Hard Hats & Hustle: The Story of Industry in 5 Recent Photos

“Great photography is about depth of feeling, not depth of field.”— Peter Adams

As an industrial photographer, I’m not just capturing machines and materials; I’m chronicling the symphony of human ingenuity played out on factory floors and construction sites. It’s a world of grit and grace, where sparks fly alongside quiet determination, and the rhythmic clang of metal meets the focused hum of concentration.

OK, well, let’s tell it like it really is. These people work where it’s dirty, grimy, loud and smelly. Here are 5 recent images from different projects that showcase what they do and where they do it.

1. Laser-Focused (Western NC): She stands in a maze of pipes and valves, hard hat and safety goggles ready, clipboard clutched in hand, laser-focused on the task at hand. In that single frame, I saw someone unconcerned with the noise and distractions around her.

Michael LoBiondo Photography - worker moving glass for installation

2. The Glass Dance (Greensboro, NC): A ballet of brawn and precision. Making it looks easy as he maneuvers a glass panel, its surface reflecting the world around it in distorted fragments. Care in handling is one of the cornerstones of this client’s business, and a lifestyle shot like this helps demonstrate it clearly.

Michael LoBiondo Photography - walking along paper manufacturing rollers

3. The Catwalk King (NC): On the catwalk, bathed in the eerie glow of industrial lights, he walked. A lone figure in a vibrant yellow t-shirt, a stark contrast to the steel and shadows that surrounded him. By showing a member of the team in relation to the equipment, I can show the scale of this company’s manufacturing process.

Michael LoBiondo Photography - grinding metalwork

4. The Spark of Creation (Wisconsin): It is always a fleeting moment, captured in a fraction of a second, but one of my favorite images to capture. A grinder’s wheel spits fiery orange and yellow. This image shows a raw energy that fuels industry, a reminder that beauty can be found even in the most primal forms of creation. Action shots like this are one of the best ways to capture attention of your website or marketing materials.

Michael LoBiondo Photography - forklift operator moving product in warehouse

5. The Warehouse Waltz (Charlotte, NC): A dance of steel and rubber. A forklift, its driver focused on the path, conducting this silent symphony, orchestrating the flow of materials with practiced ease and constant motion. Clean lines and a neat, organized warehouse highlight the efficiency of this client’s supply chain.

These five images are just a glimpse into the vast world of commercial industrial photography. They are windows into progress and the human spirit. After more than 30 years in this business , it’s still an honor to be a storyteller in this world, to capture the beauty and the power that often go unseen. 2023 was filled with moments like these across the US. I can’t wait to see where 2024 brings me.

More later…

Michael

Lifestyle Photography: What is life without style?

“There is one thing the photo must contain – the humanity of the moment.”

                                                                        – Robert Frank, photographer

We’ve been shooting a lot of lifestyle photos this year for corporate, industrial, healthcare, and product clients.

Lifestyle photography conveys a mood. It helps bring customers closer to a brand and encourages them to act. It’s more about a feeling than about a process. Think photos that introduce us to:

Michael LoBiondo Photography - Women relaxing with first cup of coffee inside apartment

a woman relaxed and comfortable at home (commercial shot for residential developers for an apartment campaign)

Michael LoBiondo Photography - Man blowing leaves wearing protective gaiter over mouth

a homeowner whose mask makes a dusty job safer (shot for a healthcare products company)

Healthcare photography - 3 smiling nurses walking down a hospital hallway

nurses enjoying themselves, even in a demanding job (shot for a national hospital system)

Michael LoBiondo Photography-Corporate staffers in boardroom meeting

a team sharing a moment at work (shot for a Fortune 500 company)

Lifestyle photos are an essential part of a brand’s image library.

We are all about making lifestyle shoots easy. We can hire and work with models at your location. Or we can photograph your people, helping them feel comfortable to bring out their best. 

Now is a great time to book a lifestyle photography shoot, given all the options for natural light.  Check your photo library and see what lifestyle photos you’re missing. After all, what is life without style? 

Stay Creative,

Michael

We will miss her…

Photo by Michael LoBiondo

Grandmom Lena at her 100th Birthday Party

I wanted to share this photo of my Grandma who made it 102 years plus 8 months.  She passed away on Monday the 25th in her sleep.  She had 3 sons, 7 grandkids, and 11 great-grand children.  We were quite the crew around the dinner table with wives and kids and significant others.  Every morning she would tell my dad “Another day, George.  Thanks God”.  In all my years, I never heard her complain or say anything bad about anyone.  She grew up on farms, ate fresh farm food (can you say healthy) and loved Reeses.

I guess the thing to really know about her was she was truly generous. In our world of get it done now, what can I get out of it, etc..  she always thought of other folks…in her neighborhood, church, and the little area she lived in all her life.

In my last post, I said I would come back with images from the great New Jersey shore.  This shot, although taken 2 years and 8 months ago, is much more important.  Call your parents, grandparents, kids, loved ones, neighbors, and anyone else you can think of.  Just say “I was thinking about you”.

Thanks for letting me get personal.

More later…

ML