When I think of places I love to shoot in Brooklyn, one of the first areas that comes to mind is Gowanus. Gowanus used to be a major point of industry for Brooklyn thanks to its canal, but now the majority of that industry has left. With the flight of the industry, the area was left decrepit. In addition, the high levels of pollution have led this area to acquire the Superfund designation. There has been some rebirth in the area over the past few years. More and more artists studios are popping up, and more businesses are moving in. There is even a great concert venue right by the Carroll St Bridge that holds shows in the summer. All of this adds up to a very interesting place that is a pleasure to photograph. If you haven’t done so already, take a trip down to the Gowanus canal and bring your camera, you won’t be disappointed. This first picture here was a big one for me personally; it has had significant influence on subsequent photos I’ve taken. It was taken on the first night I took photos in Gowanus.
cmv
5 months ago
gowanus is my absolute favorite place to walk through and photograph in brooklyn– you capture it wonderfully!
have you been into that abandoned lot on third street?
Kruger
5 months ago
thanks! i have twice before, but only for short times. here is one photo i took there
i’m definitely going to go exploring in it deeper soon though soon.
Barry
5 months ago
Also a huge fan of Gowanus – I could wander around there for hours. Kruger, love that shot above with the bike. CMV, that lot is fantastic, so many photo opportunities. here are some shots I’ve taken there:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tomvu/sets/72157622851820307/
cmv
5 months ago
wonderful pictures, both of you! i’m glad i’m not the only one who likes poking around back there– i’m dying to know, though, did you happen to see these shoes out there?
the first time i went they were like this:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/23061481@N06/3852887811/in/set-72157612407432121/
the next time i went, weeks later there were surprisingly still there and straightened:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/23061481@N06/3879349351/in/set-72157612407432121/
and every time i walked past this summer i was amazed to see them still there. did you spot them? i need to walk by and see if they’ve survived the winter.
Kruger
5 months ago
haha, i don’t think i’ve ever noticed the shoes before but they’re great. i’m just going to assume that there is a random brooklyn character that sneaks into the lot, puts on the shoes, and puts on a dance show for no one, because that would be the most fun explanation. from the sounds of things it looks like the next ftlob meetup will need to be in gowanus.
Barry
5 months ago
Hadn’t noticed them either, although the last time I was there I didn’t go into that part of the lot. Thanks to cmv’s photo & Kruger’s wild imagination, I now cant get the image of a preacher dancing around the lot in high heels out of my head…
cmv
5 months ago
hilarious!! i love that image! gowanus has just gotten even more charming!
for the LOVE of BROOKLYN | super fun at the superfund
5 months ago
[...] Peter’s post last week reminded me how much I enjoy shooting in Gowanus, and exploring the area’s unique charm and subculture. These shots are from a recent late fall / early winter trip I took to the area to shoot at night. Gotta love Gowanus. Click on each panorama if you’d like to see it bigger! [...]