Your Custom Text Here
In August, filmmaker Patrick McNamara joined me on Smith Island to chronicle my work on the Chesapeake Bay for his film series, Artisan Portraits. I took Patrick on the water at odd hours to catch the best light at some of my favorite spots around the island. Thank you Patrick McNamara for an exceptional job at capturing me 'at-work' on my forthcoming book - Island Life.
To see more of Patrick's video and photography work:
Drawn to the Image
Next Generation heading out into the Chesapeake Bay from the Honga River to set poles in the bottom used to support a pound net.
Fishing pound nets for Atlantic Menhaden, a bait fish, and a variety of food fish off Hoopers Island.
A sampling of what is swimming in the Chesapeake Bay off of Hoopers Island - Spanish Mackerel, Pompano, Sheepshead, Croaker, Spot, Bluefish, Striped Bass, Gizzard Shad, Menhaden, Northern Puffer, Butterfish, Blue Crab - late summer and early fall is the best time to see a variety of species in the Chesapeake Bay.
Picking and steaming crabs at J.M. Clayton Seafood in Cambridge, Maryland. This is the oldest crab processing business in the world, dating back to the 1890’s.
Waterman Roger Morris preparing his crab pots for the fall run of Blue Crabs. Wingate, Maryland
Baiting a trot line to target Blue Crabs with chicken necks.
Meredith and Meredith seafood was a crab picking and oyster shucking plant. The company is now out of business and the facility is being used as a wharf for commercial fishermen and storage for gear.
A 12 ounce can used to hold shucked oysters processed at Meredith and Meredith.
An abandoned store in Crocheron, Maryland reflected in the September full moon’s high tide.
Loblolly Pines reflected in a small pool of tidal water on the southern end of middle Hoopers Island near Hoopersville, Maryland.
The opening reception of the Working the Water exhibit will be held at Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts in the Martino Gallery will be held from 5:30 - 7:00 pm on Thursday, September 27th. The exhibit features nine oversized prints from my current book, Working the Water and my forthcoming book Island Life.
I will be announcing awards for the Annapolis Digital Photography Club's exhibit - 'A Way of Life' during the reception. Drinks and light fare will be available to guests - All are welcome!
Maryland Hall
801 Chase Street
Annapolis, MD 21401
I led a group of five photographers on a three-day workshop out of Hoopers Island to photograph the landscapes, wildlife and seafood industry in Dorchester County. The weather on day one and day two of the trip was great, giving us great opportunities to shoot at a crab picking house and explore the working waterfronts and landscapes of Hoopers Island and the Bishops Head peninsula. Day two started with an early morning trip on the water with a group of pound netters out of Fishing Creek. We joined the crew as they fished their pound nets in the Chesapeake Bay just off Hoopers Island. After the fishing trip, we had a tour of an oyster aquaculture facility where the students got to photograph parts of the oyster farming process. The remaining part of day two was spent reviewing images, photographing landscapes close to the lodge and eating fish for dinner that were caught on the pound netting trip. Plans to photograph Hoopers Island lighthouse on the morning of day three were changed by the weather. We woke up to a stiff northeast wind coming across the Honga River and rain. We spent the morning at the lodge reviewing images shot on the previous two days and ‘talking shop.’
A big thanks to the Hoopers Island store for providing the group with excellent meals and a great place to hang out. Denise Lewis and her daughter Sarah for helping clean the lodge prior to the workshop. Burl Lewis and his crew for an awesome morning on the water to photograph pound netting. Bobby Gootee from Hoopers Island Oyster Co. for the oysters and a great tour of their facility on Hoopers Island.
Follow Jay’s work on Instagram, X and Facebook