Anyone who’s taken a boat ride knows the familiar tug between watching the shoreline slide past or observing the personality of the vessel itself. During this cruise, I spent most of my time absorbing the scenery beyond the rail, though I couldn’t resist capturing a few moments of sea spray as the water crashed against the hull. Sometimes that motion holds its own kind of magic. Other times, a lone home nestled along the coast reminds you just how gracefully human craftsmanship can coexist with untamed landscapes. I originally booked this sunset cruise in search of blazing skies, the kind that transforms glassy water into molten gold.
What I received instead was subtler, and ultimately far more rewarding. Rather than dramatic color, I was gifted with quieter wonders. Whether it be a rope slicing across the sky, a burst of seawater suspended mid-flight, a pristine manor rising from the deep tree line, or a pocket of woodland glowing with the hush of fall light. These weren’t glossy postcard moments, but something better. They were intimate ones. The photographs below capture the gentle choreography between water, vessel, and shore. If you see any images here that aren’t available on Natural Desygns or SM Desygns reach out to me through the Etsy store and I’ll add the image to the correct store. In the meantime, click any of the images to head over to DeviantArt to get a better look.
While some, including myself, might argue that the most beautiful sights were beyond the boat, I’d be a fool to ignore my core belief. Beauty can be captured anywhere. I prefer to highlight nature’s beauty, but there’s something uniquely special when it interacts with human craftsmanship. As a result, there were a few times during this cruise that I took my eyes away from the distant shores and horizon and examined that which was far closer to me, the boat itself.
With a slight shift in view and position, I was able to capture a small wave crashing over the boat’s side. This image allows the viewer to become a participant in the journey, to witness the cresting wave firsthand. Aside from that hint of chaos, the stretched ropes intersect with the sky as if they were drawing lines on a canvas. The entire composition bends with motion. The hull is angled while the horizon dips slightly.
The watercolor effect transforms the sea spray into flecks of white ink, capturing a sensation rather than a detail. Though this sunset cruise lacked the spectacle of a setting sun, it offered something different, an intimate moment of movement and sensation.
During the first leg of the journey, my attention had been fixed on one side of the boat. Fortunately, after we turned around, I was treated to a wonderful view of the other half of the cruise. As we returned to the ship’s slip, we also got closer to one of the bay’s opposing shores, and with that nearness, I was able to get a crisper view of one of the homes lining the water.
In this moment, we’re treated to the architectural highlight of the experience, a pristine estate rising from the water’s edge. Its crisp white façade contrasts beautifully with the deep greens of the tree line and the vibrant blues of the water. Despite being subject to nature’s whims, the greenery felt like a curated backdrop rather than a competing force when seen alongside the magnificent home.
This home doesn’t just appear to be stately. It appears as if it were rooted to this patch of coast. Here, the balance of human craftsmanship and nature feels at its most balanced, highlighting how the water becomes both a mirror and moat for such a regal residence.
Despite the array of wonders I’d seen on the first half of the trip, the second half surprised me with even more beautiful views. One such sight features a little patch of forest, neighboring another building. Throughout the trip, several homes dotted the coastline, but there’s something special about this stretch of land. Even now I can’t explain what compelled me to capture this image. All I know is it’s steeped in serenity.
However, I’ll take a step back and try to express the reasons it’s so peaceful. The soft dappled light and rich fall foliage are brushed in a medley of greens, yellows, and amber tones. The home that’s lingering on the edge of the frame doesn’t compete with the scene, rather, it’s complementing it. This image of nature is bursting with gentle color and whispering leaves. The trees seemed to glow from within, amplifying the sense of privacy from its depths, as if we stumbled upon something sacred and undisturbed, despite the hint of a home.