RECYCLING PHOTOGRAPHY –
QMR BUS ADVERTISING:

Recycling photography is very much a niched area of industrial photography, one that requires a clear understanding of safety requirements and experience.

QMR Recyclers (QMR) is a family owned and operated metal recycling company with yards in Yatala and Rockhampton, QLD.

Operating since 2003, QMR trades in both ferrous and non-ferrous recycled metals. The yards collect the metals then process, package and export throughout the world. Using state-of-the-art machinery to process the materials keeping waste to a minimum while maximising yield. QMR is a leader in the recycling industry with a dedicated vision of cutting edge service and unbeatable remuneration for its clientele.

QMR proudly contributes to the sustainability of the Australian economy. Every tonne of recycled steel creates a saving of over 1 tonne of iron ore.

The Photography Brief:

The first meeting with QMR and Jackson Chambers, the managing director was to gauge if I was a good fit. After 20 minutes of discussion, outlining both my experience on a plethora of industrial environments including metal recycling plus decades of marketing and design we knew it was an excellent fit.

The campaign goal was to create awareness and promote the public access of the resale yards that trade in scrap metals. The scrap metal yards sell and buy a range of scrap metal to and from the public. This saves the general public from having to buy new metal based products as well as paying them cash for scrap metal found around the home.

The main aim of the exercise was to capture imagery that was dynamic enough to grab attention while showing materials that were easily distinguishable by the average person when shown on the side of a moving bus.

Jackson and the team were comfortable enough to allow me on to site after a brief safety induction to gather the imagery that may be used in the final bus side artwork. The biggest advantage of experience in both industrial photography and marketing is an understanding of stock photography as well. Understanding the exercise at hand is number one, but leveraging the cost of a photographer on site at the same time to shoot additional imagery that can be used in future marketing campaigns and pieces is the real ROI.

Getting the images:

The images had to be cleanly photographed, with clear distinction from background distractions, which as you can imagine, is difficult in a scrap yard environment. The clever use of depth-of-field, composition and dynamic angles that would work in the landscape format of the bus side print was of key importance.

Colour handling is also a key factor when shooting recycling photography for use with company logos and call-to-action typography within the artwork. The clever balance of information and visual activity is always front of mind so as not to make image use difficult for the designer. Keeping the main direction in mind while also shooting enough alternative frames for the designer to choose from is also an important aspect of image creation.

Working with the client goal in mind:

It doesn’t matter what the focus of a shoot is or where a photographer is working, the clients “end goal” is always the most important aspect of every photography project. It is easy for a photographer to get lost in the bustle of an industrial environment or get carried away with the excitement of the subject, so choosing a photographer with all aspects of experience in the client environment is key to success.

If you need a solution to a recycling photography project that sounds similar to this, or you have the need for photography similar to another of our case studies, you can contact me here or
give me a call on: 0414 464 571