Sunday, August 19, 2012

Battered Old Boats . . .

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One aspect of exploring in Brittany that I particularly love is the possibility of finding old battered boats that have been abandoned on obscure and rarely visited stretches of beach, and left to disintegrate slowly over the years until they disappear entirely. I have not been blogging much of late as I've been out scouring the Brittany coasts looking for such hidden treasures. (And I apologize for not responding to your wonderful comments... but beachcombing while on vacation is taking up all of my time... well, almost all, some quiet time with family and friends has also been occurring.)
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Few subjects of photography move me as much as the poetry of an abandoned boat which will sail no more forever. The layers of paint applied painstakingly over the years to keep them seaworthy and beautiful to behold, which now are wearing off in the weather, flaking, fading, falling, create works of art (in my humble opinion) which grand masters of the abstract would have a hard time rivaling. When I find such subjects I make dozens of photographs, as the reality of wood and nails and caulk and paint will not last for long. If I had more space at home I would probably have a whole yard full of such relics, and maybe one in the living room. May you enjoy seeing these images of battered boats as much as I did creating them.
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15 comments:

Jose said...

I agree: abandoned boats are beautiful, as this photos are!

Greetings from Portugal!

Steve said...

Caressed long by mermaid's song...

'Tsuki said...

Diantre, mais c'est tout pourri, tout ça !!! Mais on en tire de belles macro de textures, quand même... ;)

French Girl in Seattle said...

Mr Toad did it again! Brought a whole new light to old, abandoned objects, and made them shine again... and boats to boot. Lovely. You must have one heck of a good camera to take this close up shots, Owen. Veronique (French Girl in Seattle)

the fly in the web said...

Lovely old ladies when alive, when someone wanted them enough to caulk and paint their hulls....and hauntingly beautiful in decay.


Lynne with an e said...

Gorgeous textures, colours and neatly fitted lines tenderly observed and preserved by a caressing eye (lens). Symbolism herein, of course, runs as rampant as the bounding main.

Vivian aka Deborah said...

Ahh, yes, there is poetry everywhere...you only need to open your heart to find it. You've found it among old abandoned boats...lovely as ever.

Your top photo gives the feel of an older boat, looking out at the younger ones still afloat and sailing the waters. Remembering.

Your close ups are art!

Very nice find....you bring life back to this forgotten vessel.

PeterParis said...

I can just imagine how happy and exited you must have been taking these photos!

When I see the result, I can understand why! :-)

Anonymous said...

Makes one wonder whether they sail across the waters again during the night.

Please have a good time.

Leslie D. said...

I love stuff like that..weathered and worn and organic. I think the Japanese term is "wabi sabi"

Robert said...

De très belle textures, i like.

Stickup Artist said...

I wonder if such images speak to us because they awaken the empathy in us for that which is worn, weathered, beaten, and finally, forgotten. But beautiful and vibrant patches still retain the spirit of their endeavors to the very end...

Gunn said...

You have EYES for beautiful details!
A very nice blog!

elleona said...

Grâce à James, je découvre votre blog et j'aime votre vision poétique des vieilles choses, ces ruines qui ont encore la beauté fanée de leur vie antérieure.
Merci
Elléona

http://joliebrochettedequinquas.blogspot.com

Céline said...

Bonjour Owen,
Nos chemins auraient pu se croiser cet été puisque nous étions dans le même coin de Bretagne (j'ai passé une semaine à Saint-Michel en Gréve et je suis aussi passé à tréguier et Port-Blanc !)... une prochaine fois peut-être. Je n'ai pas eu la chance de tomber sur de vieux bateaux, ou alors ce n'était pas le bon moment avec la famille, alors j'apprécie encore plus tes photos, particulièrement la 2éme pour ces couleurs lumineuses.
Et oui les photos du coucher de soleil ont été prises à Loquirec et le charmant garçon est mon fils !
Cheers
Céline