Join Now
Join ePHOTOzine, the friendliest photography community.
Upload photos, chat with photographers, win prizes and much more for free!
- View Large
Upgrade to e2 to view large
Upgrade to e2 membership to see a large version of this photo. - Comments
-
I keep referring to my industrial photography past, so I thought I would put some in for comment. This is a stand in a wire rod mill rolling 4 steel bars at once. The main output of this mill is tyre cord steel in 5mm, two tonne coils. High value stuff. About £1400 a tonne. That's why tyres cost so much. Very strong yet pliable. Then cold drawn at customers works to 0.12mm diameter for cars, 0.18 for lorries and buses.
Canon EOS 300D with 28/135 mm IS lens on tripod. 1/60 @ f5.6. ISO400. Care needed due to airborne dust and foreign bodies. One of the main problems that even the walkways vibrate. I was about 3 metres up on a steel grid walkway for this shot at the full 135mm. Quite a few show movement due to vibration. The buildings are designed to move slightly otherwise they would soon suffer fatigue fracture of columns.
Paul
| Camera: | Canon EOS 300D |
| Lens: | 28/135 IS USM |
| Recording media: | JPEG (digital) |
| Title: | Rolling wire rod. |
| Username: | 
paulbroad |
| Uploaded: | 3 Feb 2013 - 9:48 AM |
| Tags: | Camera, Clean., Danger, General, Heat, Mill, Roll, Water |
| VS Mode Rating |
100 (50% won) These stats show the percentage of wins and the rating score that your photo has achieved. You can go to the VS Mode by clicking on this icon. Signup to e2Signup to e2 to see which photo this has won or lost against in the vs mode |
| Votes: | Voting Disabled |
 | Critique Wanted |
| Modifications Welcome (Upload a Modification) |
Comments
An interesting shot Paul, and the colours here really put you in the midst of the process. You can almost feel the heat here!
Great shot Paul - it has super colours and textures
Just uploaded a little mod Paul, nothing drastic as for me the image worked well. I simply softened the rather harsh shapes and forms of the machinery and the steam, thus creating a rather more appealing image. Hope you like the result mate.
Regards Nathan 
Fascinating insight in what for me is an alien world. Looks like a hot and potentially dangerous place. Is that heat or steam shown by the mist?
These are very interesting images to the likes of me, totally different
Ian
Both, Ian. It is not safe to approach high speed rolling closely. I was about 30 metres away here. The rod is at about 1100 degrees centigrade at this point and actually gets hotter to to heat generated by deformation. The water is there to cool the rolls. If they suffer thermal cycling, hot, cold, hot, cold, as steel passes through, then stops, they would shatter.
Operates under VERY strict rules. Believe me!
Paul
In my younger days I worked at Workington Steel Plant, and your picture brings back those terrifying days when I had to go and collect tests from the Rolling Mill. So great photo when you consider the conditions, mind you I do think Nathan Mod is more pleasing to the eye.
Mike.
Wow.. It's a scary place... only for blokes... Brave blokes...
You are good at this, Paul. I remember one of these of yours before... the colour is really beautiful. Apart from the metal bars, what are the things behind,please? There are some steam, I wonder what is the vertical one pouring down to the ground. I noticed that you didn't use the "Milky" shutter speed, it is nice to have the contrast of the smooth bars and the sparking vertical.. (I don't know what it is...) They are certainly rare images and interesting to look at..What the temperature of the steel Bar? Is it perfectly safe for the sensor and eyes when you take the photo?
BTW, thank you for the helpful critique on the lamp.
Jas.
Have a look back a few comments, Jas. Some questions answered there. Not actually as dangerous as it looks. Once was and serious injury and even death was not uncommon. I ws involved to some degree in dealing with accidents and, hopefully, preventing them. The safety features now involved are so complex and the rules so stringent that it can be difficult to do the job.
This is only dangerous if you get too close and, as with many industrial processes, is only dangerous if things go wrong. Noise, dirt, moisture etc. are all difficult to deal with as a photographer and I had to clean my gear after every on plant session.
Paul
Add a Comment
ePHOTOzine, the web's friendliest photography community.
Upload photos, chat with photographers, win prizes and much more.
Related Content
Join Our Free Newsletter
Awards
Current Competitions
Olympus 'Portraiture' Competition - Win £1000 Worth Of Gear!
30th April 2013 - 31st May 2013
This month, to celebrate the launch of Olympus' new micro site Olympus Image Space, Olympus are giving you the chance to win £1000 worth of Olympus gear!...
Featured e2 Photo
May's Photo Month
Check out ePHOTOzine's inspirational photo month calendar! Each day click on a window to unveil new photography tips, treats and techniques.
