Coal mine in Europe ?

le vrai rdu said:
Cardiff, nice, I speak english, safer to understand wahat people say 😀

No R2D2, there is not anymore mine working in france, only some uranium mine that are ready to star again, in case we could not anymore import uranium 😉
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It is the `exporting' of uranium that has worried down here😱
regards
CW
 
Because of the possible presence of methane gas, not to mention pulverised coal dust, the carriage of anything that might cause ignition is usually prohibited underground. That includes obvious things like matches, etc but usually also includes ANY battery powered equipment - which means a camera would have to be fully manual. Sure, they carry and use lights underground but they are relatively low powered and usually have to meet strict dust/ignition proof construction standards. Your average above-ground equipment wouldn't qualify. Including flash apparatus.
You might find an isolated mine or two in Eastern Europe which does not observe every last rule and regulation but China is probably the best place to go for freedom from rules like this. Of course they kill between 2,500 and 4,000 miners a year (the full figures are never released by the government) but that doesn't include photographers as far as I know.
 
As well as the Winsford salt mine MPearson mentioned, there are two others. One in County Antrim and another in Cleveland. I read up on them after a very interesting Radio 4 programme earlier in the year - the scale of some of the caverns and the length of the tunnels is astonishing. Some form of photography must be allowed as I've seen numerous shots of the mines.

The problems with getting into and photographing mines might be made difficult by a lack of interest here in the EU and a fear by the large companies that run mines in places like China, India and Brazil of any form of journalism. However, if you can get in there, it would be cool - here is an interesting article: http://rising.blackstar.com/when-you-believe-in-a-story-dont-give-up-on-it.html

Good luck 🙂
 
Leigh Youdale said:
Because of the possible presence of methane gas, not to mention pulverised coal dust, the carriage of anything that might cause ignition is usually prohibited underground. That includes obvious things like matches, etc but usually also includes ANY battery powered equipment - which means a camera would have to be fully manual.
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Can't imagine that. There are so many reportages done in underground mines in Germany. Every time with lots of additional light and with new Digital video cams.
 
It might be interesting to do some research re explosion proofing:

I imagine that using underwater cases for camera and flash could be a solution to the prevalent safety rules. Not that these cases actually carry explosion proofing certifications, but they could just as well meet regulations.
 
Leigh Youdale said:
Because of the possible presence of methane gas, not to mention pulverised coal dust, the carriage of anything that might cause ignition is usually prohibited underground. That includes obvious things like matches, etc but usually also includes ANY battery powered equipment - which means a camera would have to be fully manual.
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It depends - dust and methane are an issue at the actual coal face, especially during cutting, drilling and blasting, but the mines monitor and know the extent of the risk. Often you can get permissions to photograph or film without explosion safe gear outside critical areas, and need nothing more than a Ewa Marine bag for actual coal face shots. There is no point in using a flash in mine or tunnel workings in any case, as it will mostly light up the dust, so that need not even be considered.

Don't be disappointed if the mine is nowhere like the romantic images of old documentaries - if you are into industrial romanticism, museum mines or small part time mine works, like slate quarries or clay mines, might provide better photography opportunities.

The big German mines I've been in don't look anywhere like they may have in the past - there are no more mine railways, nor half-naked, blackened men with pneumatic drills or bare rock tunnels you could crawl through. Expect your ride to the face to be in a white VW pick-up through concrete clad and paved tunnels big enough for a large truck, and expect the coal face to be a bright (and incredibly muddy rather than dusty) place where a few workmen in overalls service a huge robot machine, and where the actual coal cutting is only visible on the CCTV monitors of the control room.

Sevo
 
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tom.w.bn said:
Can't imagine that. There are so many reportages done in underground mines in Germany. Every time with lots of additional light and with new Digital video cams.
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Most active German mines these days are salt mines, where there is no explosion risk at all. I have shot mine documentaries for TV, in both coal and salt mines plus in tunnel construction sites, and while we usually did not need special explosion protection for the camera beyond a stock waterproof casing, we never were permitted to bring our own lights. The work lights there have to cut though dense dust, and are indeed brighter than anything you could carry, so bringing lights is pointless unless you document a old, closed mine.

Sevo
 
Belchatow, Poland, open pit.

kopalnia_1024.jpg


picture found on net.
 
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How about a talcum mine?

I'm serious!

It's at Luzenac, near Ax-les-Thermes. I've never been there but I'e been past it many times. I fear however that it may be open-cast.

Cheers,

R.
 
Well, it's pretty obvious that a salt mine isn't going to have a problem with methane and pulverised coal dust. On the other hand, the photographer might have a problem ensuring that no traces of salt remain on or in his/her camera equipment!
And I don't think the OP was interested in open cut mines. Sevo has pretty well described what you'll expect to find. You'll still find many mines that continue the "old" practices in both India and China. I'm 6'2" and had to walk doubled over for up to 6 km from the entrance to the face of one mine in India. It was killing! Also about 40C and very humid underground. When I got there I found nearly all the miners were about 4'6". Dusty, muddy, sweaty and the smell of smoke from an unextinguishable fire in one of the more remote galleries that they'd attempted to seal off to starve of oxygen while they continued to work the rest of a mine that was over 100 years old.
 
r2d2 said:
I have worked in many hazardous environments and there will be restrictions in some places at some times, but there is always a possibility to work things out.
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I have used flash in "hazardous" situations. My solution was to use a Nikonos II/III with the underwater flash system. This is of course a sealed unit. Limited lens selection though.
 
Tom A said:
I have used flash in "hazardous" situations. My solution was to use a Nikonos II/III with the underwater flash system. This is of course a sealed unit. Limited lens selection though.
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Similar for me. I have photographed extensively in mines, including gassy mines. For gassy mines, Nikonos IVa and a MSHA-approved sealed strobe was the answer. The challenge with the range focusing and the incredibly small light output of the strobe.


It was a lot easier to photograph in non-gassy mines. We would have the cameras (Nikkormat FT3's) overhauled after about 8 days of use and throw them away after about 6 rebuilds. For strobes in non-gassy mines, Vivitar 285 was the strobe-of-choice because it was affordably expendable. We went through a lot of cameras and strobes!
 
Not trying to offend you or be mean in any way but do keep in mind that the subject matters you're choosing (fishermen, coal miners) are very ''over-photographed''. They're a bit of a reportage cliché (the circus would be another one). IMO reportage photography is just as much about good topics as it is about good pictures.
 
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