Through the Fire

Deep in the foundry at the Fundição De Sinos De Braga in Portugal, the heat is on, both literally and figuratively. Molten iron flows from the bell factory’s furnace, streaming into deep moulds and patterns. But, while the bellfounders work to cast the metal in temperatures of over 50º, someone else is sweating, too. Photographer Gonçalo Delgado is here to craft something of his own, documenting the story of these artisan metal workers with the help of his Sony Alpha 9 II.

A seasoned photojournalist, Gonçalo has worked in this factory before, but today brings new situations to capture and new circumstances to shape into a story. “I shot a similar project here about six or seven years before,” he explains, “but at that time it was more about the team finishing their work on the bells. This time the furnace was on, and job was to follow the restoration of the church bells, being worked on here at the last working bell factory in Portugal. For me, on a personal level, it also meant I could finish a story I started years ago.”

Returning to the factory, “what I’ve learned is that, in reportage, all those experiences add up to making you a more effective storyteller,” he says. “All the hours you shoot help you solve problems, and deal with new situations. Every workplace is different, so it’s vital that I can adapt, and have the speed and the skill to take opportunistic shots.”

So, what was it like shooting in a foundry? “It’s a hot, smoky and uncomfortable environment,” Gonçalo explains, “but dangerous, too and if you get burned, it’ll be a real burn. Though, with this type of work I’m used to such pressures and chaos. In fact,” he laughs, “to paraphrase a famous quote, most of the time being a photojournalist ‘is like riding a bike. Except the bike is on fire. And you’re on fire. And everything else is on fire, too.’”

On top of the experience and fieldcraft accrued by years of shooting, successful photojournalists also need gear they can rely on. In shooting with the Alpha 9 II, Gonçalo has found a camera that is “a perfect combination” for what he does. Gonçalo adds that while “the original Alpha 9 was amazing, the Alpha 9 II takes it all and does it a little bit better. Beautiful colour, low noise from the 24 megapixel sensor, yet still plenty of detail and lots of dynamic range in the Raw files.”

In fact, in the foundry environment, Gonçalo made particular use of the Alpha 9 II’s latitude-laden images.

Add in the Alpha 9 II’s legendary Eye and Face Detection AF, “which picked up workers in the gloom, letting me shoot wide open” says Gonçalo “and you really have the sort of camera that can deal with anything. Though I often use the VG-C4EM battery grip, here I kept it off as the space was restricted and the Alpha 9 II proved, as always, to be a wonderfully portable body, too.”

Gonçalo also picked pro-level Alpha lenses that are great for low-light situations in the FE 14mm f/1.8 GM, FE 35mm f/1.4 GM, and FE 50mm f/1.2 GM. “Of course, I’m looking for fast lenses, but though the 14mm really helped me in the factory interior, I’ll always be drawn to the more human views of the 35mm and 50mm optics. For stories like this, they give a more natural perspective, and it hooks the viewer in, like they’re in there with me.”

In the end, like the newly forged bells ringing the hour to the people of Penha, it’s time that Gonçalo feels is most telling in success. “For projects like this,” he explains, “the hours you spend will always tell. The weight of your experience and the voice you’ve found appears in the frame, while the time you invest in following and recording a story will be visible too.”

This extends to reviewing images, as well. “In a project, it’s good to take time and cool off,” he finishes. “Then, with a fresh eye you can truly see changes and differences in what you’ve made; what works and maybe what’s missing, too. Although, one thing that’s not missing is a camera I can rely on, and the Sony Alpha 9 II is certainly that.”