By Vladimir Brezina
Over on A Word In Your Ear, Sue’s A Word A Week Challenge this week is Industrial.
Paddling through New York Harbor, the ecosystem that we observe is not Nature, but Industry. Where elsewhere we might hope for close-up sightings of animals coming down to the water’s edge, in the harbor we observe the raw workings of industry. Industrial enterprises line the banks and occupy the scraps of waste land in the corners of the harbor. They present their best faces to the land, but as we paddle past, through, and sometimes even under them, we peer into their back yards…
And so, by degrees, we’ve developed an appreciation for the beauty of the industrial landscape…
Most of these photos were taken in the Arthur Kill (follow the link for more photos), the Bronx River, the Hackensack River, and the Gowanus Canal.
Vladimir Brezina
Johna Till Johnson
great photos as usual :)
Thanks, Sue! And thanks for posting the challenge!! :-)
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Great photos, I like the contrast from the habour and our little boat!
Greatings from Berlin to N.Y. sends Susanne
Thank you, Susanne—greeting from NY to Berlin! :-)
fab photos, love the shapes and colours of the industrial buildings with the delicate kayak like a dragonfly on the water!
A little too delicate sometimes—we often have to be extremely wary of scary metal things protruding up under the water…
that looks like interesting kayak paddle through industrial park
The whole of the harbor is a giant industrial park (as well as many other things)…
What an incredible contrast to the sights I see kayaking where I live. Though I do have a passion for rusty things. Great collection of shots!
Love your blog, which indeed shows quite different sights ;-) But even outside NYC itself, the East Coast is quite different from the West Coast—see the photos from our Long Island trip…
Checked out the Long Island post. Definitely different from out here, but I found some similarities as well. I will have to do a post about paddling on the west coast of Vancouver Island soon.
Looking forward to reading it!
In case you didn’t see it, we wrote a more detailed, 11-post series on our trip (the 12th post, a wrap-up, is still in the works) starting here.
Some of those colors are really bright! Overall though, it looks really clean from the backside. As always, I enjoy seeing Johna’s big smile on at least one photo in the selection. I enjoyed seeing the industrial side of your kayaking – very different than what you often post.
Nancy
Thanks, Nancy! I thought the industrial sights should be given their due :-)
Ah, this is everything I LOVE about Wind Against Current – your unique POV and the reason I follow every post. Thank you, Vlad & Johna, for the experience that is uniquely yours. Bravo!
Thanks so much, Lynn! Your enthusiasm makes it all worth while :-)
What a fabulous way to see it all! And some so colorful. Great photos :-)
Thanks so much!! :-)
Nice ride to take pics. :)
Thanks!!
nice photos as always.
Thank you… :-)
I thought you were in Florida!
No, based in NYC although we’ve been going to Florida quite often recently… in fact we’ll be there again in a few days…
We don’t head down until Thursday, Elizabeth. Sadly without you (what’s up with THAT!?! Next time, I guess…)
Oh, our Elizabeth! Sorry, should have clicked on the link :-)
I like all of ‘em but dang, Cement Mixer and Silos looks like it ought to be in a photography show. The colors and angles just go pop!
Thanks, Bonnie!! Yes, drifting slowly down the Bronx River or the Gowanus Canal leaves plenty of time to get that photo just right :-)
Always a pleasure to see your photos — you have a wonderful eye for composition and color. :)
Thank you for the compliment! Glad you like the photos… :-)
Great photos, I love this post!
Thanks, Dina!!
Vlad; how do you get such great colors? I really am envious of your photos.
Well, Photoshop does have a little to do with it ;-) Briefly, once I discovered that each of my cameras produced completely different colors, which then furthermore looked completely different on each of my computer monitors, it became clear to me that trying to make the photo look “the way it really was” was a hopeless enterprise. So, if anything, I try to reproduce the (subjective) feeling of being there that I remember, and a certain esthetic appearance that I like—and I like bright colors ;-)
What a very nice set of pictures these were.
Thank you—so glad you like them! :-)
Love all the pops of colour!
:-) Thanks!
There is beauty in these industrial landscapes, especially around the docks. I think it is the stark symmetry, which you have captured so very well.
We certainly think it’s quite beautiful—or if it’s ugly, it’s at least ours :-)
When I thnk “industrial”, I think ugly. Ick. Depressing. But your pictures captured such beauty. Well done!
Thank you! :-)