Part of a series for sculptor Miran Elbakyan to show his process. His work is done at the anvil and forge, creating sculptures using the time honored technique of the blacksmith.

This photo is made to emphasize the action and drama of work at the forge. Not many art studios are illuminated by the glow of molten metal under the force of a hammer.

The sparks were captured separately from the plate of the hammer’s impact and composited in post, to exaggerate the effect of the hammer’s strike for small sized prints and instagram feeds. The actual sparks of a hammer’s impact aren’t quite so intense as the strikes are precise and measured in how they form the iron.