Surviving the Heat: Industrial Photography at a TMT Bar Factory in the 1990s

At the peak of my advertising and industrial photography career in the mid-1990s, I had an uncanny knack for landing assignments in the most challenging environments—often during the scorching summer months. One such project took me to a TMT bar factory, where the heat was double trouble, not only for me but also for my gear. The sweltering conditions pushed us to our limits, but we managed to survive the worst and produce the best.

I used the Bronica ETRS (6x4.5) with 120 film, a medium-format camera known for its sharp image quality and reliability. With no artificial lights at my disposal, I relied entirely on ambient light inside the factory. The harsh summer sun filtered through the factory’s structure, casting dramatic shadows and highlighting the raw textures of the TMT bars and machinery. It was a test of patience and skill to balance the exposure in such unpredictable lighting, but the Bronica delivered stunning results, capturing the grit and scale of the industrial setting with remarkable clarity.

Looking back from 2025, this shoot remains a testament to the resilience required in industrial photography—especially in an era before modern cooling gear or digital editing could ease the process. It’s a reminder that sometimes, the toughest conditions can lead to the most rewarding shots.

 #IndustrialPhotography #1990sPhotography #TMTBarFactory #BronicaETRS #AmbientLight #Fotocafestudios #PhotographyChallenges #SummerShoots #AdvertisingPhotography #MediumFormatFilm

— Fotocafestudios

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