And Now for Something Completely Different...

Aboard BULLDOG

For me, these are very different.

I made these images while aboard two of Crescent Towing’s tractor tugs working on the Savannah River. The tugs, “SAVANNAH” and “BULLDOG”, assist the cargo ships calling at the port with maneuvering, docking, and undocking in the narrow and swift flowing tidal river. The skill of the crews and the tugs themselves made a lasting impression.

Bound for Sea

The Working River

It has been many, many years since I have done night photography on any level. The port of Savannah at night is a spectacular sight. Of course, the work was riddled with challenges; shutter speeds were low and apertures wide, and my shooting platform, the tugs themselves, were constantly in motion. Nonetheless, I got several shots I like. I’m looking forward to getting back aboard the tugs again, this time for some daylight work.

The M/V Charleston Express

This experience has definitely pushed me closer to the goal of getting away from controlled shooting environments and I have to say I enjoyed myself immensely. You can’t get much more uncontrolled than shooting subjects at night without a tripod, and from a moving object, especially when the subjects themselves are frequently in motion.

View From the Wheelhouse of SAVANNAH During Undocking Operations

I can’t wait to do it again.

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Happy Thanksgiving to my American readers. Enjoy!

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You'll recall from the last post, in which I wrote about my time aboard "SAVANNAH" and "BULLDOG", that I lost my glasses overboard before we even left for the frst job. I've spent most of life around boats, so losing my glasses to the river was embarrassing - and, as it turns out, expensive.

I managed to get them replaced quickly, a good thing, as I had more difficulty without them than I cared to admit. So on this American holiday of Thanksgiving, I'll add the staff of Boland Eye Center along with LensCrafters and their 50% off clearance sale to my list of appreciation.