With the sheer volume of images produced daily, coupled with technology simplifying the process of taking and editing photographs, news photographers are becoming harder to come by in the digital-driven world we live in today.
Over the history of the photographic arts era, it was just a few short clicks for news photographers to evolve from developing film in darkrooms to adopting digital cameras and utilising technology like Photoshop.
Photography has played a significant role in snapping news events of the past for future generations to acknowledge. The advent of AI is now capturing this aspect of the market to a degree. AI has virtually captured every type of business employing sophisticated technology to streamline workflow – photographers and news organisations are no different.
Mining.com.au is a digital mining news organisation and while it doesn’t have a team of photographers on the ground our secret weapon is a talented visual creative artist whose custom illustrations capture the essence of only the most special features in ways a photo simply could never.
In paying homage to photographers and all visual creative artists, Mining.com.au is celebrating World Photography Day today (19 August), by showcasing the best works of our Head of Design Rochelle Padua – the creative mastermind behind the digital images elevating our stories.
Padua has selected five favourite custom illustrations she’s carefully curated, and tells the story behind her creative process and design choices. They are presented below in no particular order.
Mining.com.au has also added the top five performing features that have captured the most attention amongst our growing loyal reader audience.
Composition: Padua’s picks
First in Padua’s favourites list is Metallica Minerals (ASX:MLM) ‘Master of its own destiny.’ This illustration was one of her first for Mining.com.au and remains a favourite. It’s clear to see why.
“Metallica the band and Metallica Minerals, same energy to me,” Padua says.
“The texture and dispersal of the sand guitarist and desert backdrop references the company’s Cape Flattery Silica Sand Project.”
Prior to being a takeover target for Diatreme Resources’ (ASX:DRX), Metallica Minerals was focused on advancing its Cape Flattery Project in North Queensland. The company emphasised the project’s competitive advantages in quality and logistics.
With minimal logistical costs and planned port infrastructure, the company believed it could pull all the right strings to maintain a low operating cost operation.
While the world faces a mineral sand shortage, Cape Flattery was being positioned to meet the needs of key markets, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region.
Padua adds that the continuity of the sand motif, written by Editor-in-Chief Adam Orlando, translates to the ‘Sands of Time’ related image which has been used for Mining.com.au’s newsletter.
“I didn’t overthink this one, just pure energy. Clean energy! Ba dum tsh, amirite?”
Diatreme’s unconditional takeover offer of Metallica was extended and was scheduled to close on Tuesday 6 August 2024. Remaining Metallica shareholders were being encouraged by Diatreme to “accept now and not wait” in order to participate in the offer
Diatreme increased its relevant interest in Metallica to 87.05% and the suitor intends to proceed with compulsory acquisition of any outstanding Metallica shares if it reaches a 90% relevant interest.
The second illustration chosen is Toro Energy’s (ASX:TOE) ‘Bull-ish by name, bullish by nature.’
“It’s a super cool bull. Need I say more?” Padua says succinctly.
The story outlines Toro Energy’s focus on capitalising on the bullish uranium market, driven by supply issues from major producers.
At the time, the company’s flagship Wiluna Uranium Project boasted a significant resource of 84 million pounds of triuranium octoxide, with plans for a pilot plant to process uranium and vanadium.
Padua stresses that company logos are crucial in capturing form for these digital illustrations, and Toro Energy’s logo is a bull head, so that became the centrepiece of the image.
“In addition, I used their logo’s neon treatment to highlight the uranium line chart which references Oliver’s story where it mentions nuclear power use ‘will likely triple by 2050,” she explains.
“The backdrop of outback Western Australia and the city of Perth references the Perth-based junior explorer and their projects’ locations. Also, (feature author) Oliver mentioned ‘bull run’, so here it is coming straight at you.”
The third choice is a special interest article in honour of World Day for Safety and Health at Work, ‘Mining in a changing climate: Redefining industry safety.’
Rochelle says this illustration is her favourite of all the special interest stories because of the effective split screen contrast.
“Revisiting my visual art roots, the lighting and shading differ on both sides, evoking contrasting human emotions,” she reflects.
The story explores the significant health and safety challenges and risks — exacerbated by climate change — in the mining industry. As greenhouse gas emissions blanket the Earth and the sun’s heat becomes trapped resulting in global warming and climate change, industry executives detail the hazardous effects facing miners and how somewhat straightforward solutions can further help avoid worksite incidents and fatalities.
Despite technological advancements and safety measures, mining fatalities remain a concern, with data showing that to 28 April this year, 29 workplace deaths had taken place in Australia in the year to date.
“The overall illustration communicates the mental and physical differences that are affected by the safety of a workplace, and the health of an employee,” adds Mining.com.au’s Head of Design.
“I also pat myself on the back whenever I see the simple central transition, and notice it’s not a straight line. It’s these little things that can boost an illustration higher up on my faves list.”
Depth of field
Our Head of Design’s fourth choice is Toubani Resources’ (ASX:TRE) ‘Majors continue to see enormous opportunity in Mali.’
“Now, I’ve done quite a few shaking of hands illustrations in my time with Mining.com.au. This one stands out purely because of the reaction it got,” Padua says.
She emphasises that these images are not just “pretty pictures,” they respectfully reflect the content of the writing, alongside the company’s story.
Padua adds that in this case, the likeness of Toubani’s CEO Phil Russo was received so well, that it was used as a profile picture.
Toubani Resources has noticed a shift in Mali’s mining sector, particularly after Canadian mining giant Barrick Gold (TSX:ABX) expressed interest in expanding investments in the country.
The company is focused on advancing its 2.2 million ounce Kodada Gold Project and believes the updated legislation will stabilise regulations and as a result, support future investments.
The fifth and final artist’s piece of choice is Great Boulder Resources’ (ASX:GBR) ‘The road to a once overlooked big prize.’
Padua explains that this piece was spurred from a great brief from Managing Editor Angela East, and exemplifies the creative brainstorming process between editorial and design, in order to deliver mining news in engaging and disruptive ways.
The story outlines Great Boulder’s exploration efforts on the eastern side of the Meekatharra Greenstone Belt in Western Australia, where significant gold potential exists. Great Boulder plans to increase its Side Well Project’s resource to 1 million ounces of gold by 2025, while also aiming to develop processing options, potentially leveraging nearby facilities.
“I love carnival imagery, so when Ange suggested it, I stepped it right up,” Padua says.
“The high strikers or strongman game with its one million ‘big prize’ illustrates Great Boulder’s goal to boost their 668,000 ounce resource.
“The road and backdrop depicts the headline and the company’s Side Well Gold Project. The gold bunting represents the main commodity of the story. And, for the curious, yes, that is Great Boulder’s Managing Director Andrew Paterson, with the mallet.”
(Editor’s note: Anyone who has ever met Andrew Paterson will attest that Padua’s above image is an uncannily accurate depiction of him.)
Excellence exposure
To complement the favourites of our Head of Design, Mining.com.au assessed with a prime lens the data of the top-performing special features based on viewership analytics and the following were in our viewfinder.
First is Kincora Copper’s (ASX:KCC) ‘The rise of the Lachlan Fold Belt as majors, funds seek copper’.
The junior mineral explorer is considered a key player in exploring in the Lachlan Fold Belt of New South Wales. Kincora’s exploration strategy is underpinned by promising geological models and targets, with the aim to capitalise on the region’s untested intrusive complexes within the Macquarie Arc.
Another top performing article is Aruma Resources’ (ASX:AAJ) ‘Traversing the next underexplored Australian frontier’.
Aruma has made strides in Queensland’s Mt Isa region through acquiring the Bortala and Fiery Creek copper projects.
The company aims to tap into underexplored areas, leveraging geological potential similar to Mt Isa-style mineralisation.
The company’s exploration strategy reflects its focus on opening up to new opportunities in copper, gold, and uranium prospective areas.
After securing shareholder approval, Aruma Resources on 7 August completed the acquisition of three copper and uranium prospective projects in South Australia and Queensland. The Wilan Iron Oxide Copper-Gold and Uranium Project lies in the Olympic Dam precinct of South Australia, while the Fiery Creek and Bortala Copper projects sit in the Mt Isa region of Queensland.
Aruma says all three projects have copper-gold discovery potential, alongside a playa lake uranium target at the Wilan Project.
Aruma has completed an initial assessment of the projects, which revealed copper assays up to 36% from previous explorers in rock chip samples at Fiery Creek. Multiple initial exploration targets were also identified at the Bortala Project.
Like Kincora’s, this special feature really resonated with our audience and continues to do so.
Meanwhile, the third top performing article is Power Nickel’s (TSX-V:PNPN) ‘Nisk and reward of a polymetallic discovery in Canada’.
Power Nickel’s CEO Terry Lynch says its Nisk property ticks all of the boxes. Nisk has delivered “impressive” assay results, has community support, infrastructure that Lynch says “dosen’t get much better,” and lies in a key mining jurisdiction.
Canadian junior exploration company Power Nickel (TSX-V:PNPN) is powering ahead by strengthening its exploration strategy, which will include downhole electromagnetic (EM) surveys and ground-based geophysics at its Nisk Property in Québec.
Power Nickel on 13 August reported valuable scientific and technical inputs received from renowned Australian geoscientist Dr Steve Beresford has led to revamping the exploration strategy.
The new approach is aiming to identify the best resources growth potential at both discoveries and to understand the nature of the ground between them.
Beresford was brought on as a special advisor by the company in early May, as reported by Mining.com.au.
The market cannot seem to get enough of this Canadian powerhouse. One might suspect the feature main illustration also might have something to do with it.
Faraday Copper’s (TSX:FDY) ‘Hunting for copper in the land of giants’ is the fourth top performing feature article.
The company is focused on its Copper Creek Project in Arizona, US — which has a rich history of major copper suppliers, producing 74% of the US outputs and ranking seventh in the world if it were a country.
Faraday Copper aims to capitalise on the copper demand, with resources already identified and ongoing drilling to expand the company’s findings.
The Canadian explorer is aiming to release an updated resource for its flagship Copper Creek Project in Arizona in the first half of 2025. The company continues to roll out the results of phase-three drilling, which could support an increase in the open pit resources.
The 3km-long Copper Creek Project currently hosts combined open pit and underground measured and indicated resources totalling 421.9 million tonnes @ 0.45% for 4.2 billion pounds of contained copper.
The measured and indicated open pit resource currently sits at around 127.1 million tonnes @ 0.40% copper for 1.1 billion pounds of copper.
The fifth and final top performing feature article is Astute Metals’ (ASX:ASE) ‘approach to Pilbara Minerals 2.0.’
Astute Metals is working towards a potential success, similar to Pilbara Minerals (ASX:PLS).
In early 2023, the company began its search for a promising lithium project. At Astute’s Red Mountain Lithium Project, recent drilling has shown promising lithium concentrations, indicating the potential for a “major” discovery.
The company plans to expand on its exploration efforts at the project, following latest results.
Last week, Astute decided to relinquish its Polaris and Altair projects after conducting a strategic review on its Nevada lithium assets. The purpose of the strategic review has been to ensure that the company’s exploration portfolio is optimal.
Astute Metals says relinquishing Polaris and Altari allows the company to focus its resources and time on the projects that have the greatest potential, such as the Red Mountain Lithium Project which has recently emerged as a discovery of significance in North America.
Photography, like all visual artistry, is not just technology but a medium of creative expression that says a thousand words through a picture.
Oftentimes, the creative artists who work behind the scenes suffer from underexposure. In celebrating World Photography Day, Mining.com.au will like to once again pay tribute to our Head of Design Rochelle Padua who helps bring our mining stories back into focus.
Write to Aaliyah Rogan at Mining.com.au
Images: Mining.com.au Head of Design Rochelle Padua
