32:15 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Doug McKay http://www.digital-photography-school.com/how-to-photograph-industrial-deserts/comment-page-1#comment-125277 Doug McKay Wed, 11 Aug 2010 16:54:40 +0000 http://digital-photography-school.com/?p=6406#comment-125277 I build industrial complexes refineries, power plants and such and I would like having more pictures of them. Obviously I see the beauty and the form as pleasing, well on the better designed ones anyway. I will give fair warning; do not take pictures of operating facilities as a tourist or just someone in the neighborhood. Security is a big issue and has been well before 9/11. The pictures and photographs you do see are done by photographers commissioned for a particular project or the “one authorized” employee along with a security detail. Anyone else inside the restricted area or sometimes near an operating plant are not allowed to have a camera or even a mobile/cell phone with a camera built-in these days. The punishment varies from a warning for a first offence to 6 month in jail and in some places deportation and lifelong revocation of a visa. In real life how things turn out depend on how well you can portray the story of innocence and what is going on in the life of the security/police at the time. I have been a guest of various police in the Middle East before 9/11. I have done so much better since then, not sure why maybe I am following the rules better or getting craftier or maybe the advent of digital images makes it so I do not have to take my photos to and outside source. Please know that it is not about rights personal or organizational. Photographs/images are indeed worth a thousand words. Even rather ordinary people like me who just happen to build and repair equipment in these kinds of plants a simple photo reveals so much. We can tell what the equipment is, what it does, and the approximate capacity, the basic set up of the whole complex, general location in the world, the direction it faces (north-south) and in some cases the exact unit because it is the first of a type or the largest or was bragged about within the industry. Of course not all the above can be determined from every photo or image but lots is there to figure out. Plus many of us that have built these from a patch of dirt so many times can figure out the probable road system, the utility systems, the kinds of transport most likely used, pipe lines etc. “Now just how scary could this be in the hands of some real experts who might be up to no good?” So please give the people in charge of keeping the world safe some due credit and not be so determined that the privilege to take a photograph of an industrial complex or particular infrastructure is your right. Otherwise “Good Luck” and if you don’t mind, share some of the shots with me that you are pretty certain we will not go to jail for ? Doug McKay I build industrial complexes refineries, power plants and such and I would like having more pictures of them. Obviously I see the beauty and the form as pleasing, well on the better designed ones anyway.

I will give fair warning; do not take pictures of operating facilities as a tourist or just someone in the neighborhood. Security is a big issue and has been well before 9/11. The pictures and photographs you do see are done by photographers commissioned for a particular project or the “one authorized” employee along with a security detail. Anyone else inside the restricted area or sometimes near an operating plant are not allowed to have a camera or even a mobile/cell phone with a camera built-in these days. The punishment varies from a warning for a first offence to 6 month in jail and in some places deportation and lifelong revocation of a visa.

In real life how things turn out depend on how well you can portray the story of innocence and what is going on in the life of the security/police at the time. I have been a guest of various police in the Middle East before 9/11. I have done so much better since then, not sure why maybe I am following the rules better or getting craftier or maybe the advent of digital images makes it so I do not have to take my photos to and outside source.

Please know that it is not about rights personal or organizational. Photographs/images are indeed worth a thousand words. Even rather ordinary people like me who just happen to build and repair equipment in these kinds of plants a simple photo reveals so much. We can tell what the equipment is, what it does, and the approximate capacity, the basic set up of the whole complex, general location in the world, the direction it faces (north-south) and in some cases the exact unit because it is the first of a type or the largest or was bragged about within the industry. Of course not all the above can be determined from every photo or image but lots is there to figure out. Plus many of us that have built these from a patch of dirt so many times can figure out the probable road system, the utility systems, the kinds of transport most likely used, pipe lines etc. “Now just how scary could this be in the hands of some real experts who might be up to no good?”

So please give the people in charge of keeping the world safe some due credit and not be so determined that the privilege to take a photograph of an industrial complex or particular infrastructure is your right.

Otherwise “Good Luck” and if you don’t mind, share some of the shots with me that you are pretty certain we will not go to jail for ?

Doug McKay

]]> By: Gillian http://www.digital-photography-school.com/how-to-photograph-industrial-deserts/comment-page-1#comment-76562 Gillian Sat, 12 Dec 2009 12:49:10 +0000 http://digital-photography-school.com/?p=6406#comment-76562 I'm very keen on this type of photogrpahy, the only thing that stops me doing it all the time is not having a car. http://www.flickr.com/photos/artsite/sets/72157594276352943/ and http://www.flickr.com/photos/artsite/sets/72157594307228665/ I’m very keen on this type of photogrpahy, the only thing that stops me doing it all the time is not having a car.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/artsite/sets/72157594276352943/

and

http://www.flickr.com/photos/artsite/sets/72157594307228665/

]]> By: Bluefly http://www.digital-photography-school.com/how-to-photograph-industrial-deserts/comment-page-1#comment-63917 Bluefly Sat, 05 Sep 2009 07:39:52 +0000 http://digital-photography-school.com/?p=6406#comment-63917 Nice shots. I will say that in the USA if you are taking photo's of these areas be cautious, they may think your scouting the area for terrorism. I got stopped and asked what I was doing a few months ago. I have also been stopped when photographing trains, for the same reasons. It's a good Idea to talk to someone and let them know what you are doing. Nice shots. I will say that in the USA if you are taking photo’s of these areas be cautious, they may think your scouting the area for terrorism. I got stopped and asked what I was doing a few months ago. I have also been stopped when photographing trains, for the same reasons. It’s a good Idea to talk to someone and let them know what you are doing.

]]> By: Tim Collier http://www.digital-photography-school.com/how-to-photograph-industrial-deserts/comment-page-1#comment-53417 Tim Collier Fri, 12 Jun 2009 17:43:56 +0000 http://digital-photography-school.com/?p=6406#comment-53417 It's a shame that the excessive use of angles has been used. The images are fine and classic played on the horizontal and don't require any shift. Not sure why you would do this as there's enough dramatic impact in the images themselves. It’s a shame that the excessive use of angles has been used. The images are fine and classic played on the horizontal and don’t require any shift. Not sure why you would do this as there’s enough dramatic impact in the images themselves.

]]> By: Carlo C http://www.digital-photography-school.com/how-to-photograph-industrial-deserts/comment-page-1#comment-53348 Carlo C Fri, 12 Jun 2009 05:03:14 +0000 http://digital-photography-school.com/?p=6406#comment-53348 One of my shots from the Warehouse District in DT Los Angeles. New to "industrial photography" but love the genre. http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=1831846&l=8c9a7516b7&id=657257374 One of my shots from the Warehouse District in DT Los Angeles. New to “industrial photography” but love the genre.

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=1831846&l=8c9a7516b7&id=657257374

]]> By: John McCulloch http://www.digital-photography-school.com/how-to-photograph-industrial-deserts/comment-page-1#comment-53346 John McCulloch Fri, 12 Jun 2009 04:16:10 +0000 http://digital-photography-school.com/?p=6406#comment-53346 This is a hard subject because I usually search for compositions where the beauty of the subject fills the viewfinder. I have tried a study of grim industrial scenes, as I live around a busy working harbour & my favourite pic is the one listed below http://www.flickr.com/photos/23172197@N08/3617952553/ This is a hard subject because I usually search for compositions where the beauty of the subject fills the viewfinder. I have tried a study of grim industrial scenes, as I live around a busy working harbour & my favourite pic is the one listed below

http://www.flickr.com/photos/23172197@N08/3617952553/

]]> By: Grlafraid http://www.digital-photography-school.com/how-to-photograph-industrial-deserts/comment-page-1#comment-53323 Grlafraid Fri, 12 Jun 2009 00:05:57 +0000 http://digital-photography-school.com/?p=6406#comment-53323 I have always wanted to photograph places like this. There is a strange beauty to them. I thought I was the only one! I have always wanted to photograph places like this. There is a strange beauty to them. I thought I was the only one!

]]> By: Patrick Mitchell http://www.digital-photography-school.com/how-to-photograph-industrial-deserts/comment-page-1#comment-53261 Patrick Mitchell Thu, 11 Jun 2009 18:28:41 +0000 http://digital-photography-school.com/?p=6406#comment-53261 Well my hyperlink didn't work. How about just the website: http://www.pbase.com/praetoriv/oilfield Well my hyperlink didn’t work. How about just the website:

http://www.pbase.com/praetoriv/oilfield

]]> By: Patrick Mitchell http://www.digital-photography-school.com/how-to-photograph-industrial-deserts/comment-page-1#comment-53259 Patrick Mitchell Thu, 11 Jun 2009 18:25:35 +0000 http://digital-photography-school.com/?p=6406#comment-53259 Oops <a href="http://www.pbase.com/praetoriv/oilfield" rel="nofollow"></a> Oops

]]> By: Patrick Mitchell http://www.digital-photography-school.com/how-to-photograph-industrial-deserts/comment-page-1#comment-53257 Patrick Mitchell Thu, 11 Jun 2009 18:22:53 +0000 http://digital-photography-school.com/?p=6406#comment-53257 Industrial? Sort of; Oilfield. <a href="http://www.pbase.com/praetoriv/oilfield" rel="nofollow"></a> Industrial? Sort of; Oilfield.

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