The south end of Lake Michigan is the site of the National Lakeshore at the Indiana Dunes. But in the distance, in both directions, you can see the active steelwork factories. I probably wouldn't have thought to photograph but the artist theme right now is Jane Bennett, who captures how areas change. I thought this conveys the way industry used to dominate the lakefront and over time, how it is gradually transitioning away from industry (and jobs) to recreation and housing.
Just checkin your pics for today and noticed my comments on this shot that I did earlier are not there. I must have clicked the wrong button!! DOH!!
This shot makes me feel sad that industry along the water fronts are being replaced by apartments and shopping precincts which looks much better but at the expense of all those jobs. This is what is happening in the UK all round the country.
Good to know from one perspective that the waterfront view is improving but sad to know the payback is loss of jobs! Same here in the UK - no more industry - all overseas now - waterfront all upgraded.
interesting horizon...the industry just keeps on going round the whole horizon...is that lake frozen?...how cold does it have to get to freeze a lake...
@maree_sanderson Great questions! The shoreline is frozen -- happens when it stays under 32 for a few weeks or so. But to freeze the lake like it did last winter, it was below 32 degrees for months on end! Even then, about 90% of the lake froze. It's too deep for 100% in most of our years. The industrial area is in northern Indiana and northern Illinois around the lake (Gary, IN is a famous steel town). As steel became less in demand or produced in other less expensive countries, this area and into Pennsylvania and Ohio ended up with the nickname, the Rust Belt. There also are new regulation to keep the lake clean a well. The midwestern US was hit hard by the loss of factories, going back to the 1970s and worsening over the years since. Very sad for so many communities, as farmers were also hard hit because of Big Agra taking over family farms. There are many wonderful thing about the midwest, but there are serious economic issues here. @pamknowler@jnadonza
Housing and recreation will probably give way to nothing if there is no industry and the jobs that go with it. I keep thinking with all our expertise and excellence out there, why can't we figure out how to make these aspects of life "get along"? Good shot!
@pamknowler@taffy Same story in Australia, all sorts of stuff that used to be made here has moved 'off-shore'. Textiles, footwear and clothing were first, but the exodus has been constant since then. We won't even have an auto industry after another year or so. Our government, in their wisdom? decided we couldn't afford to keep propping it up. Don't start me on this trend!!
@taffy I like this shot very much Taffy, despite the connotations of secular industrial decline. The extensive background of steel factories and mills coupled with the juxtaposition of the frozen lake makes for a visually interesting shot, one that makes you think about it all.
@taffy You've captured the spirit of the theme brilliantly. This photo reminded me so much of painting on Kooragang Island in Newcastle as the BHP Steelworks shut down in 1999, or painting in Port Kembla as the copper stack was demolished in 2014.
This shot makes me feel sad that industry along the water fronts are being replaced by apartments and shopping precincts which looks much better but at the expense of all those jobs. This is what is happening in the UK all round the country.
@pamknowler @jnadonza