The Paper Mill by taffy

The Paper Mill

Inspired by Sean O'Neill's @seanoneill b&w industrial photography. I've been wanting to take a shot in Sean's style for ages. On a boat tour yesterday between Amelia and Cumberland Island, we had a view of the paper mill which employs about 1000 local folks and is a main driving economic force here (other than tourism). It was huge, has its own power system that serves as backup for local institutions like hospitals in the event of power outage, and operates 24-7. Driving at night, from a distance, with the lights on, it looks like a mid-sized city. Quite at odds with the beach-town feel of the area.
Processed in silver efex and Aperture.
Main album: http://365project.org/taffy/365/2014-03-01
And funny cormorant in extras: http://365project.org/taffy/the-also-ran-ph/2014-03-01
@seanoneill Sean, I've learned a lot from studying your work. I hope you see this as a compliment to you! Any suggestions from you are more than welcome!
March 2nd, 2014  
Incredible picture. Really is a special picture.
March 2nd, 2014  
Great b&w
March 2nd, 2014  
I love Sean's work too and this is fantastic! Fav.
March 2nd, 2014  
The steam would make Sean proud. It looks great .
March 2nd, 2014  
This is awesome. Love the steam
March 2nd, 2014  
Stunning. Great processing.
March 2nd, 2014  
Love the B&W! Great steam capture.
March 2nd, 2014  
Very evocative
March 2nd, 2014  
Great industrial image!
March 2nd, 2014  
I really like this shot. fav.
March 2nd, 2014  
I don't like the topic, but the shot is perfect in b&w, great silhouettes and smoke clouds!
March 2nd, 2014  
very dark and industrial. good shot
March 2nd, 2014  
great industrial shot - those clouds of steam and smoke are amazing
March 2nd, 2014  
Great image.
March 2nd, 2014  
Fantastic image.
March 2nd, 2014  
It is straight out of the top drawer Taffy, from the quality of the detail in the smoke and steam contrasted against the silver-grey sky to the detail in the buildings when viewed large, all overlaid with immense drama.

What all this adds up to for me is an industrial shot of the highest quality that tells me that within this scene there are people very hard at work earning an honest wage, which I think is one of the things that differentiates a brilliant industrial shot from an ordinary one. I am honoured that you see me as an inspiration for this. It wins my "I Wish I had Taken This Shot" award. @bella_ss @rvwalker Thank you both for your name checks, you are both very kind, and very good friends.
March 2nd, 2014  
Oh, and a very big Fav, of course.
March 2nd, 2014  
So impressive when viewed large. Love the lighting in the smoke! Great comp. Fav :)
March 2nd, 2014  
Awesome shot - so much detail in this. Love everything about it. Fav
March 2nd, 2014  
Awesome shot, great contrasts between the smoke and the sky and smokestacks. fabulous lighting - fav
March 2nd, 2014  
Great industrial photo.
March 2nd, 2014  
very dramatic. love it.
March 2nd, 2014  
Great industrial shot
March 2nd, 2014  
I like the high contrast here.
March 2nd, 2014  
Nice
March 2nd, 2014  
Gorgeous with all the smoke and in b&w!!
March 2nd, 2014  
A powerful shot on many levels, the contrast is great and the light shining in the clouds balances the silhouette of the building.
March 2nd, 2014  
I love the way you've processed this to bring out the smoke and steam - really dramatic.
March 2nd, 2014  
Great shot- looks like pollution, but I know it's steam!
March 2nd, 2014  
Fav. Fantastic shot. Love the steam. Taffy does @seanoneill, winning combination if you ask me
March 2nd, 2014  
Wow.................very atmospheric shot............love how the smoke and steam stand out.
fav
March 3rd, 2014  
@seanoneill Thanks so much, Sean! As you can see, I've really learned a lot, so I'm really thrilled you saw it as a good image!
March 3rd, 2014  
Love this, so much drama
March 4th, 2014  
Magnificent processing, fabulous image, love the moody atmosphere! A FAV!
March 4th, 2014  
Ah yes I know Fernandina Beach well. We have anchored off the town, been in the town slips and kept our sailboat at a local boatyard in a creek to the north of town. They have some great places to eat, super cool fort, wonderful beaches and disgusting sulfur smell from the plant. I have a pic of my kids with cloths pins on their noses from the smell. LOL Super capture.
March 4th, 2014  
@taffy Are you still near this place Taffy? I had a thought for a different style of shot. How about a break teh rules big negative space shot with the Grad Filter popped over the top in SFX Pro? A bit like this one but with more steam! http://365project.org/seanoneill/365/2013-07-17
March 5th, 2014  
@seanoneill I remember the shot from the 3rd and loved the other one. No, we're back in Chicago now. I'm going to go back through the images, though and see if any of them would, with cropping, lend themselves to more negative space. The problem was getting the smoke without all the buildings in front of it, as from the boat, I was pretty limited in the angle -- where the boat went, that's what I had to work with. I like this idea, though, of the greater negative space. Heading out of town again tomorrow for work, so it gives me something to work with if I can't take any photos while gone (but it's California, on the sea, so I'm hoping for some more ocean shots -- it's such a treat for me as a land-locked person!).
March 5th, 2014  
@taffy You are always travelling Taffy, I get tired just reading about it!! Yes, I can see it was tricky from the boat. Maybe negative space is an idea for next time. It works well with seascapes too, especially if you can get a pier or bridge or boat in the frame. Have a great time.
March 5th, 2014  
@seanoneill Thanks Sean -- I'll watch for something that will work. We'll be driving from the airport to the place for the meeting and hopefully it will be along the coast. I have supportive travel colleagues who know I am photography obsessed at the moment. It's been odd traveling again -- after almost 18 months of being home because of our dog's needs. So a lot of delayed things have been packed into the last 6 months, but it's given me many new photo ops!
March 5th, 2014  
Very nice! There is a cement plant that I want to capture but haven't been there at the right moment yet.
March 7th, 2014  
Ah! You were in my territory. I have been at Amelia the past 8 or so years at Fernandina. But, I've spent every yearvof my life near here or Savannah where paper mills are abundant. Theres a great route to drive from Atlanta to the coast to see where the trees grow, get stripped and then get transport ed. The mills are so important for many reasons but they are sorta stinky.
March 8th, 2014  
Here was my view last April of same area! http://365project.org/darylo/365/2013-04-05
March 8th, 2014  
Lovely shot. Really nice shadows under the steam clouds.
March 10th, 2014  
Love the gritty, journalistic style, a superb capture.
March 10th, 2014  
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