hilco X 776
edison
power plant
One of the most unique and challenging shoots I have been a part of yet. I was recently hired by Hilco to document the deconstruction of the one and only, Edison Power Plant on 776 Summer Street in South Boston. Hilco wanted me to capture the skill and craft of their workers as they took apart the plant piece by piece in a deconstruction. This was a job that required a ton of coordination and skill, and the workers are all at the top of their respective field.
The power plant is (or was) a massive structure, and it is a really dangerous job site. There’s even been some serious injuries after a floor collapse but the workers continue to push through the challenge. They are using torches, welders, and one massive crane to take apart the plant floor by floor and wall by wall. There is no wrecking ball or dynamite on this site because it’s not a demolition, it’s a deconstruction. This is a job that required patience, skill, and a lot of hard work. It was very loud, very intense, and kept me on my toes the entire time I had my safety vest and hard hat on.
Before the deconstruction began, I got to the chance visit the power plant over a year prior. I was there to capture the entire plant before it’s scheduled deconstruction. I spent over a week exploring every inch of the plant by myself. My first day there I received a tour by the main rep and after that, I was on my own for 8 days. I got to spend time in the coal storage, control room, turbine hall, transformer halls, and so much more. It was an incredible experience, and I felt privileged to be able to capture this piece of history before it was gone forever. It also feels great when you don’t have to sneak into places like this to get those photos. I wish more companies like Hilco invited exploring photographers to capture iconic buildings before their removal.
One of the things that I found challenging during my time on the site was that the workers were not initially very friendly towards me. Many of them thought that I was OSHA and that I was there to rat them out and document their faults but that couldn’t be further from the truth. I was there to highlight and celebrate the work that they were doing. I wanted to showcase the skill and dedication they had to their craft. It took a few days time, but by the end, the workers started to really open up to me and we had some genuine conversations.
One particular worker, an operator, always parked his claw between his cab and me when he saw my camera out to prevent me from shooting any photos of his face. I found this entertaining after a while, and it became a bit of a running joke between us. But it also showed me how focused and dedicated these workers were and wanted to be, they didn’t want any distractions as it was just too dangerous. They were not there for the camera; they were there to do a job, and they took that job seriously.
This project has inspired me to do my OSHA 30hr certification. I want to be able to understand the safety requirements and regulations that these workers have to follow. I hope that this will lead to more projects where I can capture abandoned buildings from dilapidation all the way to activation. It's incredible to see these structures come to life again, and I feel honored to be able to document that process.
