Silt, salt, and seasoned timber
A photographic testament to the traditional watermen of Southern Maryland, charting a weather-worn legacy carved from the shifting tides and brackish currents of the Patuxent.
The rhythm of the cull
Before dawn breaks over the Patuxent, the watermen are already running their trotlines. It is a grueling, unhurried choreography of iron and rope, perfected over generations of labor on the brackish waters of the Chesapeake.
As the oyster bars deplete and the climate shifts, these wooden workboats remain vital symbols of resilience. Each scratch in the paint and bend in the timber tells of a community holding fast to the silt and salt of their heritage.
Portraits from the water
A documentary study of the faces, vessels, and shorelines that define the maritime heritage of St. Mary's County. Each frame captures the quiet resilience of a trade shaped by the bay.
Return to the community
Return to the broader collection of environmental portraits, documenting the farmers, artisans, and families who anchor our regional heritage.