Cruise Ships
2013-present, archival digital prints
This ongoing series which began in 2013, is related to the Aircraft series which I have been shooting for over 15 years. I take most of these photos using an 80MP digital medium format camera with a gyro stabilizer, shooting from a helicopter with the door off.
Giant cruise ships, over three football fields long, have become unique floating cities. Photographed symmetrically from directly above in very high resolution, the large gallery prints, up to 74 inches, show the viewer a detailed view not commonly seen. The ships can be seen with their passengers lounging on deck chairs, playing on water park slides, putting greens, running tracks, and basketball courts. They have a curious beauty and tell us something about how we as a culture form instant communities for shared recreation and relaxation. The ships which continue to be built larger and larger are fascinating to ponder as engineering marvels. Seen as a typology, they share a common symmetry derived from function, yet juxtapose design elements both decorative and functional that set them apart.
