16 Knots: Hamburg. March 2024.
Hamburg, Germany.
3/4/2024. Work has begun in earnest on my newest series: 16 Knots, an exploration of global maritime shipping. To embark on this project, I started with Hamburg and Rotterdam, two of Europe’s busiest ports and hubs of international trade.
Hamburg proved to be a very agreeable place indeed. In addition to the spectacular and easily accessible port, the city is also a charming and pleasant place to be, one I will be very eagar to visit again.
I arrived in Hamburg on a late Monday afternoon and eventually made my way down to the waterfront at dusk for my first introduction. On a sandy beach on the banks of the Elbe River I was greeted with overcast skies with a touch of fog, and a clear view of the Port of Hamburg. Within minutes, the waterfront revealed itself to be a very lively place and soon I was scrambling to keep my camera gear out of the waves that were sweeping up and down the sandy beach. Having flown into Amsterdam only the day before, I was still quite tired from the red-eye flight and the numerous trains it took to get here, but the scene before me was a breath of fresh air that left me energized. A very fine introduction.
Inner Harbor, Boston
Past, Present, Future. Revolution and Evolution.
Boston, Massachusetts. 6/22/2022.
Summer 2022, a journey of rediscovery.
After two years of disruption, it’s time to reconnect, rediscover and find new inspiration. I began this process in late winter, the first of my staycations where I sought to rediscover my community on foot. It was meaningful to revisit many local sites and find new haunts. Recently, I gave this popular location in East Boston a try.
Within this frame, many glimpses of Boston’s past are seen alongside the present and hints of the future. John Winthrop’s “City Upon a Hill” began as a British Colonial Era port, became known as the birthplace of the American Revolution, and now serves as a 21st century global hub of science and technology. Perhaps the best way to conceptualize this evolving bayside community that is at once historic and modern is to think of a garlic or onion with its many layers. One facet of its centuries long metamorphosis however, is that much of the City Upon a Hill actually sits on top of former salt marsh and tidal flats.
While the economic dynamism of the 21st century is difficult to ignore, new challenges have arisen. Rising sea levels, housing costs, displacement and transportation are all challenges that will have to be met if this community is to continue thriving and evolving. Will a city known for its ingenuity find solutions, or will the sea reclaim what is perhaps the most American of all cities?
Popham Beach. September 2016.
Phippsburg, Maine.
9/20/2016. Heavy fog made for an interesting walk along Popham Beach, which sits at the mouth of the Kennebec River on the coast of Maine, not far from the town of Bath. Waves could be heard but not seen until very near. The fading light, along with the dense fog gave it a somewhat ominous feel. My Grandparents were from a pair of small towns a few miles up river.