DEAN BURKE

The fascinating intersection of our lives and the sea….a salve to the human experience.

I’ve been shooting the waters of the Salish Sea, and especially my local home waters (aka: “Puget Sound”) in and around Tacoma for the last decade. I paddle and swim, capturing what I see along the way. My favorite themes are cold-water swim (no wet suits) and abstract water and light. And of course, when I can get to the coast, surf photography is a delight.

These images tell more than just an artistic view. They also capture the results and possibilities of environmental stewardship. What may not be obvious here is that these waters were home to 8 EPA Superfund cleanup sites. For decades, the idea of swimming or paddling around here was not such a good idea. But today, thanks to a lot of hard work, an ecosystem that was almost entirely destroyed is making a come back. It still takes a tremendous amount of care and effort to maintain and restore. But change is possible.

Today, the human experience in these waters is reflecting that change. We are slowly becoming more connected - to the sea, and to one another - in ways we might not have seen in ourselves before.

These are the stories and images as seen through my lens.

I hope you enjoy them.

~Dean