Smith Island, Maryland - April 2009

I am organizing photographs this morning from my first trips to Smith Island in 2009 for my forthcoming book 'Island Life'.

I was first drawn to the island to photograph the nesting colony of Brown Pelicans in late April of 2009. At the time this was the northernmost nesting colony of Pelicans on the east coast. I packed my kayak, camping gear and cameras onto the ferry from Crisfield to Tylerton. My plan was to spend the night in the marsh, once I found the pelicans, to have easy access to photograph the colony with both sunset and sunrise light.

I was out on the island for less than 24 hours, but it was clear that I needed to come back. This one trip, has inspired me to come back dozens of times in the last nine years to photograph not only wildlife, but the culture that has been defined by the waters of the Chesapeake.

2018 Holiday Gift Specials

- 2018 Holiday Gift Specials -

November 26th to December 3rd

25% off all framed and unframed prints 
use promo code 'HOLIDAY2018'

Buy one book - get a calendar
no promo code necessary

Recent Exposures - 35mm Black and White Film

I just had ten rolls of black & white negative film (Kodak Tri-X 400) developed with photographs taken during trips on the Chesapeake this summer. These were shot on my first camera that I had when I was 13 years old, a Nikon n90's 35mm film camera. Although the lenses in my camera bag have improved significantly, the camera has the same functions that it did 18 years ago.

The black and white film will never be a substitute to digital but it is a great way to authentically create a nostalgic feel in photographs. A timeless subject like 'Working the Water' naturally lends itself to shooting with black and white film like the masters - Aubrey Bodine, Marion Warren and Robert DeGast - did decades ago.

Pound Netting in the upper Chesapeake Bay out of Rock Hall, Maryland. July 2018

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The lighthouse at Fort Carroll in the Patapsco River. July 2018

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Smith Island, Maryland crabbers. August 2018

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Crab Picking at the Smith Island Crab Co-Op. August 2018

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Dawn at the crab shanty in Ewell, Maryland on Smith Island. August 2018

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Geneva Bradshaw, fuel dock attendant in Ewell, Maryland on Smith Island. August 2018

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Abandoned home in Rhodes Point, Maryland on Smith Island. August 2018

Custom Framed Prints

Thirty-three brand new custom framed canvas prints have been added to my online shop for the holiday season. The prints range in size from 11"x15' to nearly 80" wide. Each of these prints has a molding that was specifically chosen to match the colors and textures within the photograph. The prints are ready to put on the wall and include hanging hardware.