Category Industrial

Behind the scenes at Sappi’s Somerset Mill

April 23, 2024 0 Comments read Assignments, Blog, Client Work, Industrial, Mainers at Work, On Location, Showcase

*Somerset Mill in Skowhegan, ME for Sappi Global. © Brian Fitzgerald*

Last fall, I collaborated with the marketing team at Sappi North America on Project Elevate—a $418 million upgrade at Maine’s Somerset Mill. They’re overhauling Paper Machine No. 2, expanding its capabilities, all while the mill’s day-to-day operations churn on. Having struggled myself to simultaneously construct my child’s Ikea desk and binge watch TV, I couldn’t help but be deeply impressed by this achievement.

My task was to capture elements of this

massive project over the course of one day. This involved shadowing Sappi N.A.’s president and CEO, Michael Haws, as he toured the bustling construction site. I created environmental portraits of Haws and his team, and photographed him with Sappi workers.

I love creating images in industrial environments like these–while challenging, the opportunities for amazing and dramatic visuals are worth the effort.

Paper Mill — *Somerset Mill in Skowhegan, ME for Sappi Global. © Brian Fitzgerald*

Elevate Your Marketing with Aerials This Fall

August 15, 2023 0 Comments read Blog, Drone, Industrial, Marketing, On Location, Showcase, Video

power plant aerial — *Waste-To-Energy Power Generating Facility, ecomaine. © Brian Fitzgerald*

It’s incredible just how a small change in perspective can transform your view of the world.
Since early 2021, Fitzgerald Photo has operated commercial drones, offering aerial photography and video services for our clients. The elevated view shows familiar cities and landscapes in a new light, capturing details and scale often missed at ground level.

Summer is a great time to capture aerials, and we’ve been busy capturing imagery for many of our clients. Autumn offers unique opportunities for aerial imagery as well. Between the dramatic light and the fall foliage, it’s my favorite time of year to be photographing with a drone.

Safety and professionalism underpin all our operations. As an FAA certified pilot, I ensure our flights meet all regulatory standards. Our FAA certification has allowed us to secure permission to operate even in highly restricted zones, including near busy urban airports. We’re also commercially insured to further protect our clients.

If your business is considering commercial drone photography this fall, let us know how we can help create a plan that works for your specific needs and budget.

*Spring Point Ledge Lighthouse, South Portland, ME. © Brian Fitzgerald*

A Tradition Forged in Iron

July 25, 2023 0 Comments read Blog, Client Work, Creativity, Industrial, Mainers at Work, On Location, Projects, Video

The artists and craftsmen who call Maine home share a cultural heritage with those who have gone before them. This link to the past is epitomized by Sam Smith, an aptly-named blacksmith who operates several forges across the state as guildmaster of the Maine Blacksmith’s Guild.

Smith and the guild use and teach 19th-century techniques and practices and have an active apprenticeship program. Smith also teaches and works his trade in Germany and Brazil for months each year.

“Preserving the skill set of working iron by hand and not allowing machines to do the work is my mission,” says Smith.

I spent time with Smith last year as part of a larger project on Maine craftsmen and artists and am happy to be able to show it here. Smith was crafting a Brazilian Churrasco BBQ knife with a handle made from Peroba wood reclaimed from a 120-year-old home.

*Brazilian Churrasco Knife, © Sam Smith*

Dirty Jobs, Good Pay: Photographing Blue Collar Workers

May 30, 2023 0 Comments read Blog, Editorial, Industrial, On Assignment, On Location

It’s hard to miss the rising star of blue-collar work in this world reshaped by a pandemic and advancements in artificial intelligence (A.I.). Anyone struggling to hire a plumber, a carpenter or other tradesman since 2020 has seen the effects of this first-hand. Previously overlooked as somehow ‘less than’ white-collar jobs, blue-collar work has become a beacon of resilience and growth, sustaining the economy amidst major layoffs in the tech industry, as reported by Business Insider.

The reason for this is clear: blue-collar roles, which are often hands-on, technical, and require plenty of problem-solving skills, resist replacement by automation or outsourcing. They are firmly rooted in the physical world, characterized by their tangibility and practicality.

This sense of authenticity and grit is what continually draws me to photograph people who work with their hands. There’s a strong sense of narrative within these images, both of resilience and tenacity. I am inspired by their skill, focus, and commitment to doing the job right.

My goal is not merely to capture an image, but to pay tribute to the meticulous nature of blue collar work and its practical impact on our daily lives. Whether it’s the skilled hands of a carpenter shaping a piece of furniture, or the attentive gaze of a mechanic resurrecting an old car, each image tells a story of profound usefulness and necessity.

In our post-pandemic world, tradespeople are more than just workers. They are keepers of a time-honored tradition of skilled American labor. Their work stands as a testament to our collective ability to adapt, persevere, and endure.

Automotive Technicians — *© Brian Fitzgerald*

Industrial Worker — *© Brian Fitzgerald*

Inside Northeast Air’s Hangar: Mechanics at Work

April 18, 2023 0 Comments read Behind the Scenes, Blog, Industrial, Mainers at Work, On Assignment

Aircraft Mechanics — *© Brian Fitzgerald*

I’m happy to share images made during a recent shoot with Northeast Air, a company operating out of the Portland Jetport. They specialize in providing ground handling, aircraft maintenance, fueling, and concierge services to travelers from around the globe.

The objective of this shoot was to capture images of Northeast Air’s skilled mechanics performing routine work on a Pilatus turboprop aircraft, located in the company’s maintenance hangar at the Jetport.

As an experienced editorial and commercial photographer, I’ve spent my career documenting technical and skilled labor like this. The inherent challenge is to focus on the individuals involved in the work, rather than solely on the impressive machinery they operate and maintain.

I love that my clients recognize that, at the core, they’re in the people business. They’re eager to celebrate their employees and give you a glimpse of what goes on behind the curtain—or, more correctly, what’s happening in the hangar.

Aircraft Mechanic — *© Brian Fitzgerald*

Interested in telling your brand or company’s story? Let us know how we can help!

Get Real: It’s about people, not brands

March 14, 2023 0 Comments read Blog, Industrial, Mainers at Work, Marketing

Industrial Recycling Worker

The biggest trend in 2022 seems to be the embrace of artificial intelligence (A.I.) tools like ChatGPT, Jasper and MidJourney by content marketers. In an age of deepfake videos and faked resumes, trust is the only thing in short supply.

That’s why authenticity matters more than ever when it comes to social media and content marketing. Winning brands take a people-first approach and who create meaningful connections with their customers and audiences.

What does authenticity mean? It means creating content that reflects your values and tells a story about your brand that resonates, cultivates relationships and fosters loyalty. It means creating visual content that features your real customers, team or audience, rather than opting for stock imagery. After all, people follow people, not brands. Authenticity entails communicating your brand values and cultivating your brand’s unique voice. It also may include user-generated content and collaboration with influencers who can help you tell your story in authentic ways. Here are a few ways brands might choose to be more authentic and transparent:

Lift the curtain: Show what it looks like behind the brand: your process, your culture, your successes and, sometimes, your misses.
Tell stories about real people and the impact they and you have had on the world.
Use short-form video to cut through the noise and provide answers to customer questions, provide useful information or to educate and inform.
Leverage user generated content (but only if allowed, and always give credit).

In a time when people are extremely wary of marketing that is ‘business as usual’, the trend is towards authenticity, engagement and connection. If you want to create impactful, authentic content that will connect with your clients, we’d love to help.

Bring Your Vision: Hammond Lumber

February 2, 2022 0 Comments read Blog, Industrial, On Assignment, Showcase

Lumberman

I’m happy to share some of the work I’ve been doing over the past year for the Hammond Lumber Company, based in Belgrade, Maine. This is a sprawling, Maine-wide sawmill and lumber operation involving three generations of the Hammond family.

It’s a busy, hardworking, growing Maine company with a great reputation and deep relationships. That served them well during the pandemic especially, when rising demand, supply chain challenges and other restraints kept them on their toes.

The project encompassed lifestyle photography shoots at multiple locations across the state as well as a short video piece (not yet published) that showcase Hammond’s connection to the state and its customers. Their customer-centric theme of “Bring Your Vision” was a theme through all of the shoots.

Lumber Man

Maine Construction Workers

Showcase: ReEnergy biomass energy producer

March 23, 2021 0 Comments read Annual Report, Assignments, Blog, Client Work, Industrial

Last fall, I spent a few days photographing several biomass facilities for ReEnergy Holdings, an energy producer based in New York. I’ve worked with ReEnergy for several years to create a library of images for use in their ongoing marketing efforts. The idea was to photograph their facilities and the work being done there in a way that captured the mood, atmosphere and scale of their various locations throughout New England. I love being able to show the gritty details of hard work through commercial and industrial photography. My approach is to keep things as authentic and real as possible while adding light in a believable way, in order to augment and help tell the story. As with all such work, time is always at a premium and the ability to be efficient and focused is absolutely critical.

biomass worker

Power Generator

power worker

Energy worker

biomass

Energy Worker

Energy worker

Client Work: ReEnergy Holdings

February 17, 2020 0 Comments read Assignments, Blog, Client Work, Industrial, On Assignment, Showcase

With the latest boom in commercial and residential construction, have you ever wondered what happens to all of the tons of used (or unused), broken or left-over materials used in the building industry? Some of it ends up in landfills, but much of it—wiring, piping, metals, wood—can be recycled, resold and reused.

I recently finished a project for ReEnergy Holdings, photographing their recycling operations throughout Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts. These facilities process tons of construction material and repurpose what they can. It’s often a dirty, dusty, mucky job but one I’m glad they are there to do.

Location work like this is challenging because it requires creating great images no matter the situational challenges that arise. At busy industrial facilities like these, the machinery can’t just stop while I set up lights and get everything just right. It’s more of a run-and-gun situation, photographing people and processes as they happen and making lemonade out of lemons (I’m into recycling, too). The primary challenge is to take advantage of the visual opportunities that are there—even when they don’t easily present themselves—and stay on the move….all while dodging moving trucks, loaders, and spinning machinery.

The shoots were done indoors and outdoors, in dry, extremly dusty conditions and on days that it was pouring rain and the mud was several inches thick. I’ve found that extreme situations such as these, though unforgiving on cameras and lenses, offer plenty of visual gold. Enjoy!