Sloss Furnaces in birmingham, al

Sloss Furnaces, Birmingham, Alabama. Once the heart of the South's iron industry, these blast furnaces operated from 1882 to 1971, shaping Birmingham's identity as an industrial center. Now preserved as a National Historic Landmark, the site stands a
Sloss Furnaces, Birmingham, Alabama. Once the heart of the South's iron industry, these blast furnaces operated from 1882 to 1971, shaping Birmingham's identity as an industrial center. Now preserved as a National Historic Landmark, the site stands a
Sloss Furnaces, Birmingham, Alabama. Once the heart of the South's iron industry, these blast furnaces operated from 1882 to 1971, shaping Birmingham's identity as an industrial center. Now preserved as a National Historic Landmark, the site stands a
Sloss Furnaces, Birmingham, Alabama. Once the heart of the South's iron industry, these blast furnaces operated from 1882 to 1971, shaping Birmingham's identity as an industrial center. Now preserved as a National Historic Landmark, the site stands a
Sloss Furnaces, Birmingham, Alabama. Once the heart of the South's iron industry, these blast furnaces operated from 1882 to 1971, shaping Birmingham's identity as an industrial center. Now preserved as a National Historic Landmark, the site stands a
Sloss Furnaces, Birmingham, Alabama. Once the heart of the South's iron industry, these blast furnaces operated from 1882 to 1971, shaping Birmingham's identity as an industrial center. Now preserved as a National Historic Landmark, the site stands a
Sloss Furnaces, Birmingham, Alabama. Once the heart of the South's iron industry, these blast furnaces operated from 1882 to 1971, shaping Birmingham's identity as an industrial center. Now preserved as a National Historic Landmark, the site stands a
Sloss Furnaces, Birmingham, Alabama. Once the heart of the South's iron industry, these blast furnaces operated from 1882 to 1971, shaping Birmingham's identity as an industrial center. Now preserved as a National Historic Landmark, the site stands a
Sloss Furnaces, Birmingham, Alabama. Once the heart of the South's iron industry, these blast furnaces operated from 1882 to 1971, shaping Birmingham's identity as an industrial center. Now preserved as a National Historic Landmark, the site stands a
Sloss Furnaces, Birmingham, Alabama. Once the heart of the South's iron industry, these blast furnaces operated from 1882 to 1971, shaping Birmingham's identity as an industrial center. Now preserved as a National Historic Landmark, the site stands a
Sloss Furnaces, Birmingham, Alabama. Once the heart of the South's iron industry, these blast furnaces operated from 1882 to 1971, shaping Birmingham's identity as an industrial center. Now preserved as a National Historic Landmark, the site stands a
Sloss Furnaces, Birmingham, Alabama. Once the heart of the South's iron industry, these blast furnaces operated from 1882 to 1971, shaping Birmingham's identity as an industrial center. Now preserved as a National Historic Landmark, the site stands a
Sloss Furnaces, Birmingham, Alabama. Once the heart of the South's iron industry, these blast furnaces operated from 1882 to 1971, shaping Birmingham's identity as an industrial center. Now preserved as a National Historic Landmark, the site stands a
Sloss Furnaces, Birmingham, Alabama. Once the heart of the South's iron industry, these blast furnaces operated from 1882 to 1971, shaping Birmingham's identity as an industrial center. Now preserved as a National Historic Landmark, the site stands a
Sloss Furnaces, Birmingham, Alabama. Once the heart of the South's iron industry, these blast furnaces operated from 1882 to 1971, shaping Birmingham's identity as an industrial center. Now preserved as a National Historic Landmark, the site stands a
Sloss Furnaces, Birmingham, Alabama. Once the heart of the South's iron industry, these blast furnaces operated from 1882 to 1971, shaping Birmingham's identity as an industrial center. Now preserved as a National Historic Landmark, the site stands a
Sloss Furnaces, Birmingham, Alabama. Once the heart of the South's iron industry, these blast furnaces operated from 1882 to 1971, shaping Birmingham's identity as an industrial center. Now preserved as a National Historic Landmark, the site stands a
Sloss Furnaces, Birmingham, Alabama. Once the heart of the South's iron industry, these blast furnaces operated from 1882 to 1971, shaping Birmingham's identity as an industrial center. Now preserved as a National Historic Landmark, the site stands a
Sloss Furnaces, Birmingham, Alabama. Once the heart of the South's iron industry, these blast furnaces operated from 1882 to 1971, shaping Birmingham's identity as an industrial center. Now preserved as a National Historic Landmark, the site stands a

Some places call you back.

In the fall of 2025, I had the honor of photographing Sloss Furnaces, one of Birmingham's most consequential industrial landmarks. I had been thinking about this place since I missed my chance the year prior—arriving on a day Sloss was closed as I continued my cross-country drive from Napa to Charlotte. Since then, Sloss lingered in my imagination: a site with its own gravity, a place I knew I would return to with my camera.

I photographed for just over four hours. The shoot was energizing—and also one of the most challenging I've done—not because of light or weather, but because of the sheer density of the structure. Everywhere: pipes, bolts, rust, catwalks, rails—layer upon layer of material purpose. At first, it felt almost impossible to make a coherent visual story from so much machinery and mass. My mind took it in like noise—like a child banging pots and pans.

So I stopped, breathed, and followed my instincts.

I moved slowly, grounding my horizontals, taking in one element at a time, looking for order inside the mechanical excess. And gradually, the place began to reveal itself—lines that held, shapes that repeated, passages where weight turned into rhythm. I'm grateful for what emerged. These images, I think, carry the story with power and a kind of historical potency that derives from a hundred plus years of life.

If you’re looking to create meaningful visual stories for your publication or brand, let’s schedule a complimentary Zoom call. I’d love to learn more about your project and explore how we can work together.

“We have engaged Paul for several shoots at Meadowood and each time he has proven to be a supreme professional talent. He is thorough, efficient, and consistently hits the brief. We are always pleased with his beautiful imagery and his ability to capture the essence of Meadowood through his photographs. ”
— Alisha Sommer, Communications Manager, Meadowood Estate
“Paul did a photo shoot for our newly converted hotel in Carolina Beach NC, and it turned out amazing. Paul did an amazing job throughout the entire process from the set up to the delivery of the final images. He communicated with us throughout the entire process and made any changes that we requested. He continued to work on the images until we were fully satisfied with the final result. We will be using Lange Photo Studios for any of our future photoshoots and would highly recommend them to anyone else that is planning a photoshoot.””
— Eric Espinoza, General Manager at Golden Sands Resort
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