By Way of Water

By Kristopher Shinn

By Way of Water is a collection of images, shot aboard the ferries in the greater Seattle area. All photos were shot on film, and most of the images were taken with a camera that belonged to my father. I'll start this story talking about him... 

My father was my best friend. He was my biggest supporter of all things in life, and I have some incredible memories with him. In 2008, when I was 18, my dad passed away from a heart attack. He was just 51, and it completely flipped my life upside down.

When my dad passed, I grew up very fast, and realized just how fragile life is. I now understood that tomorrow is never promised. The night before he passed, I could have never known it would be the last time I ever saw him alive. 

My Dad's passing made my family so much stronger. Family has always been a huge reason why I do anything in life. I have always put my family before anything, and I always will.

Flash forward a couple years, my older sister moved up north to Seattle. I was excited to see her make the move north, because I had always loved visiting Seattle, and having family there gave me even more reason to visit. Over the years, my girlfriend and I visited Seattle more and more, and it felt like we might end up there as well.

In March of 2020, the pandemic hit the world. My Mom moved up to Seattle to help my sister's family, working from home with two children. All of a sudden, I was the only one in my family that wasn't living in Seattle. But that would change very quickly.

In September, my girlfriend and I bought a home in Seattle, and made the move. For the first time in 31 years, I wasn't living in the Bay Area, but I was where I needed to be, with family.

So, where do the ferries come into the picture? My sister's family moved out of Seattle proper to one of the surrounding islands, which is either a 2+ hour drive from Seattle, or a beautiful 40 minute ferry ride. I choose the ferries 100% of the time. 

The ferries represent the connector that brings my family together. They are also a vessel that connects me to exploration & adventure around the greater Seattle area. Every time I ride the ferry, I am filled with excitement and inspiration. I love to soak in the beauty.

A few months back, my mom texted me asking if I wanted my dad's old camera. I asked her to send me some photos, and she sent me photos of a mint condition Canon AE-1 Program, which was introduced in 1981. I could not have been more excited.

It means so much to me to be able to shoot this work on a camera that used to belong to my dad. I also added a Mamiya 7 to the mix in the Spring of 2021, but the bulk of these shots are coming from my dad's camera.

If you've made it this far, I appreciate you taking the time to read this backstory. Thank you for supporting me, and believing in my work. It means the world that you're joining me on my journey with film photography. I like to think my dad would be proud, and it fills my heart with joy to be shooting with his camera.