On the Banks of the River Rhine, Pt. 2

Welcome to the second installment of this blog post. Like in the first post, I will share ten landscape photographs which were taken on the banks of the river Rhine in the Ruhr Valley, Germany, with their fascinating mix of nature and industry. Let’s get started right away.

The Walsum Heat and Power Station at the River Rhine

If you have read my blog post on the Thyssen steel mill, then you might have noticed the chimneys of a power station on the horizon. This is the heat and power station in Duisburg-Walsum. It is situated on the very outskirts of the Ruhr area, just above a small branch of the River Rhine. It is one of those places where for once as a photographer you get a clear view of your subject, unobstructed by trees or other buildings. I have been there twice and was lucky enough to get some decent long exposures of the power station

Walsum Heat and Power Station #1

Walsum Heat and Power Station #2

Walsum Heat and Power Station #3. Very similar #1, but this time with more clouds. Choose your poison!

It is a most enjoyable side effect of long exposure photography that while the sensor is busy gathering light, the photographer has some leisure time to look around, enjoy the time and place – and discover new frames for the next photograph. This was the case with the following image. In fact, I was so excited that I almost couldn’t wait for the current exposure to finish. The result is a somewhat original abstract photograph.

Half Moon Cigarette

Nature in the Area

Let us turn from the industrial the natural landscape of the area for a moment. As impressive and visually impressive as the industry might be for a photographer, at the end of the day true beauty lies in nature, and not in the industry. So, here is a small collection of photographs taken down by the riverside and showcasing the often intimate beauty of the rural landscape.

Rocks

Tree Silhouette

Sunset

Grasshopper’s Sunset

Verticals

Backlit Plant

This concludes this part of the blog post on this fascinating photo location. If you are in the area, make sure to check it out. And don’t be surprised if you meet me there.

Conclusion

As it turns out, I have some more images to share from this location, so I decided to make this a three instead of two parts. I feel that sharing too many photos in one post lessens the viewer’s appreciation for each image. I plan to share no more than about ten images per post. What do you think – is this a good number? How many images do you feel to be appropriate before you feel flooded by them? I’d like to hear your view in the comments.

In the meantime, look forward to the next (and presumably last) part of this series which I plan to post in the not too distant future.