The Return: Japan. April 2025.

Kobe, Japan.

4/12/2025. After a long absence I finally arrived at Kobe’s Venus Bridge once more.  Having last stood here in late November of 2019, much has changed and the world is a different place now.  What hasn’t changed is the excellence of this view and the deep affection I have for this beautiful country.  Walking up here from Sannomiya, through the quiet, elegant neighborhoods of Kobe and arriving at this familiar spot was very satisfying and felt like everything had come full circle.

This most recent outing lasted 24 nights and brought me to many new places, while also retracing my footsteps to many familiar haunts.  Having been away for so long, it was a relationship renewed and a bond deepened.  I am honored to have returned and full of gratitude.

Welcome back, welcome back.

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.