Photographing Industrial Landscapes - Keep It Interesting

Shooting Industrial Landscapes - Find A Vantage Point

Once you have an idea or subject in mind you should then refer to the relevant Ordnance Survey Map for details of public rights of way. Most of my industrial images are shot for stock agencies and I do not have direct access to the site I’m shooting; however, if you are on a public right of way you should be okay.

Likewise, if you are on private land, for example a local farm, and have the landowner’s permission, then you should be able to take pictures unhindered. Walk the footpaths and bridleways to get an idea of where the best viewpoints are. Location finding is a very important part of photography and much underrated. Many people will stop at the first view and be happy – don’t! Go for a long walk and seek out three or four alternatives to maximise your shooting time. When checking out location possibilities don’t just try to get as close as you can to the subject because sometimes the best views are found from a distance (some of the Trent’s power stations look fantastic from miles away when the conditions are right). Perhaps look for a hill-top or meadow a mile or so away, which will give you a totally different perspective on the shot.

Once you’ve picked a spot it’s time to think about your composition. You don’t have to frame the whole factory or refinery in a single image, so look for close-ups or details that will make interesting shots. Refineries tend to look long and thin, so why not attach a longer lens and crop into the image to emphasise a particular aspect such as the pipe work? Or try to apply the ‘rule of thirds’ with smokestacks or cooling towers in the appropriate place. Look for people in shots, particularly on construction sites, as they give a great sense of scale. And if you can shoot them as silhouettes, even better because they will be unrecognisable. (If you can recognise people then you need to either get a model release signed which will be virtually impossible, or add a bit of blur to their faces in Photoshop.)

Shooting Industrial Landscapes - Industrial Light & Magic

Light is everything in photography; the quality of the light, its direction, colour and strength all help to make a shot, and this is true of industrial pictures just as much as landscape, travel or fashion images. Timing is vital for the right effect and usually requires an early start, especially if you are after mist swirling around a cooling tower or a chimney poking up through a bank of fog to catch the first rays of sunlight. Many industrial images benefit from being shot in the winter because the sun is much lower in the sky, making it more manageable. For example, you can hide it behind structures or even people to get brilliant silhouettes.

Mist and fog are much more prevalent in winter too, helping to add atmosphere to a shot. Think about shooting into the light at dawn or using side lighting to bring out textures and depth in buildings. However, try to avoid taking pictures with the midday sun directly overhead as this can be too harsh and very contrasty. Likewise, having the light directly behind you can flatten the look of an image. Understanding light and how it works may sound complicated, but it’s not. It’s all about observing, anticipating and reacting to the arc of the sun and the weather conditions – is it frosty, overcast, stormy, or raining? They all have a bearing on the quality of light and your final image.

Metering for the light is not a major issue with modern digital cameras as they can be extremely accurate, and of course you can check the image on your LCD monitor, along with the histogram. Know your camera and the capabilities of your lenses.

Shooting industrial images without actually being on site will invariably mean using medium tele-zooms (70-200mm) to much longer telephotos (300mm to 500mm), so using a good, sturdy tripod is essential. No ‘cheating’ with higher ISO speeds – do it properly; the higher the ISO the greater the noise which will detract from the image.