All things Old are Beautiful again..
Wabi-Sabi
The Japanese concept of Wabi-Sabi, as described in Brainpickings, “connotes a way of living that finds beauty in imperfection and accepts the natural cycle of growth and decay.”
Characteristics of the wabi-sabi aesthetic include asymmetry, asperity (roughness or irregularity), simplicity, economy, austerity, modesty, intimacy and appreciation of the ingenuous integrity of natural objects and processes.

From an engineering or design point of view, “wabi” may be interpreted as the imperfect quality of any object, due to inevitable limitations in design and construction/manufacture especially with respect to unpredictable or changing usage conditions; then “sabi” could be interpreted as the aspect of imperfect reliability, or limited mortality of any object, hence the etymological connection with the Japanese word sabi, to rust.[citation needed]The Japanese kanji characters:
 

(sabi, meaning rust)

and

(sabi, as above)

are different, as are their applied meanings, yet the original word (pre-kanji, yamato-kotoba) is believed to be one and the same.
“Wabi-sabi is the most conspicuous and characteristic feature of traditional Japanese beauty and it occupies roughly the same position in the Japanese pantheon of aesthetic values as do the Greek ideals of beauty and perfection in the West.”  ”if an object or expression can bring about, within us, a sense of serene melancholy and a spiritual longing, then that object could be said to be wabi-sabi.” “[Wabi-sabi] nurtures all that is authentic by acknowledging three simple realities: nothing lasts, nothing is finished, and nothing is perfect.”
The words wabi and sabi do not translate easily. Wabi originally referred to the loneliness of living in nature, remote from society; sabi meant “chill”, “lean” or “withered”. Around the 14th century these meanings began to change, taking on more positive connotations.[1] Wabi now connotes rustic simplicity, freshness or quietness, and can be applied to both natural and human-made objects, or understated elegance. It can also refer to quirks and anomalies arising from the process of construction, which add uniqueness and elegance to the object. Sabi is beauty or serenity that comes with age, when the life of the object and its impermanence are evidenced in its patina and wear, or in any visible repairs.

For me and what I consider to be “Fine Art Photography”, the concept of Wabi-Sabi fits like a glove in regards to the shrimp fleets.  I watch them over the span of time, capturing them again and again.  The one thing that stands out above all is the fact that they like everything else will fall into decay… both physically and financially, but faster.

This is Daddy's Girls in Bluffton, SC. It is the only shrimp boat that I have found in the town, but it is a great one and scene. This was taken Saturday morning last week using a Fuji GFX 50R medium format digital camera system.I love shrimp boats and always try to incorporate them into travel and workshops.What more could you ask for in a scene? Wabi-sabi, moody sky, great reflections of a failing lively hood that is soon to be a thing of the past due to farm raised imported shrimp.To say that I am inspired to capture these scenes is too weak of a term. The fact is that I am DRIVEN to do so. Oh well, we all have our weaknesses and issues.....

Data: GFX 50R - _RGB3829 - Fujifilm Fujinon GF32-64mm F4 R LM WR - 58.6mm - ISO200 - S1-250s - f10 - Daddys Girls Port Royal - 2019

Look closely as there are some hidden jewels here...

Which-A-Way and friends...

Port Royal, SC , commercial dock, Fuji GFX50R in Acros Red mode using the Fujifilm GF32-64mm F4 R LM WR lens

GFX 50R - BW _RGB3940  -  Fujifilm GF32-64mm F4 R LM WR - 32mm  -  ISO200  -  S1-200s  - f16  - Which A Way Port Royal - 2019

Warrior, fighting neglect and decay... and loosing

GFX 50R Acros Red - _RGB2891  -  Fujifilm Fujinon GF32-64mm F4 R LM WR - 39.6mm  -  ISO1000  -  S1-200s  - f11  - Warrior Brunswick - 2019

Georgia Bulldog, Brunswick, GA

Data:  GFX 50R B&W- _RGB2843  -  Fujifilm Fujinon GF32-64mm F4 R LM WR - 50mm  -  ISO1600  -  S1-100s  - f22  - Georgia Bulldog Brunswick - 2019

This is the Grave Digger in Darien, GA! There were about 30 shrimpers there and I had a blast!.

Data: GFX 50R B&W - _RGB2669 - Fujifilm Fujinon GF32-64mm F4 R LM WR - 32mm - ISO320 - S1-200s - f11 - Grave DIgger Darien - 2019​​​​​​​

Shrimper Mary Margret in Georgetown, SC
Shrimp Fleet, Swan Quarter, NC
830 NM Infrared
Miss Debbie, Englehard, NC on the dock
Shrimp Fleet, Swan Quarter, NC on a open sky day...
Dena Marie, Englehard, NC
High Rider, Shrimp Boat in Winyah Bay, Georgetown, SC
Leica M 240 with the 90mm Macro Elmar lens


Stormy Seas...
Leica M Monochrom with the Tri-Elmar set at 16mm and the Franken-Viewer!
The stillness of the water is amazing in the early morning.
Sun In the Rigging, Georgetown, SC.  
This just might be my favorite image of all time!
Stormy Seas with the  Leica M 240 and  Elmarit M  f/2.8 lens.
This shrimper is out of Georgetown, SC
"The Wheelhouse Bell"
This single image shouts out the use of decay as art.  It is my favorite image of the entire portfolio.  The hand print on the window seems to suggest fear while out at sea at some approaching wave.  We can only wander what was going through the captions mind..
Shrimp Boat Plainer Boards
Stormy Seas underway past the Georgetown Light
Shrimper Winds Of Fortune, Charleston, SC
Mc Clellanville Fleet in South Carolina
This image is so busy that everytime I look at it I see something new.
"Morning Storm", a working shrimp dock in all of its decaying glory.
The Breakfast Meeting...
Magic City
The Forgotten, Swan Quarter, NC
"Wonder Woman", Swan Quarter, NC
Shrimp Boats and Crab Pots, Swan Quarter, NC
The Shrimp Boat Graveyard, Georgetown, SC
Capt Andrew & Friends, Mc Clellanville, SC
Wheel House Details, Georgetown, SC
Haily Marie, Nags Head, NC
The Shrimp Boat in Infrared, Mc Clellanville, SC
"Lady Evelyn" Georgetown, SC, Infrared
Winds Of Fortune, Shem Creek, Charleston, SC
"The Cleat", Georgetown, SC
Coiled Up
575738, Selective Focus, Sway Quarter, NC

The 3 horsemen, Georgetown, SC
The Work Boots
This is one of my favorite images displaying the Wabi/Sabi concept with the shrimp fleet.  The dark sky and bright beam of sunlight seem to suggest the battle of hope verses decay.
The Work Gloves

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