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One of my greatest joys in life is people watching, and fortunately my role on board requires me to do just that. As the cruise photographer I spend most of my time watching and waiting for the best moment to click the shutter button. At the beginning of nearly every job I feel a bit burdensome and uncomfortable, but everyone on this ship has made me feel particularly at home. Consequently, I’ve been happily, and sometimes clumsily, snapping away during most deck operations.
Though I find myself tripping on cables and occasionally hitting my hardhat-clad-head on various pieces of industrial equipment, I’m truly amazed at how gracefully the technicians on deck execute their jobs. They know the routine of each operation so well that they anticipate one another’s moves and effortlessly maneuver hundreds of pounds of gear. My two favorite technicians to photograph are Steve and John.
Steve and John are the two men who work at the edge of the fantail, guiding and sometimes pulling in the enormous buoys, chains, and fragile scientific sensors that comprise the moorings. The deck is noisy, but the two know one another’s moves so well that there seems to be little need for conversation. One moment they are using brute force to hoist in a chain of buoys that’s gotten stuck at the edge of the ship, and the next moment they are nimbly untangling a sensor from the line. Time and again I watch as John gently holds an microcat while Steve carefully unscrews the bolts that have anchored it to the line. Though there is a clear routine to the work, small surprises and dilemmas abound and the pair handles each one with care but without concern. If words are exchanged at all they usually seem to be in the form of a joke.
I had the good fortune of sitting down to dinner at the same time as Steve a few days ago. He told me that he has been at this for thirty years. That made me reflect on my job. Will I still be as committed to my work in thirty years? I think so, but I can only hope that I achieve the same level of ease and expertise as he and John clearly have.
Photos by Amanda Kowalski