Fun With Cameras X

Loose Ends

A couple of dog walkers stroll across the wetlands in Homberg with the view of the river Rhine and its banks near the district of Beeckerwerth in the background. Duisburg, Germany, December 7, 2021.

I hoped for a winter sunset on my way from the train station to the Rhine in Ruhrort. You know, a sunset with those intense and, at the same time, calm colors. The skies looked promising. I had picked a decent day for a walk to tie up loose ends from a previous photowalk in this area.

I noticed the soft light around me while crossing the river. In hopes of even more favorable conditions later in the day, I decided to keep walking.

I had a decent loop to complete during the remaining minutes of daylight and didn’t want to miss my window to reach the wetlands to the north of the bridge — an area I had only graced on a bike ride to the waste tip Rheinpreussen in the nearby city of Moers. The old cemetery in Homberg, the abandoned cemetery turned public park quite some paces south-west of the wetlands I had discovered by accident during my last visit, was also on my brief for the day.

The galleries below sum up that day and an additional one a week later. I tried to reach an art installation called Rheinorange, a large orange landmark placed on the shores of the Rhine near the river’s meeting point with the Ruhr.

Both days had highs and lows. See the below for the visual record and additional thoughts and observations.

The Power Plant

I still started the day a bit earlier than planned. My journey to the wetlands brought me to a quiet path just off the Rhine bridge. I enjoyed the view of the power plant and the bridge as well.

I enjoyed the architectural details of the backlit bridge, tried to capture it free of motorized traffic, but chose to include a silhouetted cyclist who paired nicely with the railing.

Left and center The Hermann Wenzel power plant as seen from Homberg Rhine riverbanks near the street Dammstraße. Duisburg, Germany, December 7, 2021. Right The bridge Friedrich-Ebert-Brücke crosses the river Rhine from Ruhrort to Homberg. Here, it is pictured from the Homberg riverbanks near the street Dammstraße. Duisburg, Germany, December 7, 2021.

To The Wetlands

The walk to the wetlands was supposed to include the bridge you see below. What the maps hadn’t told me, though, is the fact it’s closed. The structure is too dilapidated for safe passage.

I tried unobstructed frames of the bridge and included a rusty fence in the compositions. The closed bridge required a long detour, which cut my time here short. The second frame is already from a few corners into the detour. I had to climb up short but equally decayed steps for the view.

The remaining detour didn’t yield any pictures worth showing. I found a narrow woodland trail that runs parallel to the traffic-heavy road that eventually offers safe passage to the wetlands a good but farther west from where I had intended to start.

The positive note: I had already discovered my route to the cemetery, for the trail ended right next to it.

Above The old lifting bridge in Homberg as seen from the Homberg riverbanks near the street Dammstraße. Duisburg, Germany, December 7, 2021.

The Wetlands

And the remaining paces to the wetlands were short. As feared, the area was frequented by free-roaming dogs, which made my stay a bit more complicated than necessary.

And, just as with a few other areas I’ve visited lately, I found it difficult to transfer the beauty of the location to meaningful frames. The vastness of the open space with the signs of heavy industries of the past and present all-around is breathtaking but also boring.

I used a small elevation for the first pictures and worked closer to the water. The power plant is such a dominant presence in this area that it can’t be avoided.

Left The view of the river Rhine and its banks near the district of Beeckerwerth as seen from the wetlands in Homberg. Duisburg, Germany, December 7, 2021. Center A couple of dog walkers stroll across the wetlands in Homberg with the view of the river Rhine and its banks near the district of Beeckerwerth in the background. Duisburg, Germany, December 7, 2021. Right The power station Hermann Wenzel as seen from the wetlands in Homberg. Duisburg, Germany, December 7, 2021.

Above The view of the river Rhine and its banks near the district of Beeckerwerth as seen from the wetlands in Homberg. Duisburg, Germany, December 7, 2021.

Left The power station Hermann Wenzel as seen from the wetlands in Homberg. Duisburg, Germany, December 7, 2021. Right The view of the river Rhine and its banks near the district of Beeckerwerth as seen from the wetlands in Homberg. Duisburg, Germany, December 7, 2021.

Above A bird takes off from the surface of the river Rhine. The view of the riverbanks near the district of Beeckerwerth across the river. Duisburg, Germany, December 7, 2021.

Above The power station Hermann Wenzel as seen from the wetlands in Homberg. Duisburg, Germany, December 7, 2021.

The Cemetery

Sadly, clouds came in sight just in the wrong place and at the wrong time. I could already see that a decent sunset was not going to happen. And the light had already been subdued significantly.

I still made the short loop across the cemetery because it was barely a detour on my way back to the river crossing.

I had high hopes after my impressions from the first encounter with this park. They were disappointed. I had almost covered the entire thing already.

I saw a few derelict details, interesting old tombstones, and dog walkers.

Clockwise from top-left An old water fountain at the old cemetery Homberg; old tombstones at the old cemetery Homberg; a man walks his dog at the old cemetery Homberg. Duisburg, Germany, December 7, 2021.

Different Light on the Way Home

The light might have been better at the start of my walk. I might not have gotten the sunset I had visualized. Light levels might have been low. But I still enjoyed the tranquility that was in the air when I crossed the river for the second time that day.

I played a little with framing and made a quick, handheld panorama halfway across the bridge when I noticed a big flame shooting out of the furnace of one of the heavy industries’ behemoths on the horizon.

Above A panoramic view over the river Rhine and the district Beeckerwerth as seen from the Rhine bridge Friedrich Ebert. Duisburg, Germany, December 7, 2021.

Left, center, and right The power station Hermann Wenzel as seen from the Rhine bridge Friedrich Ebert. Duisburg, Germany, December 7, 2021.

Above The view over Hermann-Wenzel power plant as seen from the historic footbridge that crosses the Rhine river basin in Ruhrort. Duisburg, Germany, December 7, 2021.

Art From Afar

The art installation Rheinorange can be seen from Ruhrort. I planned to use a bike path along the shores of the river Ruhr to access the location where it stands, exactly where the two rivers Ruhr and Rhein meet.

The problem is a long-term construction project that blocks the trail and parts of the bridge that one has to cross coming from Ruhrort.

I tried anyway but failed. It’s an area heavy in traffic. The side of the sidewalk I used is blocked. But there aren’t signs to indicate that. I was not in the mood to go back to the nearest point of safe crossing, just to have to loop around the entirety of a massive roundabout that’s also not pedestrian-friendly. And after that, it was still a gamble if the detour that was shown on an online map was passible.

The weather was dreary. I decided to abandon plan a and move to plan b. Plan b was the small Rhine island between Ruhrort and Homberg called Mercator Insel.

I passed the promenade in Ruhrort on my way to the river bridge, which provides access to the island. Below are a few frames that show Rheinorange from afar.

Left, center, and right The art installation Rheinorange as seen from the Rhein river promenade area in Ruhrort. Duisburg, Germany, December 15, 2021.

Above A bird flies over the Rhine river promenade area in Ruhrort. The art installation Rheinorange can be seen in the background. Duisburg, Germany, December 15, 2021.

An Island To The Rescue

Mercator Insel isn’t large. There’s also not that much to see. The panorama from the bridge offers more.

The massive bronze statue, a piece of art by Markus Lüpertz that commemorates the 300 anniversary of the Duisburg port, gives some opportunity to play with compositions. The bridge and power plant in the background lend additional visual interest.

The island used to be a destination for heavy industries. Now, it’s a place where people can unwind and enjoy the panorama. There’s also a small nature reserve just behind the statue.

Above left A cyclist passes the bridge Friedrich-Ebert-Brücke, which connects the districts of Ruhrort (with the Hermann-Wenzel power station on the right) and Homberg. It also provides access to the small Rhine river island Mercator Insel. Duisburg, Germany, December 15, 2021. Above right, below left and right, and last picture below The power plant Hermann Wenzel as seen from the small Rhine river island Mercator Insel. The bridge Friedrich-Ebert-Brücke crosses the river and offers pedestrians access to the island. Also in the frame is the art installation Echo des Poseidon. Duisburg, Germany, December 15, 2021.

Center An overview of the small Rhine river island Mercator Insel from the staircase that connects the island with the bridge Friedrich-Ebert Brücke.Duisburg, Germany, December 15, 2021.

That’s it for today. There is another Lüpertz statue on a former industrial site in the city of Gelsenkirchen. Some even speak of a connection between the two. I’ve crossed that park on bike rides a few years ago. Maybe I can find my way back for a photowalk soon.

But pictures from other locations will appear here beforehand. Stay tuned.