A Photographer’s Life at Sea

As her distinctive pink powerboat waits patiently in the Mosquito Creek Marina dry dock for its annual cleaning and repairs, mariner and photographer Maria Steernberg takes time out of her busy schedule to chat about her boat, her life, and her thirty-two-year career as a marine photographer snapping photos from San Diego to Alaska.

Annual servicing & repairs at Northshore Yachtworks

“My boat was born here at Mosquito Creek thirty years ago. Northshore Yachtworks (was working under another name and owned by another person but same location) received an empty hull 22’Stolkraft the same multi-hull design used by the Australian Coast Guard.   They custom built to my specifications.  Everything on the boat is designed for a five-foot-tall sailor,” Maria says with a chuckle.  Her loyal sidekick and crew member, a Jack Russel terrier aptly named Marina Roxie, wanders happily around the North Shore marina, her pert fuzzy nose raised slightly to catch the pacific breeze.

“The Creek Marina has been so good to me through my whole career. Northshore Yachtworks keeps this boat running well mechanically year after year. They take care of everything that I need done including annual maintenance and servicing my Mercury twin outboard 4 stroke engine and propulsion systems, powerwashing & cleaning, waxing & polishing, changing anodes, and bottom and hull painting as needed. It’s a one-stop boat shop.  They perform technical inspections and repair any boat damage that are par for the course during the season. They also make calls to different local marinas either by boat or truck.

“Don’t let the pink colour fool you. Sea Snaps is a working boat so it’s not fancy. I once installed a teak railing since everyone said I needed some wood on my boat, but soon I gave up trying to make it too pretty. I have a comfortable berth and a fully functioning head. No cooking facilities, but  I conduct a lot of my business in some of the best marinas on our coast.”

Maria has the confident air of a seasoned professional who can manage what life hands her. Her working life began as an accountant for a bank. Soon she found her true vocation in photography, and counts herself as one of a select few women marine photographers working today.  After eight years spent qualifying for its photography team, the prestigious America’s Cup issued a press pass. Every other marine photographer at the race was a man.

She explained that it’s not enough to know how to take a picture: you also have to handle what the sea may throw at you. At sea you have to have a plan B. Besides taking photos from the water, Maria has earned a reputation as a topnotch aerial photographer and seasoned mariner. Unfortunately, during one of her aerial photo shoots, there was no plan B.

In 2007 this sharp shooter experienced every adventurer’s worst nightmare—a devastating plane crash.

“I was in the float plane shooting a sailing race. Suddenly, the plane hit the water, flipped over and sank.  The pilot died on impact, but had managed to avoid the boats before we crashed. I thought to myself, ‘If this is it, I’ve had a good kick at the can,’ but the Lord obviously thought I have more to do.

She broke her back in three places; her camera went through her ribs and fractured three of them; had a head concussion, and now has an 18″ titanium rod in her back.  She sets off the airport security like a Xmas tree. She recuperated for three years before she was able to resume working again. Today she continues to go flying to get the best aerial shots.

“I take pictures of many beautiful sailing vessels, but I have taken some ugly photos as well: plane crashes, drowned bodies, the burning down of the False Creek coast guard station.  That was the first time I sold one of my photos to Maclean’s magazine. Several years ago, I came across a dead body floating in the water. The unfortunate man had either jumped or fallen off a BC ferry. He had been in the water for a couple weeks. When I called the coast guard they asked if I could bring the body onboard. As I started to pull his body alongside the boat, his arm started to give way.  I decided to leave him in the water until the coast guard arrived.”

Maria credits Beken of Cowes, renowned marine photographers based in England, for being her inspiration.  Established in 1888 in the seaside town of Cowes, which is famous for hosting international sailing regattas, Frank Beken became a pioneer of photography and marine photography. He expressed his love of yachts and captured the history of yachting. Maria found her passion and her inspiration from the sea as well.

“I grew up beside the water. My father was a field engineer for Macmillan Bloedel, and we lived in every mill town up and down the coast. I was the eldest of three, and I was often out fishing with my father.  I fell in love with boats and being out on the water. I got my first camera when I was 10.”

Over the course of a 32-year career, Maria estimates she has taken over 1 million photographs.  An early mentor, renowned West Coast sailor Don Tyrrell once advised her, ‘Maria, if you don’t file it you can’t sell it.’ She listened to his sage advice and now has a substantial library of photographs.  Eventually, she went digital when the quality of the prints met her high standards—a wise financial move: “With film cameras I counted the shots, a dollar per photo. These days I snap away to my heart’s content to get the best shots.”

As she cruises the Pacific Northwest, Maria is constantly on the lookout for great shots. Her distinctive pink cruiser can’t be missed. Her sponsors and her contact info are also clearly visible on the boat.  “Boaters contact me if they see me sailing in their vicinity. They know it will be cheaper to get the print of their moving vessel rather than commission a portrait.  When I see a sailor position his family just so, in a nice way on the deck, I know they want a photo.”

Marina & Maria at Boat Show at The Creek

Not surprising, Maria has a special fondness for dogs. Marina Roxie accompanies her on all of her voyages. “Did you know that 70 percent of boaters have dogs on board? I have some great shots of Marine dogs!”

These days, Maria’s upcoming summer schedule includes races, regattas and rendezvous as well as taking photos of working vessels. She looks forward to visiting some of her favourite locations in the Gulf Islands and Desolation Sound.

She is also thinking about the future of Sea Snaps. She carefully built the business over the past three decades and would like to find the right person to take over the day-to-day operations, to give her time for special projects. This person would possess a unique combination of talent and passion:  a skilled sailor with a keen eye to be a photographer afloat. A New SeaSnapper.

“It is definitely easier today than when Frank Beken worked out of Cowes. Photography was cumbersome. He had even built a camera that could withstand the rough seas, but imagine working with those glass plates! Of course, he took the photos while someone steered the boat. Not me. I do everything.” It’s much easier today than when I started.  The only problem is I am getting older.”

When Maria finds someone to take over at Sea Snaps, she hopes they like dogs as much as she does and will take their furry companions along for the adventure.