Photographer Sandra Steinbrecher shares some behind-the-scenes details into some of the images featured in her new book, The Salt Shed.
"Ironworker in the former Morton Salt steel production shed, September 2021"
On one of my first days at the Morton site, I stood in the vast, open production shed under a blue sky with my camera pointed up about 50 feet to the top, completely engaged with the work going on. The early morning light gave the steel a warm glow and made all the other colors pop—orange lifts, green welders' jackets, and blue sky. This ironworker was up in an aerial lift with his equipment, cutting down steel beams that needed to be replaced due to corrosion from decades of exposure to salt. After using the welding torch to slice through a beam, it would fall smoking to the shed floor with a heavy thud. It was a full sensory experience in the shed with the sounds, sights, and smells and the dust swirling around me. By the time I left, I had lost track of how much time had passed, but I couldn’t wait to come back.
"Detail roof panel removal view from the roof of the building across Elston Ave, September 2021"
The original roof panels with the hand-painted sign on the west side of the shed (Elston Avenue) were being removed and replaced. Many parts of the steel framework underneath the roof needed repair or replacement before new, updated roof panels could be installed. Over a period of about two weeks, I photographed the process as a team of 4-6 workers on swing stages and in aerial lifts took them down, one by one, with hand tools. I kept moving to different vantage points to capture the action. This shot was taken from the roof of the building across the street on Elston Avenue. I ended up photographing from that spot many times. Anytime I wanted to shoot there, I would coordinate with the building engineer who would let me up onto the roof. The receptionist in the office also allowed me to shoot from their windows that faced directly onto the Morton Salt billboard where I could capture views of the work from different levels. This image is one of my favorites, not only because of its overall composition, but because of the human scale, the size of the structure, and the section of the sign which is still so recognizable. It conveys so much about this transformation.
"Interior plumbing work, subfloor in the packaging building, November 2021"
At the Morton site, I checked in with the plumbers regularly to photograph their work and their progress. Restoring 100-year-old pipes and reconfiguring them with new ones required detective skills along with plumbing expertise. The plumbers often worked in tight or confined spaces, including in wet tunnels or under the floors in dirt with little head room. One day, I saw they were working underground in the packaging building next to the shed. I knew I wanted to get a shot. Sometimes I went down with them, but this time I laid down on the floor next to the trap door and hung my camera over the edge. I swung my camera around in different angles trying to capture the eerie scene. This image conveys the drama of being underground, working in the dirt, and the focus it takes to get it right.
"Musical artist Andrew Bird, outdoor summer show performance, August 2022"
In the summer of 2022, Andrew Bird performed one of the first shows at the Salt Shed’s outdoor space (the indoor space was slated to open the following February and was still a construction site). To photograph the performances, I would try to get to as many places as possible to shoot. One of my favorite spots was a lower rooftop space with a view of the shed, the stage, the river, and the skyline where I often shot ironwork, carpentry, etc. during the day. Earlier that evening, I stashed my tripod up on the roof so I could take some night shots with the city skyline and the river, using long exposures. During the show, and all evening long, I would hustle from the photographer’s pit up at the front of the stage to different areas on the grounds, then past security, and back into the packaging building and up to the roof. I knew there would be a full moon and I waited for it to rise a bit so it would be visible and glowing alongside the glittering skyline, the dark river, and the bright stage lights beaming over the shadowy crowd of fans.
The Salt Shed is available now.