A question we are often asked is, how does time lapse photography work for companies operating in mining, energy and resources – their sites are often vast, the terrain can be complex and the day-to-day is much different to any other industry.
The great thing about time lapse is that it makes an impact, no matter your industry. The equipment and technology we use are advanced and can be effective in any location, no matter the site. And it has captured many countless moments for our mining clients, which can be pieced together to tell a compelling story about your construction works or project.
MACH Energy is in the business of developing and operating economical and efficient energy sources.
They operate within the Hunter Valley to produce high-quality coal energy with strong awareness of our social and environmental impact. MACH Energy’s asset, the Mount Pleasant Operation, contains some of the most attractive coal resources in the Hunter Valley.
The team approached us to capture and highlight their $200million infrastructure project – we put our expertise in their industry to work.
Time lapse photography captures change over a period of days, months, or years in a way that people don’t typically appreciate. At Firebug, we use time lapse photography to demonstrate the uniqueness of a build and scale of the operations of a project. This makes the mining, resources and energy sectors the perfect fit for showcasing the construction or demolition of infrastructure or project journey.
We’ve worked with a number of Hunter Valley and further afield mining companies, such as Glencore’s Ravensworth and United Wambo, to capture their projects and understand the best location on site for cameras as well as the best approach for capturing movement on site. You can read about one of our other projects for a Hunter Valley mining business by clicking here.
The client approached us to capture their site preparation and construction of their rail loop over the two years it took to completion. The rail loop was a new infrastructure project for MACH Energy, as the one that they were using had to be demolished to make way for a mine extension for a neighbouring mine.
The project included two new bridges, one being a via-duct, the other was built above a live road. Once the project was completed, they then had to demolish the old rail line and TLO, Train Load Out. The project went for 20 months including the demolition works.
This infrastructure project for MACH Energy featured a $200million dollar budget which was visually demonstrated through our time-lapse specialist services.
Our process involved using DSLR 24Mb cameras to take images at 10min intervals and were programmed to take images at 3-5min intervals at critical stages of the operations. Each camera is solar-powered and can be installed anywhere without limitations.
We also used our drone to capture the site from an aerial point of view to highlight the scale of the build.
MACH Energy staff were able to see the progress of their site remotely using our time-lapse technology. This saved hour of travel time for the project managers and relevant stakeholders.
Upon completion, we delivered a succinct yet powerful three-minute video that captured the full project, from demolition to the final infrastructure. The client was thrilled with the final product and said it exceeded their expectation. They now have recording of their two-year project compressed into a bite size video that can be used for future job pitching and sales activities, as well as for case studies and engagement through their marketing.
Do you operate in mining, resourcing or energy and would like to know how time lapse photography could work for you?
Whether you require traditional photography or images captured by time-lapse, video or drone, you’ll have a first-class customer experience from the very beginning of the project to completion.
