Lately I’ve been shooting with the same 35mm film camera that first got me into photography when I was 13 years old. Going back to it has reminded me how slowing down changes the way I see things - and how to be more intentional with each frame while embracing the uncertainty that comes with shooting film. There is no looking at the back of the camera for instant gratification.

Black & white film gives these scenes on the water such a timeless feel. The photographs look like they could’ve been taken 50 years ago, and create a sense of nostalgia that connects today’s Chesapeake with the past.

The waterman in these photographs is Carol Melvin Smith from Gwynn's Island, Virginia. He is one of a small handful of waterman still drop tonging for clams in the Virginia tidewater region. After hearing Carol's stories of the 'days gone by' I can only dream about seeing what he has during his 70+ year career on the water harvesting seafood. These black & whites bring me closer to a time that I was born too late to witness.