Daily Photo Dose

The Widelux captures an expansive 35mm panoramic frame, emphasizing the bridge’s sweeping cables, massive stone towers, and the scale of the surrounding skyline in a way that traditional cameras simply can’t.

While crossing the bridge, I was equally drawn to the everyday moments unfolding around its architecture. In one frame, a worker locks eyes with the camera while replacing a security camera high above the East River, adding an unexpected human element to one of the world’s most iconic engineering structures. Together, these photographs explore both the timeless design of the Brooklyn Bridge and the constant work required to keep it functioning for the millions of people who cross it each year.

By May of 2022, photography assignments were finally beginning to trickle back in after a long stretch of uncertainty. Like many photographers emerging from the pandemic, I was saying yes to just about every opportunity that came my way. When my friend and colleague Nathan Elson called and asked if I could help out on a shoot at an Alberta oil rig, I didn’t hesitate. There was only one catch: if I wanted to get on site, the beard had to go.

So the night before the shoot, I found myself in a motel bathroom shaving off years of facial hair in exchange for a day of work. At that point, getting back on set and working alongside other photographers felt worth the sacrifice.

My role was simple—help move gear, lend a hand where needed, and support the production. Fortunately, I was also able to bring along my Widelux panoramic camera and make a few photographs of my own behind the scenes. The Widelux’s panoramic 35mm format felt perfectly suited to the scale of the oil rig, allowing me to capture both the industrial environment and the people working within it.

These images were made during a time when the photography industry was slowly finding its footing again. Looking back, they document more than an Alberta oil rig—they capture a moment when work, travel, and creative opportunities were beginning to return. Shot on a Widelux panoramic camera using 35mm film, these behind-the-scenes photographs are a reminder that sometimes the most memorable assignments begin with simply saying yes.