As seen in the June issue of Cleveland Magazine, fresh on the newsstand, a few spreads from a story I shot about the steel industry in Cleveland (click on the images for full-screen view).
Growing up in the Rust Belt I was for the longest time fascinated by these behemoths of industry. From the first time I had my own car I've been constantly driving through the maze of filthy roads that criss-cross the industrial Flats of the city, where these mammoth mills of smoke and steam straddle both sides of the Cuyahoga River. I'd snap pictures of the rusty landscape--what I could take in of it from the outside at least. So of course when the commission came calling w/ promises that I'd gain "open access" (always a relative term) to the steel mill's operations, I was quick to jump on it in anticipation of fulfilling a long-sought dream come true.
The plan was that I'd photograph the steel-making process over a series of a few visits to the mill, in addition to some time spent w/ specific steelworkers who'd be interviewed for the story and photographing them on the job. So as I prepared for my first entry into the sprawling complex, I had visions dancing in my head of W. Eugene Smith and his "Dream Street" Pittsburgh project in the 1950s, or the earlier labor photos from Lewis Hine, and other masters who have detailed the industrial world thru photography.
Of course upon arrival I was confronted w/ the modern-day reality of automated and mechanized manufacturing technology, and quickly snapped out of my misplaced daydreaming. Admittedly it was a bit disappointing to see that many of the steelworkers who I had expected to be smothered in black and visually rich were instead just men and women in jeans and t-shirts monitoring the progress from the climate-controlled confines of computer booths. Granted this was not the case for all, and our main character Don ended up being the perfect protagonist: gruff, full of character, rough around the edges, extremely hard-working, and a straight shooter.For me I think the main highlight had to be the blast furnace, where, at the beginning of the steel-making process, raw materials are melted down into molten iron and slag. Standing in that drafty structure and watching the glowing lava-like liquid flow through the grates beneath my feet, watching the burning orange embers leap around me, and getting my entire self and my gear covered in the soft grey snowflakes of ash, all made for a surreal experience that I'll never forget--but you won't see any of that, b/c I confess that in my complete awe I was wholly unable to make a picture that really captured the essence of what the blast furnace is and what goes on there...
Ultimately I walked away feeling like it was one of my favorite photography experiences ever--the type you wish would never end, so naturally I wish, as always, that I'd had more time...