By Scott Shephard

Sandy, a graphic designer who occasionally hires me to do photography for her promotional publications, asked me if I was interested in taking photos at a foam factory. I said, "Yes," of course. She said that I had several prosaic shots of the processes that she wanted me to take. But she also said that I was free to let my "creative eye" roam. Another perfect job!

This photo was taken at a machine that trims foam sheets down to a uniform size using hot wires. I was attracted to the thin strips of foam that had curled away from the trimmers. And, amidst the noise and harsh lighting of the factory, I found something soft and almost ethereal. This is another example of the power of the camera to capture something that most people wouldn't look twice at.

Sadly, this manufacturing plant burned down this past fall. But like a phoenix, it has been resurrected, though at a different location. Here's a photo I took of part of the destruction caused by the fire.

Canon 5D 1/80s f/2.8 ISO640 135mm