Glass Blowers

Glass Blowers

7x5 By Tom Willa

This another photo from our trip to Uptown Glassworks in Renton. The team is putting together a sphere using an Italian technique. The rods of cane are fused together to form a cylinder. The cylinder is then shaped into a vessel. In this case, Alex is shaping the creation into a sphere. That is simplification of the process.

Capturing pictures around the a glass studio is an interesting challenge. Nothing is still (hands, people, even the molten glass are always changing) , the temperature of the the glass is around 2000F, the intense light from the furnace and the glass can be an interesting contrast to the studio lighting. It is a tough assignment for a photographer. I love to capture the concentrated intensity of glass blowing. It is like shooting an event from a documentary point of view, the opportunity for shots come fast and "look this way and freeze" is not an option.