1,613 Comments for Staten Island Boat Graveyard

I like the angle of the picture, it makes it look a little more ineresting.

I dont like the perspective, makes it look too ordinary and symetrical, not quite perfect...

Wow...great Photography...i really like all the photos on this page..but this onw caught my eye

the fact that the water was so still makes it particularly eerie. fantastic pictures-thank you

What's with the padlock on the side? It's still locked!!

It is sad to see these old ships abandoned like this. Sometimes they take old ships like these and sink them to form reefs. Are these too heavy to move, or what? Can anyone give me info on this subject? Thanks! Thanks for the links, guys.

I am not a photographer, nor do I like being photographed. But, I have spent many an evening (not wasted), that I could have put into my studies (like NOW), that I have pored over as many of Motts' photos as I possibly could. The depth of his artistry, the way he makes a fireplace look beautifully out of place in a room that's falling down around it..well, I can't say much more than that. Carl, I am sure you are an excellent photograhpher, so if you could direct us to your website, so we can give you your 10,000+ compliments, I would appreciate it. AWESOME comments, Matt. There are many of us out here that echo your sentiment. Motts' work is Art.

Photography is a form of art. Everyone has a different way of expressing it.

I grew up on Staten Island but cannot remember seeing this site anywhere. Where is it?

Like you photos very much.

Granted if Motts was taking pictures of a family on vacation or a wedding it would be more critical to do things like that. The way I see it Motts is less a photographer and more an artist who just uses photography as his media. Does that make sense to anyone? To film a decaying ship in perfect light to illuminate details it would look like a picture of a decaying ship, and not a piece of art that's meant to be more.

That's why there is a disclaimer...
http://www.opacity.us/disclaimer/

That's also why the address of many locations aren't given.

I do understand your point. But Motts isn't implying that this is easy and safe...he has said on numerous occasions it is very dangerous.

But there are resigned to be some (ok, a lot) of idiots in this world without sense that would assume they could walk safely down a completley buckled hallway without any precautions.

Thanks for that link Jerry! That is a real tragedy - a sad end for one of the queens of the Atlantic. Her sister ship the SS United States is apparently in slightly better condition (ie still afloat) but is also a derelict hulk - at Philadelpia I believe.

There's an interesting 'wreck' in North Wales, UK 'The Duke Of Lancaster' also marooned on a remote beach and facing an uncertain future. There are rumours that someone lives on board (the owner?) and more than one would-be explorer has been chased off the ship. It's a very surreal sight.

http://www.merseyshipp ... ancaster020905.htm

Hahaha Barry that is a rather good point hou make there (slaps head in frustration!)

Carl, I bet you're a hoot at parties! Lighten up, like Angelwolf said, people do far more dangerous activities everyday than urban exploration. Isn't it all about measuring the risks, assessing the situation - in other words thinking for one's self? This nannying approach is seeping into every aspect of life and it bothers me, the idea that we shouldn't ever take a calculated risk, instead obeying every warning sign and piece of health advice from those who 'know better'.

And I like Motts' technique. It appeals to the Goth in me. Most of these subjects don't lend themselves to bright lighting. Atmosphere is every bit as important as detail. These images aren't intended to be scientific studies of dead items, they're meant to give the viewer a taste of being in the photographer's shoes, experiencing his feelings. That's my impression anyway... feel free to correct me :-)

i suppose race car drivers should all quit their jobs too. not to mention that evil evel knievel! and to think that i admired his amazing feats! it's a wonder i'm alive today, huh?

no, motts is bringing to us something that would otherwise be unaccessable to most of us. i've seen much more dangerous stunts in "g" movies, in primetime tv, and even on commercials. even without the clear disclaimer it all comes down to personal responsibility, something that's grossly overlooked, and sometimes even blatantly ingored, in this day and age. it's up to the individual to either live responsibly or become a potential recipient of the darwin awards.