I love wandering around the Nanaimo marina and photographing the boats moored there – so many stories to tell. Often, the details say more than the overall scene. I looked for images that I could create using part of a larger object, focusing in on simple shapes, lines and colours.

What is included and what is excluded? Operating a boat often requires improvisation and working with the material at hand. There are some basic requirements like a gas tank and a motor. And other things as well.

The simpler boats are often more interesting than the luxury yachts – more character and substance. When all is said and done, do you really need more than a chair and a bucket for bailing?

By simplifying the composition, I tried to distil the essence of this boat, focusing more on the contrast between the texture of the chair and the aluminum hull and play between the solid shape and lines in the scene.

Marinas are always fascinating places to revisit—often what is seen on the first visit is gone and new possibilities are presented upon return.