[LargeFormat] 65mm SA

[Les Newcomer]

I hate it when that happens!  Just before topping out one of the sky
scrapers I was testing a remote control on a camera so I could be in two
places at the same time. I arrived a bit early for work, took the
elevator to the top and climbed the ladder to where the steel walkers
worked. I clamped a borrowed f3 Nikon to the top of their box car that
they use for a lunch room etc. came down to street level then up to the
roof of each building North and South to shoot my normal pictures.

On the second building, the wind had picked up and was so bad it blew my
glasses off my face. When I got down and was ready to go and pick up the
Nikon I noticed a lot of the workers still milling around. After a few
minutes the orders came. "The wind was too strong for the construction
elevator. If you've locked you gang box you can go home."

 Well it was obvious we would have a heck of a storm that night and I
couldn't leave the camera up there on literally the highest point of the
structure. So up I went 39+ floors. It took the better part of 45
minutes, when I got to the top the steelworkers were gone so I climbed
up on the box, unclamped by camera and came down, but the wind took my
hard had and glasses and tossed them accross the steel floor into a
bucket. I left them. Came back for 'em the next day.  Oh and the remote
didn't work.


Some how I don't think the photogs on the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit
issue have this kind of fun.


Les




Pete Caluori wrote:
> 
> Interesting Les.  Before moving to Colorado, I lived in NYC where I did
> Satellite Data Communication.  Doing that work, I often had to access the
> roof of many of NY's skyscrapers.  Yes, it's a nice view from up there, but
> it could also be challenging.  Once I was alone on the roof when the wind
> blew over the ladder I had used to get on top of the tallest structure.
> 
> Regards,  Pete
> 
> >From: Les Newcomer <lnphoto@ismi.net>
> >
> >Pete Caluori wrote:
> > >
> > > Greetings,
> > >
> > > Les, I don't envy you your work.  Nice picture of the sewer!  Do you get
> > > hazardous pay for your efforts?  I think I'll take my chances
> >photographing
> > > during lightning storms.:)
> > >
> >
> >Shocking! just shocking!   :-)
> >
> >
> >Yeah I have to say this was my worst job in terms of the environment.
> >Luckily I"ve been able to stay on the clean side of the department most
> >of the time.  My lastest job is photographing meter pits-- effectively
> >an underground chamber about the size of a typical tract house basement
> >full of large pipes and a very large water meter. These are on the
> >borders between cities so the Detroit water department can bill each
> >city for the water they used. The city is rehabbing the chambers,
> >installing better meters and automating the data (each of these has a
> >cell phone so DWSD can call each and download the data)
> >
> >After the 10th pit, it's boring work, but there are 270 of these pits
> >they want 10 pre construction photos and 12 post construction of each
> >pit and from each photo they want 3 prints and a slide.  At $12 a print
> >and $3 a slide I can't say it's not profitable, particlulary when we get
> >a good day and shoot 10 pits. With the extra photos I figure this job
> >will top out at 7000 shots, 21,000 prints. I keep tell them they are
> >going to have to add the Les Newcomer wing to the water board building
> >just to hold all the binders.
> >
> >The rest of the work I do is construction, it's a lot of fun, getting to
> >run around on a construction site. I've gotten to fly in helicopters,
> >ride in buckets of back hoes, and once they swung me out on a crane
> >about 500 feet above Woodward Ave, so I can shoot back onto the building
> >during the topping out ceremony.
> >
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