Industrial Photography in San Diego
Ed Carreon covers industrial photography projects in San Diego and has over 25 years of experience transforming industrial environments into compelling visual narratives. His expertise elevates brands through striking imagery.
He collaborates closely with marketing, communications, and design teams, bringing seasoned skills and the resources of his production network to every project. He has a proven track record serving industrial clients throughout a wide range of industries.
Ed's background as a photojournalist for publications like National Geographic, Newsweek, Fortune, Forbes, Time magazine, and The New York Times honed his ability to work in challenging environments, find beauty in labor, and expertly craft visual stories of industrial life cycles
Ed’s Journey into Commercial Industrial Photography in San Diego
Ed began shooting manufacturing photography when on assignment for the New York Times. At the time, he just wanted to get industrial images into his portfolio, so I would ask the small companies he would shoot on assignment if he could trade images for access to their manufacturing or refining facilities.
Yes, one could say he was shooting for free, but in exchange, he built a portfolio of industrial photography in San Diego and throughout California that has served him well. Nowadays, he will reduce his fee to access unique facilities if he wants to do novel drone work that he needs to show in his portfolio.
Below are some of the first industrial photographs he made in San Diego County. Because of his background in photojournalism, he developed a style of shooting using natural light as his primary light source, although many of his photographs that look naturally lit have a tiny bit of on-camera flash to fill shadows to enhance photographs.
Our Industrial Photography Process
Ed shoots large and small jobs. For some commercial clients, he needs a lot of strobe lights and assistants to help with the setup and lighting design of the set, while for other clients, he works alone.
Back in the day, when he began freelancing, he worked for magazines where there was an understanding among the editors and photographers of what complete coverage was. It started with a beginning, middle, and end, or a wide overall shot, a medium shot of people in action, and then a visual detail emblematic of what was happening.
The same goes for his industrial photography assignments. Ed tries and get overall images that show the scale and capacity of the operation, then medium images of people working on machines to show capability, and finally visual details emblematic of what goes on in the operation. This is a formula learned as a photojournalist.
Post-shoot, images are expertly edited and delivered via convenient platforms like Dropbox or WeTransfer.
Below are some photographs from an assignment of commercial drilling operations in San Diego County. There is an overall shot of the drilling operation from a drone, a medium of operators attaching a drill pipe, and a visual detail of working hands. Ed was on his own for this assignment because he didn’t need any strobe lighting; just his ability to tell a story, fly a drone, and compose every image. .
Industrial Sectors Covered
Industrial Sectors include:
Waste Management
Transportation
Warehousing
Aerospace
Shipping
Construction
Manufacturing
Energy
Pharmaceutical
Agriculture
Mining
The common denominator among these industries is that they require a visual story to distinguish themselves from their competitors, and I help execute their visions.
No matter the nature of the industry, I use the language of the visual narrative to describe their visions. No matter if we are using high or low production values.
Industrial Photography Services.
As one of the top industrial photographers in the USA, Ed offers comprehensive services across various industry sectors. His projects range from efficient half-day shoots to extensive multi-day productions.
He is a certified part 107 drone pilot, providing unique aerial perspectives from both exteriors and interiors of buildings. Drone coverage allows for capturing the capacity and capabilities of most industries.
He also offers expertise in portraiture and architectural photography, eliminating the need to hire multiple specialists. If needed, he can recommend equally skilled photographers nationwide.
Services
Commercial Industrial Photography
Industrial Product Photography
Manufacturing Process Documentation
Drone Videography and Photography
Portrait & Architectural Photography
Comprehensive Post-Production
National Referral Network
Industrial Product Photography
Case Study
Some commercial projects require major production values, needing thousands of watts of light and multiple assistants to help with the setup and lighting design. For the assignment below, we shot Relativity Space’s 3D welding machines used to create rocket housings, and some images of people working. They were shot on separate days.
Because of my experience, I understand what I don’t know, so I call in people with expertise I don’t have and never take unnecessary safety risks. In this case, I knew in theory how to shoot the welder, but the setup would require expert photography assistants who knew how to light movie sets and car shoots. I could not afford to fall on my face in front of the client. Ugh…..
For the 3D welder, my first assistant and I scouted and determined we needed 15,000 watts of light with four assistants to make it happen. The lights were hung on 20-foot towers and shot through a 20X20 translucent cloth. The whole thing took 12 hours to execute, and it went off without a hitch, though not without danger of catastrophic failure, so I never took any risks in the lighting setup. To date, it is one of the most elaborate and satisfying industrial lighting setups I have ever done.
Industrial Photography Rates
Industrial photography rates are project-based and competitive with commercial photographers of equal merit in San Diego County. Basic post-production and compositing are included in most fees.
Why Work with Ed?
No matter the nature of the industry, he uses only the language of the visual narrative to describe their visions. He is a generalist with expertise in industrial photography, architecture, portrait work, and business lifestyle, and they all come into play when I work for my clients. They don’t have to hire separate photographers for different aspects of their needs
Ed is known for his collaborative spirit and ability to excel under pressure. His style allows him to cover a lot of ground quickly. He has a great sense of humor and is easy to work with.
Give us a call to talk about your project.
Geographic Reach
Ed Carreon Photography serves clients throughout Southern California, including San Diego, Los Angeles, Riverside, Orange County, Pasadena, Long Beach, and Ventura.
