12 Rigs of Christmas 2015: Day 8: Vortex Rig 1

2 12 2015


I will always have a soft spot in my heart for Vortex Drilling Ltd. This was the very first drilling rig I ever photographed commercially, outside the paper. It was brand new, on its first hole, for a brand new company. The weather in June was absolutely spectacular. I’ve only had a few days of doing this sort of photography when the weather cooperated so well.

The album this photoshoot produced set the bar for everything to follow over the next several years. It was the model for how I’ve shot all other rigs since. Usually that entails a full day out on the rig, crawling all over, taking pictures of every little detail. I stayed until sunset and got some spectacular shots, two of which ended up on my business cards and also as canvases in the lobbies of local hotels. Keep your eye out for them and you might see one of these, seen below.

Vortex-0860_1_2_3_4Vortex-0656_57_58_59_60_2

I haven’t had the opportunity to shoot Rigs 2 or 3 yet (someone asked the other day if I’d come out to his rig). Maybe some day.

For the next three days (Dec. 2-4) I am running a sale: 15% off all Vortex Drilling prints. Expires Dec. 4, 2015. (Discount does not include shipping). You can order canvases, metal prints (which are AWESOME, I just ordered one for a client) or even a coffee mug. The coupon code is: Vortex

Do you have a rig you’d like me to profile in my 12 days of Christmas? Put your requests in the comments on my Facebook page. Don’t forget to share.


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Cyber Monday Sale Nov.30 Only!

30 11 2015

Kisbey_0862-EditToday is Cyber Monday! So for today only (ending midnight) I am offering 25% discount on all prints on my site Zinchuk.ca . This is the best discount I am offering all year. It is only for prints ordered through the website. This includes canvases, metal prints and conventional paper prints. Taxes and shipping are not included in the discount. The coupon code is : cyber


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12 Rigs of Christmas 2015: Day 6: Panther Rig 3

30 11 2015


On the sixth day of Christmas, the toolpush gave to me…  Panther Drilling Rig 3.

 

Panther Drilling Rig 3 spent a lot of time working near the U.S. border over the years. That’s where these pictures were taken, not far from Oungre.

The Panther Drilling Rig 3 gallery can be found here at Panther Rig 3.

If you’re looking for more rigs, check out the master drilling gallery here.

buy photos button smugmug

For the next four days (Nov. 30-Dec. 3) I am running a sale: 15% off all Panther Drilling prints. This includes Rigs 1, 2, 3 and 4. (Discount does not include shipping). You can order normal photo prints, canvases, metal prints (which are AWESOME) or even a coffee mug. The coupon code is: Panther

Do you have a rig you’d like me to profile in my 12 days of Christmas? Put your requests in the comments on my Facebook page. Don’t forget to share, and scroll down to see the other Rigs of Christmas. If you recognize any of your buddies, please share.


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12 Rigs of Christmas 2015: Day 5: Stampede Rig 3

29 11 2015

 

On the fifth day of Christmas, the toolpush gave to me…  Stampede Drilling Rig 3.

Stampede Rig 3 was working close to the U.S. border at the time. Indeed, I think it has spent most of its career drilling withing a few miles of Mackenzie Meats, which made for a good snack when I was out there.

I believe Stampede 3 is the newest rig in the Saskatchewan drilling fleet at this time.

While some of the other rigs you may have seen before, this is the first time I have put photos of Stampede Rig 3 out “in the wild.” There are some really good sunset shots. Also, I went out an extra day to get photos of Stampede 2 and 3 working close enough together that you could get both in the same photo. It’s rare to have two rigs from the same company working so close to each other.

For the video slideshow I had to pick a country song for Bill and Jackie, the crew that runs Stampede in Estevan.

The Stampede Drilling Rig 3 gallery can be found here at Stampede Rig 3.

If you’re looking for more rigs, check out the master drilling gallery here.

buy photos button smugmug

For the next three days (Nov. 29-Dec. 2) I am running a sale: 15% off all Stampede Drilling prints. This includes Rigs 1, 2 and 3. (Discount does not include shipping). You can order normal photo prints, canvases, metal prints (which are AWESOME) or even a coffee mug. The coupon code is: Stampede

Do you have a rig you’d like me to profile in my 12 days of Christmas? Put your requests in the comments on my Facebook page. Don’t forget to share, and scroll down to see the other Rigs of Christmas. If you recognize any of your buddies, please share.


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12 Rigs of Christmas 2015: Day 4:Panther Rig 2

28 11 2015

On the fourth day of Christmas, the toolpush gave to me…  Panther Drilling Rig 2.

This rig was working really close to the U.S. border at the time. The pictures with the numerous pumpjacks are significant. That’s because that one rig, Panther Rig 2, punched all those holes.

The Panther Drilling Rig 2 gallery can be found here.

If you’re looking for more rigs, check out the master drilling gallery here.

buy photos button smugmug

For the next three days (Nov. 28-Dec. 1) I am running a sale: 15% off all Panther Drilling prints. This includes Rigs 1, 3 and 4. (Discount does not include shipping). You can order normal photo prints, canvases, metal prints (which are AWESOME) or even a coffee mug. The coupon code is: Panther

Do you have a rig you’d like me to profile in my 12 days of Christmas? Put your requests in the comments on my Facebook page. Don’t forget to share, and scroll down to see the other Rigs of Christmas. If you recognize any of your buddies, please share.


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12 Rigs of Christmas: Day 12: 12 Different Rigs

15 12 2014

On the 12th day of Christmas, the toolpush gave to me, 12 different drilling rigs.

I had a hare time figuring out how to wrap this up with so I decided to pluck some from my travels, where I will stop on the side of the road and get a shot, as well as some other miscellaneous projects in various stages of completion. In this collection you will find:

One Alliance, one Panther, one Advance, one Stampede, one Savanna, three Nabors, three CanElson, and rig one we found in the foothills just as the sun was going to start going down. I have no recollection of what it was. It was orange, near Rocky Mountain House or Drayton Valley. Either way it had a nice fence.

See if you can figure out which is which, and put the company (and maybe rig number) in the comments under each picture.

Several of these pictures have found there way onto walls in the form of large canvases. Two are in Western Star Inns & Suites lobbies and one is in the mayor of Estevan’s office. If one of them catches your eye for a print, let me know via personal message or email brian.zinchuk@sasktel.net.

I hope everyone enjoyed this little project. I hope do do it again next year, but a little earlier, before the printing lab deadline.

If you haven’t had a chance to see all the 12 Rigs of Christmas, you can see them on the Brian Zinchuk Publishing Facebook page or my website at www.zinchuk.ca.

Merry Christmas to all the riggers, and to all the company men, a good night.


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12 Rigs of Christmas: Day 11: Crusader Rig 2

14 12 2014

Metro would do his big finish to his 11 Days of Christmas, singing about 11 pounds of chisneck (you know, garlic!) With that in mind, this rig is based in the perogy belt of Yorkton. I grew up in Yorkton, my family is still there, and I was surprised as hell that a drilling rig company would end up being based there.

So, for the 11th day of Christmas, my toolpush gave to me, Crusader Drilling Rig 2!

And in John Deere Green (and yellow) no less!

Crusader is a project I am in the midst of. I got some of these pictures last summer near Stoughton on my way back from news shoot. This rig spent a lot of time drowning in water that summer. They got enough water in June or so to make a duck happy, but not much else.

I never got so many ticks in my life as I did this evening standing beside the road for just a few minutes.

There are a few pictures of Crusader 2 here. I hope to get some shots of Rig 3 working in the foothills later this winter.

If anyone would like prints, please message me through Facebook.

I asked for requests for the last of the 12 Rigs of Christmas. It’s been a smashing success, and I hope to do it again next Christmas. We’ll hopefully see some services rigs. I am humbled by all the kind comments. Thank you.

So far I’ve had one request for Panther 2, but that’s it. (A loving mom hoped to see her son. If that’s you sonny, your mommy loves you!) If you haven’t seen your rig from Panther, Betts, Stampede or Red Dog, speak up in the comments on my Facebook page and put in a request.


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12 Rigs of Christmas: Day 10: Panther Drilling Rig 1

13 12 2014

On the tenth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me: Panther Drilling Rig 1.

Panther Rig 1 was shot during the same frigid February week that Precision Drilling Rig 120 was. Indeed, they were operating within site of each other, about 4 miles apart, north of Macoun. This was my very first winter shoot of a rig, and man, was it cold. I have much better boots now in part as a result of this shoot.

This was also the first rig where I got the idea to catch a picture of the rig sign on the way in.

When I first came in Estevan in 2008, Panther was a 2-rig company. Now they are a four-rig company, as are Red Dog and Betts, with Stampede and Crusader at 3. I get the feeling 4 rigs is a comfortable place to be.

Panther Rig 1 can be found here.

The rest of my rigs can be found here.

My 12 Rigs of Christmas is winding to a close, only two more to go. If anyone has a request, now is the time to let me know in the comments on my Facebook page.

Merry Christmas!


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12 Rigs of Christmas: Day 9: Red Dog Drilling Rig 4

12 12 2014

On the ninth day of Christmas, the toolpush gave to me… Red Dog Drilling Rig 4.

This rig was shot on its first hole in July of 2013. It was nice and shiny. People often ask how I get pictures of rigs so shiny. Well, there’s the secret. I try to get them right out of the gate. I’ve been able to do that for Vortex 1, Panther 4 and Red Dog 4.

The day was, in a word, perfect. Remember those sunflowers along the north side of Highway 13 near Kisbey a few years ago? It was just north of there. The sky was blue, there were just a few clouds to give the sky some definition, and the sunset was awesome.

Getting shots of the sunset involved shooting from one angle, booting ‘er with the tripod to the other berm on the opposite side of the lease, then jumping in my wife’s truck and shooting several angles while using a tripod in the bed of the truck from the road just off the lease as the sky changed colour.

These pictures ended up getting noticed by the directional drillers, and led to a subsequent shoot for them in 2014.

The 360 panorama from the drill floor required about 130 pictures, of which about 36 were chosen and merged into one enormous image.

The Red Dog Rig 4 gallery can be found here.

If you’re looking for more rigs, check out the master drilling gallery here.

I’ve pretty running out of time to take additional canvas orders to have them ready for Christmas. However, I can still do paper prints up to 16×20 ($100+tax) easily enough.

With only three days left in my 12 days of Christmas, who should I do next? Put your requests in the comments below!


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12 Rigs of Christmas: Day 8: Stampede Drilling Rig 1

11 12 2014

Yesterday I posted Betts Drilling Rig 2, which was photographed on a beautiful summer day. Well, today’s rig was also taken on a sunny day, but it sure wasn’t summer. The Day 8 rig of the 12 Rigs of Christmas was photographed in the coldest conditions I have ever worked in. I didn’t even know if the cameras would work after a few minutes, but they did. It was something like -37 C with a -52 C wind chill. Thank God for hoarding around the drill floor! I felt really sorry for the roughnecks.

Did I mention there was a rig move involved too? In this God-forsaken cold weather? This was right around the time that Kory Sheets was working for Fast Trucking, although I didn’t see him on this move. I saw him on TV a few days later moving what looked like a CanElson or Betts rig. It was orange anyway.

Photos of Stampede 1 in all its frozen glory can be found here.

My other drilling rigs can be found here.

The photo lab suggested that all orders to Canada should be in by Dec. 8, or Monday. So if you would like a print of one of these pictures, please contact me directly at brian.zinchuk@sasktel.net. With a giant Epson 9900 printer the size of a love seat and weighing 340 lbs., I have the ability to do paper prints up to 16×20 ($75, need to be framed) or 16×32 here in Estevan, or canvas prints from 18×24 ($240), 24×36 ($500) to 36×96 ($1900). Canvas prints cost about $80 per square foot. Canvas prints especially take a fair bit of work, so you need to order early.

I also may be able to order other sizes of prints from my Canadian lab, but those would need to be ordered quickly.

Merry Christmas!


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