21-JUL-2009
Multi-tasking, Ipswich, Massachusetts, 2009
This woman, who works for a seafood company, juggles many tasks simultaneously. She handles various administrative matters, moving back and forth between various buildings, and in this case, does not even stop to sit down or remove the hood of her sweatshirt as she takes a call in her office. Her costume and my vantage point abstract her – we don’t know who she is, but we can certainly appreciate the situation she finds herself in. The overflowing desk, computer monitor, and full shelf in the background all add context.
23-JUL-2009
Deep-sea fishing boat captain, Gloucester, Massachusetts, 2009
I made this portrait of a deep-sea fishing boat captain as he starts up his engines and begins to back away from the dock. He is cautious and skillful – he plays the controls as if they were like a musical instrument. It is a large boat, full of tourists and fishermen, and his expression tells us how seriously he takes his job.
22-JUL-2009
Dry dock, Gloucester, Massachusetts, 2009
I only show the arm and hand of the dry dock worker here, yet the tension in the fingers and taut muscles in the arm tell a story of skill, strength and experience. There is also tension crackling in the space between the back of the rudder and the front of the stern. Will it fit? And will it work? I want this image to ask such questions of my viewers.
21-JUL-2009
Cleaning up, Gloucester, Massachusetts, 2009
This man, who works in a seafood plant, takes great care to make sure the floors are spotless. Sanitation is a high priority in such places, and we can sense the diligence and care he brings to the task. The blue plastic gloves add context for such a job, while my close-up vantage point stresses character through the detail in his face.
23-JUL-2009
Trawler, off Gloucester, Massachusetts, 2009
Thousands of New England fishermen have perished at sea – such trawlers as this one are among the most dangerous of workplaces. I offer a sense of that danger here – this trawler rides the swells of the Atlantic in the fog, miles out to sea. Its nets are spooled under canvas, and a fierce wind whips at the flag on the stern. The lone figure seems to be entirely at mercy of nature here, and indeed he is.
21-JUL-2009
Production line, Ipswich, Massachusetts, 2009
I photographed this woman working in a fish processing plant at a fairly fast shutter speed of 1/00th of a second. She was quickly transferring fish from a tub to a conveyor belt. Her hands were moving so fast they are blurred, even at 1/100th of a second. The movement is from right to left, flowing horizontally across the frame. Such horizontal action is easier to blur than action coming towards the camera. If I had photographed her from the front, there would have been less blur at this fast a shutter speed. I also like the role of color in this image -- her blue gloves echo the blue tub, carrying a flow of color across the bottom of the image along with the blur. Meanwhile, the diagonal angle of the machine behind her echoes the angle of her arm holding the fish. Production line work can be demanding and repetitious. This image tells us why.
20-JUL-2009
Restaurant, Gloucester, Massachusetts, 2009
The man who runs this restaurant is seen at his counter, lost in his thoughts. For him, early morning is a quiet time, a time to reflect – at least on this day. This environmental portrait also tells us more about his workplace. Reader’s Choice awards line the wall behind him. We learn what he serves, as well – the list of specials and the two decorative fish next to it add important context. Finally, we see an employee standing in the doorway behind him. He holds a cup of coffee in his hand and looks as if he, too, could be waiting for more work to do.
29-JUL-2009
Bus driver, New York City, New York, 2009
His workplace is electric powered and dedicated to quality control. He has probably been driving buses through Manhattan’s chaotic and gridlocked traffic for many years, and seems incongruously relaxed. I framed him within my own frame by shooting him through his door at a bus stop. The softly focused decals on the side of the bus add context.
22-JUL-2009
Scrub, Gloucester, Massachusetts, 2009
This man was renovating a boat in drydock. He was scrubbing down the hull, preparing it for a paint job. I used an "average" shutter speed of 1/60th of a second here. His action is moving horizontally across the frame. His left hand firmly holds on to the edge of the boat, remaining sharp, while his right hand suggests energetic movement. It is hard physical work, and the blur brings such effort home. The man seems linked to the boat both physically and aesthetically -- his maroon shirt is similar in hue to the boat's hull.
15-JUN-2009
Commercial fisherman (1), Fort Bragg, California, 2009
During a visit to this small Northern California coastal town, I had a chance to photograph a group of commercial fishermen unloading thousands of fish from a trawler moored in its harbor. One of them was clearly in charge. Although he worked along with them, he often stood back to see what was happening as a manager would see it. I photograph him here with one hand resting on the shovel he had been using to guide a pile of fish along a conveyor belt, and the other hand poised over a power switch controlling the machinery. It is a portrait of authority, a man in control. The reading glasses riding up on his forehead offer a humanizing touch that softens the intensity of his stern gaze. He has been in this business for a long time, and although the gaze may seem grim, he also comes through as a tough, shrewd hardworking boss who knows his trade and his crew inside and out. This image does what a workplace portrait should do, expressing the character and personality of this man instead of just describing his appearance.
15-JUN-2009
Commercial fisherman (2), Fort Bragg, California, 2009
A few moments after I made the previous image, the fisherman gave the thumbs up sign to a colleague, a universal symbol of validation. He is a tough boss, but he is quick to affirm the accomplishments of his crew. I shoot over the shoulder of the man he is talking to here. We can make out a softly focused yellow shovel held by a red glove. That is enough to put the viewer into the picture. It is the viewer that gets the thumbs up sign here, as well as the crew member.
22-JUN-2009
Café, Lake Quinault, Washington, 2009
Customers at this café are confronted with many choices. But those who work here do not have the luxury of choice. They must do the jobs expected of them. Those jobs seem challenging – there were only two people working here, and they both appear in this 24mm wideangle image. We see a cook through the window at the left, and an order clerk standing in the doorway at right. She stands before a floor fan, resting her hand on the door frame -- the body language of someone who has put in a hard day. Between them stands a blizzard of written communication – menus, instructions, warnings and advertisements surround a soda machine and other self-service items. Lake Quinault is a small resort town in the Olympic State Forest, and this small café, in the back of the local general store, seems to be a popular local hangout.
