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!
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.
Riding under the BQE (Gowanus Expressway) I pulled off to catch a shot of this beat up old El Camino. No matter what neighborhood you’re in, when you explore under an overpass you are bound to find a different world. Trash, beat up cars, graffiti, homeless people, people drinking, construction; a little bit of the grit and grime that left the rest of the city long ago. Fun for a photographer, not so fun when you are walking home by yourself late at night.
It seemed like a dream. Prior to this day, I had no idea this place existed, and until I found it on Google Maps, I was pretty sure it was all a dream.
It had to be in the 90′s that day, and after riding my bike for the previous hour in the blistering sun, I was delirious. Peter knew where we going and the sun didn’t seem to bother him too much. But I was dying. It was nice to hide in the shade given off by the factory wall and drink some water. Looking down the abandoned cobblestone street in between these massive structures, one could only imagine what it would have looked like filled with trucks, workers, industry and life. The desolation added to the hazy dreaminess of the locale.
Now as the cold breeze begins to blow the leaves from the trees, I daydream of a Sunday in late August, riding along the Gowanus Bay taking pictures.
