Fornengo Forest Products Logging Equipment

We’ve got one more light painting photograph of Fornengo Forest Products logging equipment. This particular project wasn’t planned – it just kind of happened.

The setup photo of six forestry harvesting rigs. They are owned and operated by Fornengo Forest Products out of Danbury, Wisconsin.

Here’s the setup for the first light painting that we created that first night. I had set up a second camera and tripod on the other side of the scene just in case we had the time to attempt another one (this one). That decision led to both projects getting done rather late (or should I say early) that night/morning!

It was the evening of the first light painting project (above), with six pieces of large forestry harvesting equipment. Josh and I had everything all set and his wife Brandie had arrived on the scene as well. We were just waiting for it to get dark enough to begin the light painting process. Josh and I were talking about each piece of equipment and the size of the SERCO saw blades came up. Those blades are huge – 72 inches huge!

A SERCO 300 equipped with a 72" SERCO Saw.

Here’s a pretty good view of the 72″ SERCO Saw attached to a SERCO Series 300. That saw blade is as tall as me!

I think they’re just so cool-looking (they were actually running when I arrived). I mentioned to Josh that it was too bad that the two SERCO 300 Series Loaders were facing the way that they were because those blades were on the back side of the photograph (one of them isn’t even visible in the first light painting). However, moving them was out of the question.

In Boy Scouts, We Were Taught To Be Prepared

I did have a second camera and tripod with me, so we could create another image of the logging equipment from the other side that could showcase both of those big blades. Josh was ok with the idea. Since it was getting dark, I quickly set up the second camera and took the daylight photo that you see below to have as a starting point.

Four pieces of logging equipment used by Fornengo Forest Products. From left to right, we have a SERCO 300 Series Loader with a 72" SERCO Saw, a John Deere 2154G Swing Machine with a Pro Pac Delimber, a second SERCO 300 Series Loader with a 72" SERCO Saw, and a John Deere 948L-II Grapple Skidder.

This is the setup shot. From left to right, we have a SERCO 300 Series Loader with a 72″ SERCO Saw, a John Deere 2154G Swing Machine with a Pro Pac Delimber, and a second SERCO 300 Series Loader with a 72″ SERCO Saw. And, on the far right, a John Deere 948L-II Grapple Skidder (which looks small in this photo, but it’s way back there. Trust me, it is huge!

I told Josh that if we had the time, we could photograph that “extra” light painting and see how it turned out. Time-wise, I wasn’t so sure it could happen. The “Main Event” had six BIG rigs, spread out over a couple of acres. It was going to take a lot of time to light paint that entire scene and it was the reason we were there, so it took priority.

Light Painting Four Pieces of Logging Equipment

We did indeed get that first project light-painted. And, yes, it did take a long time to do so! And, as you can see below, it turned out fantastic! We have the entire story, with more images and a short “Build Video” that you can check out at this link: Light Painting Fonrnengo Forest Products

A cool light painted photograph of six pieces of heavy logging equipment owned and operated by Fornengo Forest Products in Danbury, Wisconsin.

Here’s the first light-painted photograph that we created that night! In this amazing image (from left to right) we have a John Deere 948L-II Grapple Skidder, a SERCO 300 Series Loader, a John Deere 2154G Swing Machine with a Pro Pac Delimber, a Tigercat 625E Skidder, a SERCO 300 Series Loader with a 72″ SERCO Saw, and a Tigercat X830E Feller Buncher with a Tigercat 5400 Felling Saw! Pretty cool!

Going A Different Direction

Because this image was created facing the opposite direction of the first one, the Tigercat 625E Skidder (in the rear-center of the first light painting) wasn’t in this image because it was now behind us. Also, the Tigercat X830E Feller Buncher with the Tigercat 5400 Felling Saw (on the far right in the first image), also isn’t in this photograph because they were hidden behind these rigs.

So, in this cool light-painted photograph, from left to right, we have a SERCO 300 Series Loader with a 72″ SERCO Saw, a John Deere 2154G Swing Machine with a Pro Pac Delimber, a second SERCO 300 Series Loader and its 72″ SERCO Saw, and a John Deere 948L-II Grapple Skidder.

That John Deere looks kinda small in this image, but trust me, it’s a big boy! It’s just because it’s back about 50 feet from the others that it looks “tiny”. Earlier in the day I watched it drive over huge logs like they weren’t even there!

It Was Getting “Early”

Josh, Brandie, and I finished the light painting photography on the first project at around midnight. Since Josh had to be back on-site at 5 am, I sent them home to bed (they had a long drive back to Danbury from Hayward, where this project was, and then back again). Josh wasn’t going to get much sleep, but at least he’d get some!

I decided to stay longer and make additional exposures for both light paintings. Those additional exposures came in very handy for both projects.

In those wee hours of the morning, I also discovered that a recent software upgrade had brought a new feature to the camera-triggering software on my iPad Pro. I’ll be using that cool feature for all of our light painting projects from now on! Sweet!

Here’s the final artwork from this fun project. It’s kind of a pretty one!

A pretty light painted photograph of four pieces of logging equipment used by Fornengo Forest Products. From left to right, there's a SERCO 300 Series Loader with a 72" SERCO Saw, a John Deere 2154G Swing Machine with a Pro Pac Delimber, a second SERCO 300 Series Loader with a 72" SERCO Saw, and a John Deere 948L-II Grapple Skidder.

Can logging equipment look pretty? Yeah, I think these do!

Encore!

You’ve already seen the first light painting project (the final artwork and story link is up above), so here’s the link to the story about the second one: Light Painting a John Deere 1210 Forwarder and a Tigercat H822E Skidder with a Waratah HTH623C Harvester Head.

A cool light painted photo of a John Deere 1210 Forwarder and a Tigercat H822E Skidder with a Waratah HTH623C Harvester Head.

Here’s the second light painting project of a John Deere 1210 Forwarder and a Tigercat H822E Skidder with a Waratah HTH623C Harvester Head. Brandon and Tanya were my trusty assistants on this one (my guess is that Josh and Brandie were catching up on their lost sleep from the night before!)

And finally, here’s the link to the third project’s story: Light painting a 2023 Kenworth T880, a 2024 Mack P164T, and a 2006 Corvette Z06.

A cool light painted photograph of a Kenworth T880, a Mack P164T, and a 2006 Corvette Z06 at the headquarters of Fornengo Forest Products in Danbury, WI.

Here’s the finished light-painted photograph from night #3. It features Fornengo Forest Products Headquarters with a Kenworth T880, a Mack P164T, and, of all things, a 2006 Corvette Z06!

Once Again, There’s A Movie!

As always, we’ve created a short “Build Video” with all of the images used in this light painting project. Then, you’ll see the final artwork come alive, one layer at a time, using Photoshop and other programs. It’s linked below from our YouTube channel.

One more big thank you to Josh & Brandie and Brandon & Tanya at Fornengo Forset Products for asking me to create these cool projects for you! I’m excited to see them printed on metal and hanging in your offices!

We’ve got more of these kinds of light paintings, and others, on our dedicated Light Painting Photography website: https://michaelandersonlightpainting.com/

Please check it out when you have the chance. Thanks! – M&J

Logging Equipment