Amazing Aerial Imagery of Overwhelming Trade Traffic off the Coast of Los Angeles

From factory workers to farmers, a 14-week labor dispute between operators of the 29 West Coast port terminals and the ILWU (International Longshore and Warehouse Union) has begun to affect many people. Ships and trucks carrying cargo containers from around the world are stacking up outside the gates and offshore. This accumulation of ships eerily waiting offshore caught the eye of fine art photographer Mike Kelley. In less than 24 hours, he was above them in a helicopter with camera in hand.

The slow and intermittent reopening of these ports for trade has caused a logistical nightmare of trade traffic. Dozens of massive ships wait offshore and hundreds of trucks waiting at the gates carrying cargo containers of anything from TVs to socks. "Consumers are going to feel it when they want to buy [the goods they need]," says ILWU spokesman Adan Ortega. "Furthermore, farmers who want export are being hampered by the fact that PMA is shutting down the ports [intermittently and frequently]."

Photographer Mike Kelley, always fascinated by industry and infrastructure, had taken notice of the physical impact this dispute was beginning to take. While flying into LAX he noticed the ghostly formation of 1,000 foot cargo tankers pointing up wind in the rolling waters just offshore. Instantly moved to photograph this unique scene Kelley contacted his pilot and was shortly hovering high above. "It was one of the most exciting experiences I've had doing aerial photography ... being that far out at sea, with the huge swells underneath you, and these massive, massive container ships everywhere was like living a scene out of Walter Mitty's life."

So many ships of such incredible size accumulating off shore seems like something out of an apocalyptic movie. Each ship is carrying goods and raw materials from all over the world waiting to be checked in, tagged, and redistributed around the country. There is a palpable pressure for these ships to make final port and unload their cargo. However, for the moment they sit in limbo, as a fleet of the forgotten.

Kelley's images dramatically capture this scene. In particular, his aerial photographs showcase the juxtaposition of organization amongst chaos. In a time when stress and pressure is at boiling point on the ground, Kelley's images depict beauty in pattern and geometry from the sky. The photographs of the massive tankers anchored in the rolling swells have a quiet calm to them from above. His images of trucks waiting at the gate to be checked in and unloaded; A scene on the ground that can only be a headache, is a beautiful Gursky-esque photograph of intricate detail on a massive scale.

Mike has also offered prints for sale, which can be seen by navigating here.

Images courtesy of Mike Kelley.

[via Mike Kelley's Blog and USAToday]