The taconite pellets are offloaded from the ship into a stationary dockside hopper.
Nanticoke, July 12, 2012, Image 12-2673


The hopper feeds a enclosed conveyor system that moves the pellets to a shoreside storage yard.
The process is an almost identical reverse of the loading of the vessel in Superior where the pellets
are fed to a conveyor from the storage yard for loading.
Nanticoke, July 12, 2012, Image 12-2565


The conveyor line to the storage yard extends over a mile in length.
Nanticoke, July 12, 2012, Image 12-2495


A return line (at top of frame) is used for loading vessels. Cargo loaded here are likely
the byproducts of the milling process; slag and clinker used for cement and other aggregates.
Nanticoke, July 12, 2012, Image 12-2824


Looking down the deck from the ship's pilothouse. Once the unloading begins it will take
about twelve to thirteen hours to empty the ship. Thunderheads rise over Lake Erie while the
dock is bathed in hot, humid summer air.
Nanticoke, July 12, 2012, Image 12-2702


The sun sets over a hazy skey to the left of the Lake Erie Works at Nanticoke. Nanticoke is only a scant six miles
from Port Dover and a rare section of beach along the Canadian side of Lake Erie that has turned
the area into a prime resort and holiday locale for Canadians.
Nanticoke, July 12, 2012, Image 12-2710


The moisture laden air and haze of humidity have made for a spectacular ball of fire
as the sun slips below the horizon. This sunset points out the dichotomy of imagery found
between what is natural and what is industrial that can be found along the shores of the Great Lakes.

Nanticoke, July 12, 2012, Image 12-2733


Silhouetted against the red sky, the Lake Erie Works transforms itself from a grayish blur
of structures barely discernable against the monotone daytime horizon to a more vivid outline of a large
industrial complex.
Nanticoke, July 12, 2012, Image 12-2571


As the sunset plays out, this twilight sky begins to form the imagery that defines my style of
shooting...strong horizontal, diagonal and vertical lines that outline the hard industrial
world in which the Great Lakes maritime industry is a part of.
Nanticoke, July 12, 2012, Image 12-2576


On the ship, the sun is replaced by high-powered floodlights.
Nanticoke, July 12, 2012, Image 12-2735


Taconite is an iron bearing rock which is mined for the extraction of it's iron ore content. The iron ore
is processed into small, marble sized pellets that are used to feed the blast furnaces at steel mills
throughout the Great Lakes basin.
Nanticoke, July 12, 2012, Image 12-2771


As morning arrives the unloading is nearly complete, accomplished without any delays.
Nanticoke, July 12, 2012, Image 12-26842


Footprints accumulated on the deck are the only visible evidence of a trail of nighttime activity
that occured during the unloading process. Within the hour the Indiana Harbor will be underway,
heading to Lake Superior for another cargo in a never-ending season of work.
Nanticoke, July 12, 2012, Image 12-2855