Sometimes the best photos are the ones that you didn’t plan for. This photo of a furniture maker welding steel is taken from behind a protective screen. I showed up that day to photograph woodworkers, but this is my favorite photo from the day.

    The shoot started out as a day at the Boston Design Center working with some of the furniture makers who run their studios out of the building. I am putting together a ten image photo essay for my editorial project at NESOP this term. The project centers around woodworkers building unique furniture in the Boston area. My point here is that I set out with a specific plan: To photograph woodworkers for a photo essay project. Having a plan is a great way to keep yourself on track, but you can’t be afraid to stray from your plan when something worthwhile comes along.

    This particular day I was on my way out of the building to go photograph in the shop next door (Fort Point Cabinet Makers) when I bumped into Jamie (Jamie Cumming, Loki Furniture) in the hall. When he saw me he told me that he was going to be doing some welding and asked if I would like to take some photos. Two thoughts popped into my head immediately:

1. I doubt I can use this for my project.
2. I bet these photos will be pretty cool.

    I love having this photo for my own portfolio, but it definitely doesn’t fit the criteria of the project that I originally set out to capture. I am still trying to think of a way to work it into the project effectively but even if I fail to do so, I am glad I took the time to shoot it.