“The Fish Shacks of Pine Island Sound,” my latest folio, is a collection of fourteen images of the few remaining historic fish shacks in Pine Island Sound. I have been working on the project for several years. Traveling by boat for almost an hour, I would try to shoot the huts at various times of day and in different lighting conditions. Slowly, over time, the concept of the portfolio began to emerge in my mind. I settled on fourteen images. All but two are in black and white, which I felt best told the story of their uniqueness and isolation. The folio is printed on 11 x 14 Hahnemuhle photo rag paper using archival pigmented inks.
The complete folio can the seen by scrolling to the end of this post. Contact me for information on prints and special limited time pricing.
The prints are currently on exhibit at the Museum of the Islands (MOTI),here on Pine Island.
Located on an oyster bar near Captiva Pass, the shacks were home to commercial fishermen, and often their families, in the early 1900’s. Life for the fishermen was very basic with no modern conveniences such as electricity or plumbing. Ice boats from the Punta Gorda Fish Company would deliver ice to the shacks and pick up the day’s catch. Another boat would collect the fishermen’s kids and deliver them to Pine Island where they would catch the bus to school on the mainland. In the afternoon the long trip home would begin. By mid-Twentieth Century many of the shacks were abandoned as fish stocks dwindled and families wanted homes with some modern conveniences. Over the succeeding years hurricanes claimed many.
Today, the six remaining shacks are privately owned and only occasionally used for recreational fishing. Most are on the National Register of Historic Places. For more information on the fish shacks and Pine Island’s history go to Pine Island Info.
A special thanks to MOTI for exhibiting my work, to Tim Knox, Museum Historian, for all his help and a special thanks to my good friend Lynn Sarda for her encouragement.
Click any image for a full size slide show.
Pingback: Weekly Photo Challenge: Abandoned (By his Subject) | What's (in) the picture?
Sophie L.
2 Mar 2014This is really a gorgeous set !!!!!! 🙂
fotograffer
2 Mar 2014Thank you Sophie. You are very kind to say.
Dr_IQ
2 Mar 2014Superb images. The first one is a beauty. And what a great job documenting these shacks.
fotograffer
2 Mar 2014Thanks Dr. I am happy you liked them.
Tina Schell
2 Mar 2014Great use of the shack shots Ron – love these. Favorites are the red one and the window with clothespins! Did you do an aerial shoot for the overhead? Really terrific work.
fotograffer
6 Mar 2014The image with the clothespins and the red shack are one in the same. Yes, I did the areal shot. Great fun. Thanks, as always Tina.
suej
2 Mar 2014Great set of images! I love the fact you have used monochrome
fotograffer
6 Mar 2014Thanks Sue. Other than the red shack there just wasn’t a lot of color there and it seemed to me that B&W worked best.
elisa ruland
2 Mar 2014It’s difficult to believe that a place this heavenly truly exists. Thank you for giving us proof! Stunning photographs.
fotograffer
6 Mar 2014Thanks Elisa. They, indeed, are unique to our area and so few remain.
The Retiring Sort
2 Mar 2014Great images – I especially like the little red one!
fotograffer
6 Mar 2014Thanks so much. The red one seems to be the favorite. The rest are more drab.
The Wanderlust Gene
2 Mar 2014Bravo Ron! Really great portfolio of images, and, more importantly, a photographic record of an already lost past. I particularly like Image 6 – the mood takes me back to the days when these were working buildings.
fotograffer
6 Mar 2014They, indeed, are sentinels of the past. Fisheries have declined and state laws have made commercial fishing more regulated.
Pingback: Weekly Photo Challenge: Abandoned | NOE Style
catbirdinamerica
3 Mar 2014What a wonderful folio, Ron. I especially love #14. This brings to mind the National Geographic seminar I attended yesterday on “Storytelling Photography.” A great story here. 🙂
fotograffer
6 Mar 2014Oh, I would have loved to attend the “Storytelling Photography” seminar.
catbirdinamerica
8 Mar 2014You would have loved it! I hope to post about it soon.
Pingback: Weekly Photo Challenge – Abandoned | Joe's Musings
zhevni
3 Mar 2014I’m amazed those fragile-looking little buildings survived way out there all this time!
fotograffer
6 Mar 2014They are tougher than they look, though still vulnerable to the elements. Thanks for you comment and for stopping by.
mithriluna
3 Mar 2014Stunning set of images. I love the red shack. 🙂
fotograffer
6 Mar 2014The red one seems to be the favorite. Thaqnks for commenting.
Cardinal Guzman
4 Mar 2014Beautiful photos, beautiful scenery and great post-processing.
fotograffer
6 Mar 2014Thank you so much Cardinal. I appreciate your comment.
Shane Francescut
4 Mar 2014Beautiful shots, the compositions are spot on… well done.
fotograffer
6 Mar 2014Thank you so much Shane, and thanks for visiting.
Pingback: WPC Abandoned | Words 'n Pics...
Pingback: Weekly Photo Challenge: Humbly Abandoned | Humbled Pie
Bams Triwoko
5 Mar 2014Superb images, Ron… 🙂
fotograffer
6 Mar 2014Thanks, as always, my friend.
Pingback: Weekly Photo Challenge: More Abandoned | Humbled Pie
BTCarter
5 Mar 2014Great theme, beautiful photos.
fotograffer
6 Mar 2014Thank you so much.
Pingback: Weekly Photo Challenge: Abandoned | Through the Eye of Bastet
rhegankim82
6 Mar 2014Reblogged this on I Sat in Silent Musing and commented:
These are some really neat photos!
Originally posted on
http://ronmayhewphotography.wordpress.com/2014/03/02/new-folio-the-fish-shacks-of-pine-island-sound/
Pingback: New Folio: The Fish Shacks of Pine Island Sound | I Sat in Silent Musing