Richard Mackson's Posts
KA-BOOM!!
So what if we threw an implosion and nobody came? Fat chance of that! Over the weekend, Kodak used the method of "explosive demolition" to bring down two buildings in Kodak Park.
Like all events of this type, there is an opportunity for great photographs and for lead-ins to many bad puns! I will spare you the small photographs and just provide blow-ups.
The one thing about implosions is that it's all about Physics and the findings of Sir Isaac Newton. Once the detonation takes place, the building is going to fall. And it is going to happen at 32 feet per second/per second! Not exactly gone in a flash but you get the picture.
Normally when photographing a building, you handle it as a still life. But implosions turn an inanimate object into an architectural version of Michael Jordon bringing down the house with a nitro packed dunk shot, and with all the grace of a free falling refrigerator cratering in after being dropped from an airplane.
The way we handled the coverage was the way Sports Illustrated would handle a horse race. Find the best angles, man them with photographers (out of harms way, of course), or put remote cameras in places that would question a person's sanity. In our case we did both. Did you ever wonder how SI got those "dynamite" shots from under the rail? Primed and ready, we did the same.
Several cameras were positioned with wide angles lenses (17mm-35mm) within the exclusion zone (500 foot perimeter) with wires trailing back to assistants whose job was to "push the button" as gravity did the rest. Well back from the potential debris zone, other photographers with longer lenses blasted away. To get a sense of place, we had a photographer positioned high atop a building recording the "establishing shot," just as you would photograph the infield at Churchill Downs on the first Saturday of May.
Unlike a horse race, there is no starting gate. Once the detonation sequence begins, the building is coming down. So to make sure we got the shot, each of us had motor driven digital cameras capable of shooting up to 8+ frames a second. Some of the remotes were the venerable Hasselblad ELX, dubbed by many as a battle tank, medium format cameras loaded with 24-exposure rolls of film. We even had one photographer dedicated to covering the event in stereoscopic 3D for that explosive look. Both 35mm and super 16mm motion picture cameras were used, as well as the latest in HD video recording.
The camera survived!... But did I get the shot?... Yes! Got the shot!
Why so many cameras and so many angles? You never know what is going to happen. All the pre-planning helps but, in reality, it's an educated guess. Besides, there is no re-shoot. In other words, there's no provision for a false start.
So there you have it - briefly how it was done. Now that the dust has settled and the rapture of adrenalin has worn off, hope you enjoy the pictures. Photographing the implosion was a blast; everyone did a bang up job and it really rocked the house! (Ugh!)
For more implosion coverage check out Tom Hoehn's post at 1000words.kodak.com.
Comments
Posted By: Frank (10/12/2007)
Comment: Just after I was married I made an application at Kodak and to my great surprise, I was hired. My wife and I were so happy that I now had a job that used to be called "from the womb to the tomb." Unfortunately, Kodak is now almost a tomb. Thank God I was outsourced to IBM and Grandfathered into their retirement plan.
Posted By: Think. (9/1/2007)
Comment: Okay, well, 'a rose by any other name', an implosion is when something is blown up from the inside, which it clearly did. Hasselblads were used in photographing of this because that is what the event needed, a Hasselblad. And Mr. Mackson is no dufe, but he was having fun. Anyways, I like how you compare everything to sports. Although the humor needs to be improved, its well written.
Posted By: Former EK'er (8/1/2007)
Comment: It is a shame that so many good people have fallen victim to poor management decisions made by individuals in high ranking overpaid postions who will feel little pain. Best of luck to fellow former Kodakers who also had their retirement plans so drastically effected.
Posted By: http:// (7/16/2007)
Comment: This Kodak™ moment has been brought to you by.... Fuji Film and Hewlett-Packard printers. Thank you. Come again.
Posted By: http:// (7/12/2007)
Comment: Quite sad really at many, many levels. What a waste of resources.
Posted By: a rose by any other name... (7/11/2007)
Comment: When I see the word "implosion" used to describe an event that is clearly an "explosion", I feel as though my head will implode...or explode.
Posted By: Dalit (7/4/2007)
Comment: I'd much rather have seen Kodak cameras shooting this event than Hasselblad, their competitor. Why not position some Leaf Aptus cameras? You'd have achieved amazing quality AND the speed to boot.
Posted By: Federico (7/4/2007)
Comment: Many people felt hurt about this event and I believe it has to deal with not yet feelink the AIO printers as "ours". I am amazed with the ammount of Videos in youtube and so many people taking pictures during the implosion. I think it calls for a "post event" analysis. I think the relation with the AIO printers was not that "natural" as it can be with Imaging in general, which is still our core business. This kind of event is something very few people in the world have a chance to see, it definately is a Kodak Moment (despict the fact that it was a Kodak building) and it is great that Kodak moments are captured with Kodak technology.
Posted By: Anon (7/2/2007)
Comment: Dufe, you're having too much fun...
Posted By: Fred (7/2/2007)
Comment: So that is what those signs said. For the cost of the signs, I wonder how many non-Kodakers really saw what they said? I watched channel 13 and CNN and couldn't make them out there.... Sad to say this but perhaps B23 and the 69/65 complex should have stayed up. B69 would be a much more digital Headquarters than that silly old Art Deco thing we have on State Street.
Posted By: David (7/2/2007)
Comment: You know, it was sad watching the buildings come down,it's just a sign of the times and demonstrates technology has advanced. There's nothing wrong with this event and Kodak folks need to focus on the good times, fun and the fact Kodak still made Rochester and alot of other companies and folks successful. Kodak is still here in whatever form that may be. How many people have wonderful homes, professional children in all fields of work due to Eastman's Kodak? Kodak wil be here a long time both in transition and fond memories. Look at the Sears warehouse is Sears gone?
Posted By: Stan (7/2/2007)
Comment: Since this is the tech blog, I do have a question. You mention motor driven digital cameras. What exactly does the motor drive? I shot the B-23 implosion with both my digital and film cameras. My digital camera can only capture 4-5 frames before it needs to write; while my film camera happily advanced through and entire roll of film to capture the entire event. Thanks.
Posted By: Danny Buchanan (7/1/2007)
Comment: Good stuff! Nothing like a bit of "controlled" mayhem to end to month. Bet you enjoyed it. :P
Posted By: Mads Pedersen (7/1/2007)
Comment: That looiks fun! And yes, please. I'd like to see it in 3DHD :-D