Bringing Science to Life: My Photography Assignment for Intabio
I had the pleasure of working with Intabio, a leader in biotherapeutic analysis, to photograph their innovative Intabio ZT system at their lab in Fremont, California. This state-of-the-art system plays a pivotal role in precision solutions for biomedical research, so capturing its importance through photography was both a challenge and an exciting opportunity.
The assignment had two parts: photographing the ZT system itself, almost like a product shoot, and capturing lab techs interacting with the machine. But as with many scientific environments, the shoot came with its unique set of hurdles. For one, the ZT system was fixed in place in a corner of the lab, wedged between white walls and surrounded by other equipment. Normally, when doing a product shot, photography allows you total control of the space, letting you isolate the product and get creative with lighting. Here, that wasn’t an option.
Because it was a working lab, I had only 20 minutes to have the techs take a break, turn off the fluorescent lab lights, and give me control over the space. With the system locked into its fixed spot, I had to think creatively about composition and lighting to separate the ZT system from the cluttered surroundings. The walls and nearby equipment could easily take attention away from the machine, so I used strategic lighting angles to create depth and highlight the system. After the shoot, I worked with color toning in post-production to further help isolate the system and make it stand out in the photography.
The second challenge was photographing the lab workers interacting with the machine. Since the ZT system isn’t exactly a piece of equipment that moves, flashes, or does anything visually dynamic, my goal was to add energy and life to the shots. Seeing one person standing still with a machine doesn’t give off much excitement, so I decided to incorporate at least two workers in each shot. This added a sense of human interaction and emotion around the machine, giving the images more dynamic energy and making the photography feel more engaging.
What really set these images apart from typical science stock photography was the extra level of sophistication. Intabio specifically wanted to avoid the usual sterile, generic look often seen in stock lab photos. I focused on creating more polished and commercial-grade images by using creative lighting, foreground elements, and thoughtful post-production work. I wanted to infuse the photography with a sense of innovation and precision that reflects the advanced nature of Intabio’s work.
Ultimately, this assignment was all about problem-solving in a real-world lab environment and using photography to bring a machine to life in a way that felt exciting and meaningful. I’m thrilled with how the images turned out, and it was a great experience helping Intabio showcase the ZT system and the important work they’re doing in biotherapeutic analysis.
