Tag: boardwalk

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Meeting and Photographing Ships on the St. Clair River

Photographing ships on the St. Clair River on a blustery day.

It is not often that far distant art photographers with a similar passion for photographing ships actually get to meet in person. Mary Bedy lives in a perfect Michigan location to photograph the freighters, ships and boats that ply the waters of the Great Lakes. Bill Swartwout lives on the Atlantic coast and is only able to photograph ships while on vacation somewhere. The passing freighters along the coast are far too distant to shoot but, fortunately, he also enjoys shooting bridges.

bill swartwout and mary bedy on the boardwalk in St. Clair, Michigan
Bill Swartwout and Mary Bedy on the boardwalk in St. Clair, MI (photo by Nancy Swartwout)

Bill and his wife, Nancy, were vacationing in western Michigan and had planned to visit the city of Frankenmuth, MI on the way home. Frankenmuth was close to St. Clair – so a lunch meetup was arranged for the next day. The three of us met at the Voyageur Inn on the St. Clair River and boardwalk – the very same boardwalk that offers Mary a wonderful vantage point to photograph any ship that passes from Lake Huron to Lake Erie (or vice versa).

We opted for a window table, of course, and during our time there we had the opportunity to see four freighters pass by the boardwalk and restaurant. Well one was really the barge, Joseph H. Thompson with pusher-tugboat, Laura L. VanEnkevort – but it “looked” similar to a freighter.

Joseph H. Thompson Barge by Mary Bedy

A rare occurrence of ships passing on the river…

After a wonderful lunch and great conversation we move out into the cold and blustery October day to the boardwalk for the obligatory selfies (photo session). As we were doing that there were two ships approaching and doing something very seldom seen. They were passing by one another right in front of us. There must be something to be said about two artists who live 700 miles apart meeting at this location and point in time.

Freighters Michipicoten and CSL Laurentien at st. clair mi
Freighters Michipicoten and CSL Laurentien are about to pass, port-to-port, on the St. Clair River in front of the boardwalk in St. Clair, Michigan

This was , indeed, a wonderful opportunity for two photographers, passionate about their art, to be able to meet in person. Before this day they only knew one another through their common use of Fine Art America to produce their photography as Print-On-Demand wall art and home decor items.

Find wall art photographs by Mary Bedy and Bill Swartwout

See Mary Bedy’s ship photographs here: https://mary-bedy.pixels.com/collections/freighters+ships+and+boats

See Bill Swartwout’s ship images here: https://bill.pixels.com/collections/boats+and+ships

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Ocean City Boardwalk Arch Wall Art

This iconic boardwalk sign greets visitors to Ocean City, Maryland as they enter town from Route 50.

The iconic Ocean City, Maryland Boardwalk Arch greets visitors as they enter Ocean City from the west, along Route 50 and North Division Street. This welcoming sign greets visitors to the beach and boardwalk, just as a print of this can greet visitors in your home or office.

Ocean City Boardwalk Arch

Beach and boardwalk greetings are a tradition no matter where in the world you live, but in Ocean City, Maryland, it is THE tradition.

Ocean City Boardwalk Arch Enhanced

Here is a black and white presentation of the Boardwalk Arch for those of you who prefer monochrome images as home or office decor.

Ocean City Boardwalk Arch Black and White

Where to find prints and home decor featuring one of these photographs…

Link: Ocean City Boardwalk Arch

Link: Boardwalk in Ocean City – Enhanced

Link: Ocean City Boardwalk Arch Black and White

Link to: Bill’s Fine Art America Gallery

Link to: Bill’s Pictorem Gallery (w/ Free Shipping)

The Boardwalk sign was built in 2000 but The Boardwalk, officially known as Atlantic Avenue, dates back to 1902, when several oceanfront hotel owners got together and constructed a wooden walkway for the convenience of their guests. At high tide, it was rolled up and stored on hotel porches. Around 1910, a permanent promenade was built.

Welcoming visitors to the beach and sands of Ocean City, the iconic Arch greets cars along Route 50 and North Division Street. This work of art has stood tall since 2000 and brings joy to beachgoers with every visit.

For more than two decades, visitors to beautiful Ocean City, Maryland have been greeted by this historic structure on the Atlantic coast. Our beautiful interpretation is a perfect accent for your home or office.