Commercial Photography
I recently did a portrait project for a client. We photographed a bunch of employees for posters to be displayed on workplace walls along with inspirational quotes. The plan was to create dramatically lit portraits to print in duotone. Here are a couple of the images. One was taken in the warehouse, the other in the offices. Let me know what you think.
Every picture tells a story. That's what Rod Stewart said. For this project, my client wanted a story about the people who develop and manufacture the product. It could have been about the manufacturing process or about the product. We spent the day shooting and encountered lots of remarkable people. Let me know what you think!
Shooting glass products can be tricky. It's not just transparent – it's also shiny. It's essential to see the background behind the glass and have things (lights) reflecting in the glass to reveal it's shininess. The edge of the glass needs to be a different value than the background so you can see the shape. I think I solved those problems for my client that manufactures these industrial LED lights. What do you think?
I like shooting portraits on location. Getting people in their own environment. In some ways, it's easier to see someone's soul when they are on their home turf. This day I was photographing some exceptional women who were being recognized for there work. I enjoy the excitement of pulling together the location/background, the lighting, and posing until everything works. Or at least I think it does. What do you think? 
You know that this oil can hasn’t been used in a while. Years? Decades? Hard to say, but that’s a fine layer of dust. The overall patina is pretty nice too. I can imagine some old creaky geezer oiling a noisy machine 60 years ago. A simple white background lets it speak for itself. Let me know what you think.
3D printing is the future. I got a little glimpse of It recently while shooting at an Ann Arbor firm that does 3D printing. I photographed their process and final products. They print in plastic and metal. It’s absolutely fascinating; a little like science fiction. One of the favorite things about my job is the peek into compelling worlds that I would never otherwise see. Let me know what you think!
Lead-acid batteries have been the standard in cars since the beginning. They are rectangular prisms too. This is a lithium-ion battery, so it's smaller and lighter. But still a box! The orange background helps it out. What do you think?
That’s how I feel about plumbing. Is it really not leaking? Why is this thingie the wrong size? Rats, I’ve got to go back to the store again. No Fun!
On the other hand low-key images with lots of texture make me smile. Either it’s a metaphor for midwest industry, or just a couple of old monkey wrenches. Regardless, I like the color and feel of the image. Let me know how you feel.
My next-door neighbor has a lot of interesting old stuff. His door was open recently, and I saw this table saw. It's a working saw, my neighbor still uses it. I was drawn to the colors and textures. It feels like it's hiding wisdom. I asked him if I could borrow it for a few hours. I'm interested in your thoughts. 
Location Photography has its share of challenges. There are lots of things you cannot control, weather large among them. On this day it was snowing and below freezing all day. We persisted and ended up with lots of good photography—the result of a great client and crew. Let me know what you think. 
How to communicate hand-craftsmanship in a photograph? Hands! Specifically, the hands of the maker. I’ve been making photographs of Richard’s hands with his jewelry for over twenty years. I love the juxtaposition of his dirty working hands and the intricate shiny metal. The contrast between Richard’s dark hands and the bright jewelry makes the product pop. I’m always interested in your thoughts.
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It’s hard to believe that it’s been a year since the the last “No-Show Black Tie” fund raiser. The Bottomless Toy Chest delivers art projects, crafts and interactive games to hospitalized pediatric cancer patients. Toys are the subject again. It sorta fits. This is a Mr. Potato Head year. It was lots of fun playing toys and taking photos. We should all be heading over to The Bottomless Toy Chest do donate. Do it!
I love photographing shiny things. Kinda doesn't matter what it is. Cars, jewelry, industrial parts or tools, as long as it’s Shiny. I photographed this tap on a white background and put in the blue handmade paper in post production. I’m always interested in what you think.
Detroit Medical product Photographer
Who knew surgeons used torque wrenches? I don’t think about it that much, but I guess it makes sense. Surgeons are sort of body mechanics. True, the stakes may be higher than a brake job on your car, but a bad brake job could be fatal too. Anyway, we spent the day working and collaborating with an excellent art director and ended up with a bunch of nice images and had a good time as well. Let me know what you think.
Medical Device Photography
They aren’t selling sandwiches, or bread, or meat. It’s just a photograph of a sandwich that has meat in it that uses their sausage casing. It’s been called a copy warmer. You can call it what you want, I call it Tasty! Let me know what you think.
Detroit Photographer Thomas Kirby
Here in Detroit we have Coney dogs, Coney Island hot dogs. Like our neighbor to the North's dish of poutine, there is no pretense of health. I suppose you could argue hot dogs themselves are not all that healthy. But when you smother them in chili, mustard and onions you reach a new level. And, like doughnuts, bacon, and all unhealthy foods, they are delicious. Chicago Dogs on the other hand at least have the air of being healthy, with their vegetables, pickles, and the like. Lots of fun to shoot with a super client and crew.
Detroit Industrial Photographer
Without forktrucks, industry would grind to a halt. Since the early 20th century forktrucks have been the way things get moved around a warehouse, and trucks and railroad cars get loaded. Like everything else, technology has made them faster and safer. In my client’s case, industrial designers have made them easier to use and nicer to look at. My job is to find interesting angles and light that flatter the design. I am always interested in your thoughts and comments.
Industrial Photographer Blue Sky Photography
Visibility is important if you’re driving a fork truck. Vision is important in many jobs. I am generally not a fan of “straight on” shots, but in this case it’s kind of dramatic. The diagonals provided by the red forks are dynamic and the strong verticals of the mast create a sense of strength. And it all frames the eyes. Please let me know what you think.
Detroit Industrial Photography
The biggest of these little steel balls is about a millimeter in diameter, about the thickness of a dime. It’s called wire cut shot. It's used in industrial processes. I had to level the table so it wouldn’t all roll away. It’s challenging to get them into the shape you want and make it look natural and random. I love the little glimpses into otherwise invisible areas that commercial photography provides.
I was photographing jewelry for a catalog with my friend Richard when he slid some small rings onto a bit of rolled up paper. It didn’t work for the catalog we were shooting, but I thought it looked pretty cool. I enjoy spontaneous moments like that one. Because Richard created the jewelry, he has ideas about what it should look like in 2 dimensions. Collaborating on projects like this one is a highlight of my job.