Maier Tree & Lawn recently called and asked me to head out to Marion Road in SE Rochester, Minnesota, to photograph a few of their guys climbing and trimming large oak trees at a clients home. When I arrived they were getting all their gear and safety equipment ready before carefully climbing these giant oaks. It was a very cold and windy day and I was impressed with how well these guys worked despite the conditions. Within minutes all four guys were high up in these enormous trees cutting branches with hand and chain saws. I did all I could to shoot with frozen hands and a hard hat that would fall off every time I tried turning my camera for a vertical image! At one point I just left the hat on the ground and continued shooting until a guy yelled at me from up high in a tree to get my hat back on! These guys take their safety gear and procedures very seriously, which is one of the many reasons they are one of the premiere arboriculture and urban forestry companies in the area.
Maier Tree & Lawn was started in 1999 by my good friend, Jay Maier. I’ve been shooting projects for them for a few years now and always enjoy documenting what they do. And if I have anything that needs to be done in my yard they will be the first ones I call!
Dean Riggott has specialized in commercial photography since 1991. He specializes in many areas, including architecture, industrial, agriculture, food, college campus life, Rochester photo stock and environmental portraits.