Series Documents the Dangerous, Fascinating Work of Commercial Fishermen on the Bering Sea

Photographer Corey Arnold’s series ‘Fish-Work: The Bering Sea’ documents the daily lives of commercial fishermen aboard the f/v Rollo during winter crabbing expeditions-considered one of the world’s most dangerous jobs. Arnold’s photographs show the fishermen’s complex relationship to the fierce ocean and deadly storms that surround them, showing the dichotomy of exhaustion and awe; frustration and exhilaration.

Part of his larger ongoing ‘Fish-Work’ series, ‘Fish-Work: The Bering Sea’ began after the economic turmoil of the early 2000s, as Arnold returned to commercial fishing in Alaska. In a statement about the project, Arnold says, “I landed a deckhand job aboard a 43-foot cod jigger, which eventually led to a king crab job in the Bering Sea. I spent seven winter seasons crabbing aboard the f/v Rollo and brought my cameras along to document the experience. Widely considered one of the world’s most dangerous jobs, we endured seas up to forty feet and a seemingly endless succession of sleepless nights, regularly shuffling 800 pound crab pots around the pitching deck in freezing conditions.”























































Arnold says he found time to shoot “between work and sleep” and kept his two cameras “wrapped in Ziploc bags and duct tape.” While his series fully captures the incredibly dangerous work, as well as the playful moments of respite, Arnold says that many of his best photographs were never made, “as all hands were needed on deck during the fiercest storms.”

‘Fish-Work: The Bering Sea’ was published as a monograph, you can find it here.
You can find more of Corey Arnold’s work, which focuses on “photographing the relationship between people and the sea” on his website.

All images used with permission.
[Via Visual News]