Little did I know that taking photographs of the construction of Bill Graham’s 24’ keel/centerboard sloop would be the start of a fantastic partnership with Gannon and Benjamin Boat Yard in Vineyard Haven, the designers and builders of the boat. Before I accepted the commission, I had one important question – would this be a documentary project only, or could I take some liberties and shoot it as an art photographer? The client didn’t hesitate for a second. He was commissioning local craftsmen Nat Benjamin and Ross Gannon to build his wooden boat, so he wanted my photographs to reflect my own interpretation. That’s all I needed to hear – I was in.
Over the course of the next ten months, I made regular trips to the boatyard and photographed the process, as it evolved from pencil lines on the floor of the boatbuilding shop to the launch many months later. I told the story of the boat’s construction through details that sometimes bordered on abstraction, while at other times pulled back and shot the overall scene. I photographed the boat builders, the sailmaker, rigger, and their tools. All artists doing their craft.
The finished product for the client included a portfolio book of fifty color prints, and select images presented as large, limited edition framed prints.