The following images are from an ongoing commission by Amada Oceania, who contacted me to document their products in operation throughout the factories of their Melbourne customers.

Amada specialise in making industrial laser cutters, and the latest generation of these lasers are able to quickly cut to such an incredibly precise level of detail, that the company fabricating box fireplaces can now produce a precision product in a very time efficient manner.

The challenge in photographing this particular laser in operation was that I was not allowed in the room during the process, as exposure to the intense light would result in blindness. Also, the entire top assembly and product table move rapidly during the cutting operation, which is carried out in a dark room. Consequently I had to use several flashguns to capture the machinery and illuminate the room, while combining this with a time exposure after setting the camera on a delayed timer (the room being totally sealed I could not run a cable release through to the outside…)

I often find myself working in less than optimal environments in terms of lighting, so I am always carry a portable flash kit to be able to highlight the product (and in this case the operator).

I always relish the challenge that this type of work provides; my thanks to Jan from Amada Oceania for the opportunity!