69. Dunedin Wharf Precinct
Buildings that are not designed to attract attention can still be worthy subjects for photography.
The 2024 Olympic Games have been dominating the news recently, and Paris, the host city, has provided a picturesque backdrop for many events and on-location reports. The Eiffel Tower, the Seine River, the Champs-Élysées, the Place de la Concorde, and the Palace of Versailles have all served as backdrops to various events, featured in promotional material, and showcased the beauty of Paris. Even without a spectacle, iconic locations and landmark structures such as these are designed to impress and always attract attention.
Most cities have at least a few civic landmarks and standout structures that provide something for visiting tourists to point their cameras at. However, the fabric of our cities is largely composed of more ordinary buildings. I enjoy exploring parts of a city that are more utilitarian, industrial, and unpretentious. Even if the architecture is unexceptional, careful framing can create interesting compositions, draw attention to dramatic shadows, and highlight intriguing details.
The wharf precinct of Dunedin, New Zealand was reclaimed in the late nineteenth century and developed in the first decades of the twentieth century. It contains several historic buildings in the harbourside area associated with port operations and related businesses, as well as buildings designed for warehousing, engineering, and manufacturing. I like to explore this area on weekends when there are few cars or people.
What’s next?
I’m posting this from Wellington, where I’m attending the Photobook / NZ Festival 2024. I’ve tried to get out in the streets as much as possible while here. The days are still short in New Zealand, so I’ve been shooting mostly after sunset. When I’m back home in Dunedin, I’ll edit what I’ve got and see what might be worth sharing.
What do you think?
I invite you to leave a comment below.
Surprisingly a lot of color for a more industrial area. I mean, often you think of a lot of grey concrete :)
I like how you've sought out a kind of beauty in these bricks, roofs and shadows. I often look at these kinds of buildings, and wonder what's made inside them. I like that you've captured back streets, the industrial, the not-typically photographed; and how the ephemeral graffiti, reflects back this idea of being here, unobserved, fleeting.