Description
Making a Connection is a moment I may never get again. It was a perfect combination of Light, Weather, and Timing. This image was shot on one of the coldest days in January. The sun began to disappear. Then the light of the setting sun seemed to just peer around the pipe as they broke the connection. Suddenly, the fluid and water separated in the cold weather. With light bouncing all around, it created a rainbow of colors. I was watching as it spilled onto the roughnecks. They continued to work as if the subzero weather never fazed them. The connection these men have to what they do. Together with the commitment, they have to accomplish the job is something I have profound respect for. The conditions they work in and the respect they have for each other is so admirable.
As an artist, when you get to see something like that for the first time, and the ease with which they react, I had to capture it. The play on the lighting and the chill in the air, gave me a moment to briefly understand the situations they deal with daily. When I left this location I gained a deeper understanding, Making a Connection, between art and the subject I try to capture. It was an honor to be there that day, to get a glimpse of the everyday demands. Finally, to see up close things that they see, the way they see it.
