A few years ago I toured a Simon Pearce Glass Factory in Garrett County, Md. Please see below for more text and second photo.
The artisans who work at the plant are dealing with some pretty extreme temperatures so I was not allowed very close to the action. A good deal of the tour though involves walking on a steel walkway above the factory floor from which I took this shot.
I walked back and fourth on the walkway until I realized that the part of the process I could get the best vantage point on was where the glass makers stretch and sculpt the top of a pitcher, it also happened to be where the greatest convergence of light was. The work being done in this photo involves two people. One person to hold the neck of the glass, another to hold the pole at the top of the photo.
I played around with a black and white version of this image. It has more of an industrial feel to it but I still prefer the color photo as it does a better job of conveying the level of heat involved with making and twisting glass. Which version do you prefer?
The factory was not particularly well lit as most of the lighting emanated from fixtures high above the plant floor. Whenever I am in a dark area like this one, I try to use my longer lens so I can fill the frame up with whatever light I can find.
The longer lens in addition to putting me a lot closer to the action, compressed the scene, reducing the clutter in the background as it begins to fall out of focus. Simon Pearce makes some of the most exquisite glass pieces on the world. This plant is an easy drive from Deep Creek Lake.
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I See Beauty All Around 
Definitely the colour version. I can almost feel the heat against his hand.
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Thank beth!
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The colour version is my pick. As you say it, it portrays the heat involved in making glass objects and gives much more understanding of the process of glass making. Thanks for showing us both it is interesting to see the comparison.
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Wow! It’s fascinating how they do that!
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Great selection for this challenge! Great light capture!
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Spectacular!
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