Athens. March 2026.
Athens, Greece.
3/26/2026. We meet at last. In March I took my first trip to Greece, followed by a few days in Istanbul. Greece has occupied a special place in my concept of the world since I was young. While not a large place, to me it has always been a prominent place, a place with allure and mystique, a place of significance.
While this trip had been planned six months in advance, the war in Iran had broken out in the intervening time, just two weeks prior to departure. While I knew it was far enough away, I felt apprehensive and ashamed for pursuing a dream while my country pursued war to the east. Ultimately I stuck with the plan, but thoughts of the situation in the Middle East weighed heavily on my mind.
The weather for most of this trip was equally weighty - wind, clouds and often rain. On my first full day in Athens, it was time to catch my first glimpse of the Acropolis, a place that has captivated me for decades. After countless art history classes on the topic, it was a pilgrimage. Walking out of Monastiraki and encountering Hadrian’s Library was almost surreal. Here we are, the real thing.
Some places demand your attention and must be seen in person. Some places also demand that you spend time with them. And that is what I did. Night after night I made the trip from Piraeus into central Athens and up to the hills overlooking the Acropolis. Wind, gray clouds and all, we spent time together. It was as majestic as I had imagined it to be and the fact that weather conditions often made photography difficult only strengthened its grip on me. It was how it needed to be.
Eventually I encountered more favorable weather, but not before I had gone up there several times. And still I returned again. It was how it needed to be, and it is not the end.
Rainy Night. April 2026.
Istanbul, Turkiye.
4/1/2026. Istanbul: the final night. This was a very short stay, only four nights. While I had visions of arriving in Istanbul just before sunset and immediately going out to photograph the impressive ship anchorages for my 16 Knots project, instead the flight was delayed and I arrived after dark in the pouring rain. And the next morning was not much more agreeable.
Still, I made the best of the weather and was rewarded with clear weather on day 3. On the final day, it was back to the wind driven rain. But I was not to be deterred. After stopping by Maiden’s Tower on the Bosphorus, I got back on the metro and walked up to Camlica Hill. Due to the weather, as expected the views were not stellar, but then I walked over to the spectacular Grand Camlica Mosque.
By this point it was well after dark and I was wet and slightly tired, but the sight of this very impressive piece of architecture made it worthwhile. I arrived in time to hear the final call to prayer and hearing that amongst this magnificent structure in the rain with few people around was powerful. The reflections on the wet tile floors and almost pristine silence was eery and awe inspiring.
After spending my time here, it was time to head back. But at that point, I had walked quite a ways from where I started and had no desire to retrace my footsteps all the way back to the metro. So, I settled on an alternative route back and found myself wandering through unfamiliar neighborhoods at night, looking for an unfamiliar bus. That’s part of the journey and the experience, and somehow it happens like that on every trip. You learn something about places this way and that’s how I like it.
Industrial Sunset. April 2025.
Marugame, Shikoku, Japan.
4/4/2025. Work progresses on my 16 Knots project. I recently spent a couple weeks exploring the Seto Inland Sea region in Western Japan. This gorgeous area is dotted with countless islands and is home to dozens of shipyards. Imabari Shipbuilding operates several large yards throughout the region. Pictured here is Imabari’s Marugame Yard, a location I’ve been wanting to see for quite some time.
As impressive as Japan’s shipbuilding industry is, it’s facing an uncertain future. Competition and price undercutting from China have resulted in substantial marketshare decline for Japanese and Korean shipbuilders. This, combined with uncertainty in global trade and the world order have created substantial headwinds.