Industrial On Location Advertising Photography for AIM Aerospace

Commercial Photography Services

You’re a graphic designer, marketing director or business owner. You have a project that requires photography. So, you need to hire a professional photographer. One who can capture your business, your products or your services in the best light. Not only a photographer with commercial experience but also one who understands advertising. Above all, they need to be self directed, willing to roll up their sleeves and work quickly and efficiently. Which in the end, will significantly maximize your photography budget.

Value Added.

With close to 30 years of experience as an advertising and commercial photographer, I’ve clicked the shutter a few times. I’ve also worked as an art director and owned a small ad agency.

What’s more, I understand marketing. I also understand the reality of budgets. Therefore, I always try to be a good steward of a client’s money.

On location industrial photograph of employee welding at Degeest Steel Works Manufacturing Plant in Harrisburg, South Dakota.

Manufacturing and Industrial
Location Photography

You’re a manufacturer. And you were contacted by a potential client that may give you the contract of a lifetime. However, they’re not convinced that your company can handle the workload. The RFP calls for photos of your facility, your employees, your processes and your products. Problem is, all you have are the images your summer intern took on an iPhone 5s.

Problem Solved.

Over the last 25 years, I’ve rolled up my sleeves and gotten to work in hundreds of manufacturing plants and industrial situations. From CNC, to state-of-the-art robotic welding to carbon fiber composites. Clean rooms to paint rooms.

Experienced and Efficient.

I’ve captured images of employees, machinery, production lines and the facilities that house them. Portraying your business in the best light. Even if that light is from the glow of a welding torch. Besides, I can make welding sparks look really cool.

Behind the scenes photograph of Sioux Falls based commercial photographer Paul Heckel in medical environment.

Medical and Healthcare Photography

I’ve scrubbed up and washed down. Taken photographs in ERs, ORs, ICUs, during an open heart surgery and a gastric bypass procedure. I found out the hard way about high strength magnets when a metal light stand was sucked to the side of an MRI machine. Set up in so many beige exam rooms, I could probably find my way around in the dark, blindfolded.

Photographed LNs, RNs, LPNs and PAs. Neurosurgeons, vascular entomologists, and cardiologists. Radiologists, surg techs, dietitians, physical therapists, a self proclaimed “dick doc” (his words, not mine) and a 104 year old nursing home resident who told jokes that were way over my head.

You Get The Point.

After almost 30 years of commercial photography experience, I specifically understand the challenges of photographing medical environments. Therefore, I am uniquely qualified to capture realistic healthcare imagery while working within the limited schedules of medical staff and their patients.

Advertising photograph taken of skid loader for Kubota US by Sioux Falls based commercial photographer Paul Heckel.

Regional and National Work

You’re an AD at your laptop in Dallas. Or Oakland. Maybe Louisville. You just found out from the receptionist that the AE informed the CD that your biggest client wants to move the shoot to S D. WT!? The client says it’s because South Dakota has wide open spaces, but you really know it’s because they want to pheasant hunt and write off the entire trip.

But none of that matters because your go-to photographer is booked solid. And, unfortunately, you need to have the shoot schedule to the production manager by mid-morning tomorrow.

Now, The Good News.

As a former Art Director, I feel your pain. The better news is that I also know South Dakota. I’ve traveled the back roads and side streets. Know the best crews. The best locations. I definitely know where to get the best espresso. Or burger. I can scout, book studio space, find makeup artists and talent and handle the details. Any or all of the above.

And, I’ve worked with regional and national companies including:

AIM Aerospace, American Express Financial, Bedell Guitars, Cambria, Citi, Dakota Arms, Eagle Imports, Good Samaritan Society, Harley-Davidson, Kubota USA, Larson Doors, Morris Industries, Ronald McDonald House Charities, Sun Optics, Wells Fargo, Wells Blue Bunny, and Zuercher Technologies. Need help with your next shoot?

Ready to talk? Hit the button below.

Product and Scientific Product Photography for Animal Nutrition Company. Photographed by Sioux Falls based commercial photographer Paul Heckel.

Product Photography

Oregano in a petri dish with a well-lit water droplet? Photographed it. Stainless steel pressure washers in the middle of winter on a dairy farm while a very intelligent, but not so well trained, Australian Shepherd name Cody plays keep away with my lighting umbrella? Been there.

12 hours in a dark studio moving props millimeters at a time. Adjusting the lights so the logo looks aqua-green and not blue-green while the brand manager plays Tetris on his iPad. Yep.

Been There and Done It.

In high-end homes and higher end manufacturing plants. On white backgrounds. Green backgrounds. Light backgrounds. Dark backgrounds. Wood backgrounds and backgrounds made of steel. And rust. Even concrete.

Over the last 25 years, I’ve photographed products for both local and national brands. So, if you need photography of your product for an online store, magazine trade ads or for print materials, click the button below. I can make almost anything look good. Even oregano.

Landscape Photography

As a hard working commercial photographer, occasionally, I need to get away from it all. That’s when, I load up my specially-equipped photography camper and hit the road, jack. For days and sometimes weeks at a time.

I've Been Everywhere Man, I've Been Everywhere.

I’ve breathed the mountain air, man. From Colorado to Utah and Washington State. California to Minnesota’s North Shore. Nebraska, Nevada, Idaho, Arizona, Montana, Wyoming, and the Oregon Coast. Plus, an entire library dedicated to my home state of South Dakota.

As a result, I’ve photographed some of this country’s most epic Western landscapes.

So, stick around. Read some of the stories behind the landscape photos taken by an espresso-fueled travel photographer.

Travel Photography

Picture this. You just spent a week shooting on location in Gainsville, GA. Altogether, with travel, lodging, talent, meals, car rental, scouting and crew, you’re into it for at least $75K. That doesn’t even include drinks. You’re undeniably exhausted and ready to go home.

But, most important, the images that are the result of all that hard work, time and money are stored on eleven, tiny camera memory cards. Which, at this very moment, are traveling down a jerking conveyor belt in the Atlanta International Airport. At the same time, you watch helplessly, shoes in hands, as that precious cargo heads for the Xray machine. Unfortunately, the scanner is manned by a TSA agent who looks like he’s having a really, really bad day.

Make You Nervous? It Should.

Especially if the aforementioned camera bag owned by the inexperienced photographer you hired is a mere .7 inches over the airline’s allowable carry-on baggage dimensions. Furthermore, there’s a real and distinct possibility that the bag is going to be tagged for gate check by the airline attendant who is having a worse day than the TSA agent. Hopefully, the $75K of images residing on those tiny camera cards (remember those?) will meet you at your destination and not circle endlessly on the baggage claim abyss at O’Hare.

Marketing photograph for Sioux Falls University of students walking on the campus in the fall photographed by Sioux Falls based commercial and higher eduction photographer Paul Heckel for use in view book and social media.

Post Secondary and Vocational Education Photography

The Director of Admissions is on your case about the low enrollment numbers and wants “fresh” photography for the view book and Instagram. Your favorite tenured professor just knocked on your office door and wants you to highlight a particular student for the Alumni Magazine.

Meanwhile, the Athletic Director, who sat next to you at the homecoming game, emailed and wants photos that more “realistically capture” your school’s spirit. So, whatever higher-ed jam you’re in,

I'm Here to Help.

During the last 25 years, I’ve photographed thousands of scenes in every conceivable higher and vocational education situation imaginable. Say that 3 times real fast.

From Alumni fundraising campaigns to fourth quarter come-backs, from shy students in science classrooms to charismatic college presidents in their offices.  I can even make any computer classroom look state-of the-art, even when the computers aren’t.

And, of course, I’ll throw in that incredible fall campus shot that your cross-town or cross-state rival just posted to the billboard a block away from your campus.

Architectural and Interior Design Photography

You’re an architect, contractor or an interior designer. You’ve just finished a sweet project with an even sweeter budget. Despite your best efforts, no one knows about it but you, your smiling client and the subs that did the work.

To save money, you’ve tried taking photos yourself. However, those images don’t look as good as they could or should and you don’t have anything for your web gallery or social media posts.

That's Where Yours Truly Comes In.

For over 25 years, I’ve photographed projects that capture subtle details of design work that others may miss. And, because I come armed with a graphic design degree, I understand proportion, spacial dimension, color pallets and solid design.

Go Wide.

Additionally, I use photographic lighting techniques and own extreme wide-angle lenses that showcase your project’s unique elements – helping you promote yourself and land that next sweet project. 

Advertising studio portrait of Mad Scientist photographed by Sioux Falls based commercial photographer Paul Heckel.

Studio and Business Portraits

You own a small business and just dumped a whole bunch of money into the redesign of your company’s website. You’re looking for a photographer that will efficiently take head shots of your employees at your location. But, you don’t want the photos to look posed or like they were taken in 1996.

Or, you’re a young art director working late for the third time this week and it’s only Monday. Whaaat? You can’t find that perfect stock image of a mad scientist for a client campaign that’s about to launch.

Maybe you’re a model and need a few shots to update your comp cards. A Realtor® who just needs a professional photo for Linked In that makes you look approachable, “28 again and 10lbs lighter. Oh, and can you take out the wrinkles?” See Photoshop Services below.

Advertising Campaigns Or A Quick Headshot.

From half day, full-day or week long projects, to environmental on-location portraits or a quick head shot, I’ll roll up my sleeves to improve your photography and your image.

Photoshop composite of English Bulldog Higgins Holds a Cigar In His Mouth Photo Composite photographed by Sioux Falls based commercial photographer Paul Heckel.

Photo Composites, Retouching and Photoshop Services

Let’s say, you want a lit cigar placed in an English Bulldog’s mouth. Why? Why not? Undoubtedly, PETA frowns on that sorta thing.

Or, you hired a photographer to take a staff photo of 30 employees that will be next to impossible to reshoot. The day after said photo is hanging proudly in your lobby (doesn’t it look nice?), one of those employees gets caught embezzling. And you want them eliminated. From the photo, of course.

Problem Eliminated.

Just because my career started before “photoshoped” was a term, doesn’t mean I haven’t kept up with tech. As a matter of fact, I own one of the fastest Macs ever manufactured with two extremely high resolution monitors running in tandem. Gigs of memory and terabytes of storage.

All of this tech isn’t to help overcome my short guy syndrome, it helps me swap heads, replace clouds with bright blue skies and make the grass greener on the other side quickly and efficiently.

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