Superb River Traffic: Barges, River Boats, Night Cruises, Tugs, canoes, your best!

[David J. Eves]

So why would a thread on River Traffic start with a picture of Eskimos in the edge of an ice passage? This is because David J. Eves' thread, High in the Arctic Eskimo", here, has brought us the life of the Innuit and these native Americans represent the migrants who's skin covered boats carried waves of courageous souls from the Arctic ice bridges to the Americas following every coastline and exploring each river until they had colonized the continent first by boat. AK




MIDNIGHT IN MAY .. .. .. HOORAY ! no more darkness, till the end of August!

The Umailq - Jake Koonuk - Whaling Captain - Scanning, waiting, watching, waiting, watching, for weeks.. .. .. 24/7 ? (don't these people ever sleep?).. .. NO!

Constantly being exposed to the powerful rays of the sun, 24 hours a day, "flips a switch" in your body, your becoming "solar powered", you require little if any sleep.

Every three days of so (LOL) you merely lean back on that sled and rest/doze/sleep, for a short "cat-nap" so to speak. (chuckle).. ha ha.. This place is a "different planet".

David J. Eaves: Innnuit Whalers Boat​

OUTon the ocean ice, people are constantly telling me, quit yelling. (I am speaking in a what I consider a normal voice.) ssshh! oh ok.! Growing up in a big city Boston, ths noise is something we are used to, and we grow accustomed to speaking over that noise. Out here there is only the sound of the wind, and the ice.

 

[Minde Grantham]

Island Style gravel delivery

From "Mississippi River Fun" here.

Minde Grantham: Mississippi River Fun​

 

[Ruben Alfu]

A few months ago I had the opportunity to get involved in an assignment to document the complete transit of a crane (here in the background) through the Panama Canal. It was a great experience. At the end of the day, at the exit of the last lock, this photo of the catamaran Crystal Blue Persuasion came as a nice bonus (though the sun wasn´t a'rising at all).

Ruben Alfu : Crystal Blue Persuasion


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[Paul Abbott]

This comes from the original thread here. The pictures used to see this new thread are designed to show the breadth of subject this theme on River Traffic will cover. Asher

I was planning on taking some documentary images of life and work on the Thames, but kind of gave up on the hunt due to my lens limitations and other picture taking commitments.
My problem is, is that I abstract too much, I think. Although, I wonder if Cory would like this shot in their yearly calendar?

Paul Abbott - Cargo Containers - Thames, London '09​

 

[Tom Robbins]

Illinois River Barge:

This pictures comes from Tom Robbins' thread here. Here's just one of those pictures.

My primary interest was the water reflections of the towboat lights in the water. Heavy snow was falling, so detail is not what it would have been otherwise. I am very passionate about this river, and so would like an objective opinion about it as an image standing - or not - on its own merits.

Tom Robbins: Chemical Barge​

Converted to black and white and cropped to a 4 x 1 aspect ratio.

 

[Cem_Usakligil]

From Bart van Der Wolfe's and Cem's great discussion on tone-mapping here AK

Conversion of the raw file SNS-HDR plus tonality/LCE adjustment in CS4

Cem_Usakligil : Barge

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Cheers,

 

[Asher Kelman]

This collection of pictures of River Traffic is to cover all vessels that ply the river ways anywhere in the world! Try to find images that show the full color of the environment and one's which have some power as opposed to "Yes, there's a boat, now what?" So, I'll to seed the thread with more examples that might define this broad genre.

Asher

 

[Cem_Usakligil]

So nobody bites? Then I'll do try and kick things off

Barges alongside a canal in Rotterdam. Pano stitched from 5 vertical (portrait orientation) frames (end resolution 13000x5200 pixels).
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Cheers,

 

[Tom Robbins]

Cem, wow, there is a lot to discover in the beautifully stitched pano. The new and older architecture works well to set the stage for the barges. I'll bet the printed version is a show stopper!

The first two barges appear to be designed to carry passengers. Are the passengers usually tourists? Do the barges provide transportation to destinations that cannot be reached by road?

 

[Cem_Usakligil]

Cem, wow, there is a lot to discover in the beautifully stitched pano. The new and older architecture works well to set the stage for the barges. I'll bet the printed version is a show stopper!

The first two barges appear to be designed to carry passengers. Are the passengers usually tourists? Do the barges provide transportation to destinations that cannot be reached by road?

Hi Tom, thanks for your kind comments. I have just stitched this from past pictures in order to be able to post quickly; therefore I haven't printed it yet. If I'd decide to print it, I'd try doing a better job on the raw conversion of the individual tiles and optimize the exposure, highlights and shadows. This was a straightforward rush job in CS4 without any optimizations (except for local contrast enhancements and sharpening after the stitch).

These barges shown in this picture are mostly used as homes/offices/shops, etc. They do not take part in actual transportation activities any longer. But a huge part of the logistics in the Netherlands is based on water traffic using all kinds of barges, they are a very active part of the economy. Especially all heavy industries (chemicals, refineries, steel mills, etc) have access to water transport and rail besides the road transport facilities. According to a document published by the Ministry of Transport, we have 5046 km of waterways of which 47% is usable by craft of 1000 metric ton capacity or larger. Considering the fact that the total area of the country is merely 41,500 square kms (16,000 sq.miles), this is an incredible network of waterways.

I can show some more of working barges if you want me to. But for now, let's wait and see if some others will contribute as well

Cheers,

 

[Asher Kelman]

Tom,

I have become intrigued with the silently moving barge tours in Holland and Belgium. Apparently, they are great ways of seeing the countryside and towns and glide along the water in a most serene and peaceful way with luxurious accommodations, great food and superb views.

Asher

 

[John Angulat]

Savannah River - comings and goings

Hi Cem, I'll bite....
I don't want to see you out there, all alone!

Here's a couple of images from the Savannah river.
Entry to the Port of Savannah is a very tight squeeze.
The river narrows just before the entrance, and navigational difficulty is compounded by a bend in said river.
I'm assuming it's quite a challenge for the pilots who assume control of the vessels at harbor's entrance.
These were shot from the balcony of my hotel room. At times, the vessels passes so close you felt as if you could reach out and touch them!

On an more historic side note, some of you may recognize the name of the orange colored vessel. It's the MV Tampa.
Under command of Captain Arne Rinnan, on 24 August 2001 she rescued 438 Afghan refugees from a distressed 20 meter wooden fishing vessel in the Indian Ocean. To the shock and dismay of the international community Austrailia refused permission for the Tampa to enter it's waters.
I'll not recount the whole story, but a decent accounting may be found here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tampa_affair

 

[Tom Robbins]

John, my bill-paying job mostly involves export shipping from a major US corporation. The effort rarely goes beyond the database, spreadsheet, schedules, and etc aspects, so your photos provided a very welcome window.

Cem, I'd very much like to see more barge scenes of Holland.

Barge Tug Richard E Waugh, Mississippi River​

 

[Cem_Usakligil]

Hi John,

I have seen some other ships of Wallenius Wilhelmsen around the world, perhaps even the very same one. But a brief search of my own pictures has delivered no evidence so far.

These are great pictures and as Tom wrote they provide a very welcome window into a fascinating world.

Tom, my paying job is in the IT. Currently I work for a leading company in Advance Planning and Scheduling software, specifically in the area of Logistics. We work with many major organizations to optimize their maritime logistics operations, container planning and repositioning, charter management, harbor loading/unloading scheduling, intermodal transport, etc. So while I know in theory a lot about the maritime world, seeing these giant vessels and harbor operations in real life is still very thrilling and informative. That is why I have a liking for this topic, like yourself . I'll dive into my pictures and show some later.

Your barge tug picture is excellent, where did you take it from? Is there a high ground where you stood or were you airborne?

Cheers,

 

[John Angulat]

Tom, Cem -
Thanks and I'm glad you enjoyed these.

I also now know a bit more about each of you!

 

[Cem_Usakligil]

...Cem, I'd very much like to see more barge scenes of Holland.

Hi Tom,

Not a very good one but this one shows at least an operational vessel. It is a fuel carrier if I'm not mistaken. It was sailing on the Scheldt-Rhine Canal. More to come on another day .

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While I am at it, I might as well add this one which I have shown some three years ago. It is not a barge, obviously, and it was moored at Antwerpen harbor.

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Cheers,

 

[Ruben Alfu]

Great photos so far! Tom, the Barge Tug Richard E Waugh is wonderful. I´d like to share this one taken at the Panama Canal, by the new Centenario Bridge.

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[Cem_Usakligil]

Great photos so far! Tom, the Barge Tug Richard E Waugh is wonderful. I´d like to share this one taken at the Panama Canal, by the new Centenario Bridge.

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Hi Ruben,

A wonderful perspective and the creative use of a ultra wide lens make this picture work. I really love seeing your Panama Canal pictures. It is a part of the world I have never been to.

Cheers,

 

[Ruben Alfu]

Hi Ruben,
A wonderful perspective and the creative use of a ultra wide lens make this picture work. I really love seeing your Panama Canal pictures. It is a part of the world I have never been to.
Cheers,

Thanks Cem, I dream about organizing a photo tour here in Panama, let´s see if next year perhaps, OPF will have VIP service of course !

 

[Tom Robbins]

Cem,

The Mississippi River barge photo was taken from atop a bluff just south of Bellevue, Iowa. Not sure of the elevation of the bluff - maybe 200 feet or so. I'll bet the results of your work and mine has intersected a time or two. Machelen is the primary destination for European protective service shipments.

I'll investigate the Scheldt-Rhine Canal. It appears from your photo that it serves as a corridor for electrical power transmission, as well as commercial water commerce.

Ruben,

I agree with Cem's comments. Panama's canal and tropical environment makes it unique, and I am looking forward to seeing more photos taken from your unique perspective.

 

[John Angulat]

Cem, Ruben -
Each of yours are excellent!
I like the extreme wide angle view.

 

[Larry Brown]

I received some encouragement to post my canoe images in this Challenge. These two are from a recent trip to the Okefenokee Swamp in south Georgia. Not as big as those barges and ships, LOL, but I did have a full load of cold brewski's in that cooler!

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Larry

 

[Asher Kelman]

I received some encouragement to post my canoe images in this Challenge. These two are from a recent trip to the Not as big as those barges and ships, LOL, but I did have a full load of cold brewski's in that cooler!

Larry Brown: Canoing

Okefenokee Swamp, South Georgia​

Well, Larry,

What a refreshingly simple addition to this collection, a simple relaxing, meandering ride in a canoe, such a contrast to the huge vessels we've seen so far and the boat of the Innuit Eskimos of David Eaves in post # 1. There, the men are working in the extreme cold and to get their sustenance, a whale "willing to give itself up" for them.

Here, we have just a peaceful intercourse with nature. The pretty colored leaves held on the top of the water by surface tension and/ or bubbles of air or bladders, make the scene so idyllic. Still, I can imagine native Americans, "the Indians" cowboys fought, relatives of the people that became the Eskimos, plying these same waters for fish or trading skins or maybe sending forth a war party in fast canoes to settle some dispute!

Asher

 

[Tom Robbins]

Larry, these are great additions. Human powered craft carry the occupants completely within the natural environment, while mechanically powered craft divorce the occupants from it to one degree or another.

This theme has covered a lot of ground in very little time.

 

[Rachel Foster]

I particularly like the second.

 

[David J. Eves]

The arrival of the annual 'barge' in Point Hope (August)

 

[Asher Kelman]

David,

What a great surprise! Always good to have you stop by! Now where does this barge come from? How does it get there?

Asher

 

[David J. Eves]

That barge orginates in Seattle - Bowhead Transportation Co. It brings supplies to all the coastal villages above the Arctic circle.

 

[Larry Brown]

Well, Larry,

Here, we have just a peaceful intercourse with nature. The pretty colored leaves held on the top of the water by surface tension and/ or bubbles of air or bladders, make the scene so idyllic. Still, I can imagine native Americans, "the Indians" cowboys fought, relatives of the people that became the Eskimos, plying these same waters for fish or trading skins or maybe sending forth a war party in fast canoes to settle some dispute!

Asher

Thank you Asher! Once again your imaginative and thoughtful comments are a pleasure to read.

Larry

 

[Larry Brown]

Hi Tom! Thanks for your look and comments on my images, they are appreciated!

Larry

Larry, these are great additions. Human powered craft carry the occupants completely within the natural environment, while mechanically powered craft divorce the occupants from it to one degree or another.

This theme has covered a lot of ground in very little time.