Red Rowboat Against Wall | Limited Edition of 10
Abandoned Rowboat Leaning Inside Urban Decay
There’s something about photographing close to home that feels different. The thrill isn’t in the distance—it’s in the patience. This scene, tucked away inside an abandoned factory in the Haliburton Highlands, not far from my studio, had been sitting there for years, quietly decaying. The first time I stepped inside, I walked right past this boat. Maybe I wasn’t ready to see it yet.
But one overcast morning, I went back. Light filtered in softly and thin, and that’s when it stopped me. A rowboat—upright, leaning against a discoloured brick wall beneath a broken concrete stairwell. It was surreal. A vessel made for water, marooned in an industrial shell of rust and ash. The boat’s paint was peeling away in streaks—mostly red, with mossy green and bare wood underneath—almost like it had been crying colour over the years.
I have no idea how it got there. Maybe it was hauled in for repairs long ago and never made it back out. Maybe it was symbolic to someone. Or maybe it’s just one of those wonderful contradictions you find when places fall apart. That’s what drew me to the frame—not just the object, but the tension between purpose and placement.
That tension, it turns out, resonated with others too. This image was selected for publication in Black & White Magazine’s Colour Special Edition, back when they were exploring curated colour work alongside their renowned monochrome features. It was an unexpected honour—not for ego’s sake, but because someone else saw the strange beauty I’d felt standing in that crumbling room.
Photographing scenes like this, I don’t try to clean them up or romanticize the decay. I just listen. There’s a quietness in these forgotten spaces that speaks volumes if you let it. The staircase led nowhere. The wall, stained with years of industry and abandonment. And this boat—this decaying arc of memory, frozen in a drydock dream.
There’s no glamour here. No dramatic light or staged perfection. Just silence, texture, and a quiet resilience. It’s a scene that asks you to slow down, to see what’s still standing and what’s still trying to hold on.
If you connect with that kind of visual storytelling, take a look through my Abandoned Photography Collection or dive deeper into similar scenes in my Urban Decay Photography Collection. I’ve spent years chasing these moments—not because they’re pretty, but because they’re honest.
© Dan Kosmayer, 2006
Limited Edition of 10
This photograph is released as a signed and numbered limited edition of only 10 prints in total across all available sizes combined—not 10 prints in each size.
Every size is drawn from the same edition. Whether the photograph is purchased as a small print or at the largest available size, it uses one of the 10 edition numbers.
I personally sign and number each print on the reverse, and every print is accompanied by a signed Certificate of Authenticity recording its title, dimensions, medium, edition number, and date of issue.
Once all 10 prints have been sold, the edition will be permanently closed. No additional numbered editions of the photograph will be produced in another size or format.
Premium Archival Fine Art Prints
I personally produce every photograph using archival pigment inks on premium archival paper with a subtle luster finish.
The paper provides rich tonal depth, excellent fine-detail reproduction, and a refined surface that reduces distracting glare under normal indoor lighting. It is especially well suited to both color and black-and-white photography.
Each photograph is sold as an unframed fine art print, allowing it to be framed according to the collector’s space and personal style.
Before a print leaves my studio, I carefully inspect it for color, tonal accuracy, surface quality, and overall presentation. Nothing is outsourced, and every finished print passes through my hands.
Worldwide Delivery Included
Every print is personally produced, inspected, signed, numbered, and carefully packaged by me at my studio in Haliburton, Ontario, Canada.
Worldwide delivery is included in the listed price, so there is no additional shipping charge added during checkout. I select an appropriate tracked delivery service based on the destination, print size, and current shipping requirements.
Delivery times vary by destination and may be affected by customs processing or circumstances beyond my control.
Because I also travel extensively to create new photographic work, studio dispatch may occasionally be delayed while I am away. When that happens, the print will be produced and shipped as soon as I return to the studio.
