I love to observe and photograph buildings under construction. Step by step, layer by layer, a building morphs and emerges from the ground.
No matter its ultimate purpose, every new building starts the same way: from the ground up, one piece at a time. Long before the lights go on and interiors are decorated, construction teams are busy laying the groundwork for a structure that will stand the test of time.
This concrete pour established the foundation of what would eventually become a massive water park.
The completed water park, a year later.
At this Atlantic City water park-to-be, we arrived before dawn to watch more than a hundred cement trucks deliver concrete. Months later, we returned to photograph the site after the slides and water had been added.
An enormous crane is the only way to reach the roof of this meat-processing facility.
A picture may be worth a thousand words, but on a construction site, each photo we take is worth a thousand steps.
Photographing from a drone can show off a building or site’s sheer size, but it can also highlight just how many people are involved in the process.
From my drone’s vantage point, the construction workers look like busy bees in their bright safety vests!
Since many aspects of a building’s “insides” are sealed up after completion, it’s important to make sure pieces are aligned, joints are tight, and gaps are filled. Skilled craftspeople, machine operators, and managers work together to deliver a high-quality finished structure.
Exact measurements are vital to ensuring a perfect fit.
Keeping everything level to keep everyone safe.
A brand-new exterior is the most prominent feature of any new building, but underneath those finished surfaces lie a myriad of hidden systems—wiring, plumbing, rebar, and more—that are just as fascinating to explore and photograph. Photographing the construction process in full allows us to highlight the work of the skilled constructors whose meticulous work is often unseen after completion.
Each part of this roof must be carefully assembled to properly serve the facility inside.