Borders - Water Crossings

Sweden shares 2,200 kilometers of land borders with Nordic neighbors Norway and Finland. But it’s the connection Sweden has with the rest of Europe along its 3,200 kilometers of coastline via ferry traffic that helps shape much of the country’s culture and economy. Currently more than 40 ferry lines connect Swedish shores with more than a dozen other European countries. These lines support commerce and migration as well as tourism and entertainment.

This presentation of audio slideshows – four chapters of photos and audio recordings – explore several of the themes that connect Sweden with other European countries. Passengers on four of the main ferry lines tell in their own words why they are on the journey and how it is a part of their lives.

Three young adults make the short journey to Denmark to buy alcoholic products cheaper than in Sweden due to a lower tax rate. A Croatian truck driver explains his monotonous routine, a lifestyle shared by thousands of long-distance truckers who sustain Sweden’s commerce with the rest of Europe. A Polish ship builder travels to the far north to secure a financial future for himself and his family. As a farewell gift to a friend moving away, a group of 20-something Swedes enjoy a daylong party on possibly Sweden’s most famous ferry line.

As ferries travel nonstop day and night across watery boundaries, these stories document that, although disconnected by land, Sweden still maintains strong links with the rest of Europe.  

Explore the multimedia project.

Ferry Route 1 - Helsingborg to Helsingor

"More beer, more beer. All I want is more beer." 

The first of five ferry trips leaving Swedish shores has been completed for the Borders project. I chose the 20-minute journey from Helsingborg to Helsingor (Denmark) to begin the five-part series so I could get a feel of how successful or unsuccessful the project may turn out.

"When I get home from work and I'm dyin' of thirst
All I want is more beer.

I run into the kitchen and I tear off my shirt
All I want is more beer."

This aim of this trip was to document the popularity of this route as a liquor and beer shopping trip by avoiding the high tax rate on alcohol in Sweden. This ferry route claims to be have most frequent trips in all of Europe. And the ferries run 24 hours.

"Open up a six pack I'll be downin' it first
All I want is more beer.
I can open up and finish faster than you
All I want is more beer."

The main way of presenting each of these five journeys is to tell it through a single person or group of people who are on each ferry route for a specific purpose. On this route I met three young adults whose sole purpose was to buy beer and liquor on the boat and return home to Sweden, never disembarking on the Danish side.

"Gonna kill a case or maybe two
All I want is more beer.
If there was no more beer then what would we do
All I want is more beer."

I will edit each of the three trips in an audio slideshow format, recording short interviews with the subjects and capturing natural sound. The five chapters will be presented as one package at the end.

"More beer, more beer
All I want is more beer."

Preview: Ferry trip part two will be the Sweden-Germany route to focus on the trade industry between mainland Europe and northern Europe.

- lyrics courtesy of Fear, from the song More Beer on the album More Beer

Borders Project - Ferry Routes

Five ferry routes to shoot for the Borders project:

1. Helsingborg to Helsingor (Denmark)

2. Trelleborg to Travemunde, Rostock or Sassnitz (Germany)

3. Ystad to Swinoujscie (Poland) or Karlskrona to Gdynia (Poland)

4. Stockholm to Riga (Latvia)

5. Stockholm to Helsinki (Finland)

10,000+ Images in 2 Months

10,000+ images in two months on assignment for the Travel Channel, The New York Times, Transitions Online and self assigned delivered me through Prague (twice), Berlin (twice), Stockholm (thrice), Copenhagen, Helsinki, Munich, a remote hotel in northern Sweden and other places I can not remember. Key frames gathered above start at Frame 9000 on my latest Nikon D300 and continue every 500 frames through to the last frame - 9268 - shot about 20 minutes ago. The final one year tally will end up 20,000+ images with the D300.

Now I'm back home and back out of the saddle for a few days or weeks before new trips will hopefully have me begin on the Borders project and my final project.

Remembering Alexander Klimchuk

Friend and photojournalism colleague Alexander Klimchuk was killed in the early days of fighting of August 2008 in South Ossetia. EurasiaNet - with whom I work as a part time photo editor and lead photojournalist - posted a small tribute to Sasha and presented a small collection of the work he did for us. Sasha was a great guy, full of life and energy. He was always ready to share a bottle of homemade red wine and a pack of cigarettes. He will be missed.

Frames 7500, 8000, 8500

Frame 7500 - On assignment for the Travel Channel in Stockholm.

Frame 8000 - On assignment for the Travel Channel in Stockholm.

Frame 8500 - On assignment for the Travel Channel in Stockholm.

Frames 6000, 6500, 7000

Frame 6000 - Getting hungry in Stockholm while on assignment for the Travel Channel

Frame 6500 - Corporate assignment for First Hotel in Uppsala, Sweden. Bed spread and pillows closeup.

Frame 7000 - On assignment for the Travel Channel in Stockholm.

Istanbul, Minsk, Baku

Frames 5000, 5500

Frame 5000 - Rock band playing at a friend's bar and restaurant.

Frame 5500 - Daughters trick-or-treating as Ariel (the Little Mermaid, not the hooker) and a black cat.

Borders.4

After talking in length to John E. about what I had selected my as my final 'borders' project - long-haul truckers that cross several borders each trip - he had suggested another topic that has also been an interest of mine for a while. Sweden has very high taxes on alcohol and anything that is higher than 2.8 % (or 3.5 %, I can't remember now) in alcohol content can only be purchased in the state-monopolized stores called Systembolaget. Often a bottle of Absolut vodka (made in Sweden) costs double in Sweden compared to duty free or purchase in a neighboring country, such as Denmark. To get around these high taxes on alcohol, thousands (probably hundreds of thousands) of Swedes every year take overnight or short ferry rides to other countries to load up on liquor that they plan to take home. Of course, during the ferry rides heavy alcohol consumption takes place as well. The scenes on these ferries, in particular the overnight trips to Finland, Poland and the Baltic countries, can be quite vulgar - obnoxiously drunk people falling over themselves, fighting, passing out and who knows what else. One of the most notorious ferry lines - Helsingør  (Denmark) to Helsingborg (Sweden) - is almost always jammed full of Swedes making the 30-minute trip to the Danish city, which is full of liquor stores directly at the ferry terminal. The Stockholm-Helsinki trip is over night, but most Swedes do not reserve bunks or rooms. Instead they buy the cheapest ticket and drink all night across the Baltic Sea and then return on the next ferry back. 

Story pros:

- potential to sell the story and images in several markets

- close by

- cheap (many of the ferry rides have special deals)

- not long away from home

- can take along family for a short holiday in Tallin, Helsinki or elsewhere; of course I would prefer not to expose my two daughters to the madness that happens on the ferries

- ferries are always running so will not have problems of time issues

Story cons:

- possibly problematic to shoot on private ferry lines; will have to shoot below the radar

- surly drunks wanting to fight or steal my equipment

- drinking too much myself?