Julie D'Amour-Léger had to overcome bouts of sea sickness for a multi-year project that puts local fishers in focus.
The photographer from Caraquet, N.B. captured 10,000 images that bring perspective to one of our region’s biggest industries.
“It became a real passion and a challenge because it’s not easy for me to be on a boat,” said D'Amour-Léger.
From crabs, to herring and even smelt ice fishing, D'Amour-Léger spent the last three years documenting the lives of those who earn their livelihoods at sea.
“It was always an experience every time I took pictures of fishermen at work.”
During that time, she took part in 28 excursions involving 17 different fisheries. Some of the boat trips lasted only a few hours while others took place over several days.
“It was important to be prepared for going to sea, whether it was four days in a row for crab fishing or even seven days in a row for shrimp fishing on the Atlantic Ocean.”
D'Amour-Léger says some of her most memorable moments took place at night, including a time when fishers pulled in a 750-pound tuna.
“I had never fished at night before. The sea and the sky all become the same colour. It’s like you’re moving in two darkness.”
Armed with only her camera, D'Amour-Léger says she was amazed by all the equipment required to reel in the perfect catch.
“Oyster farming goes all year long, while scallop fishing was impressive because [the equipment] drags and scrapes the bottom of the sea. It’s something else. It looks so different from anything I had seen before.”
With a fishing photography book in the works, D'Amour-Léger is also preparing to have her work on display at an upcoming exhibition at the Galerie d'art Bernard-Jean in Caraquet in November.
She also recently completed an artist-in-residence at the Beaverbrook Art Gallery in Fredericton, N.B., where her other exhibit, Crows - Black on White, is on display until May 28.
D'Amour-Léger hopes those who see the photos will have a deeper appreciation for what they eat and where it comes from.
“I have so much respect for them and also for what I eat and what’s on my plate. It takes a lot of work.”
