Crossings: On the ferries of Puget Sound - Softcover

Michael Diehl

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0981881513 ISBN 13: 9780981881515

Publisher: Island Earth Publications, 2008

Synopsis

   Crossings portrays the vibrant experience of traveling on the ferries of Puget Sound. The book weaves together factual information, images, and insights gathered during more than two years, presented in 304 pages with more than 375 original photographs.

   The ferry system on Puget Sound provides both a commuter transit service and an adventurous outing. A voyage across the Sound can offer spectacular views of the Seattle skyline to the east, wooded shorelines to the west, and an ever-changing interplay of light and color created by the skies and water. Around the Sound tower the Olympics Range, the rugged Cascades, and Mount Rainier.

    Crossings enhances the experience of a transit across the Sound both for area residents who ride the ferries frequently and for visitors who wish to remember their own voyage.

   The book presents images and layouts in a 1:3 landscape format (7 inches tall by 21 inches wide when open) on heavy, coated, acid-free paper. The softbound edition has sewn signatures and a laminate-overlayed cover.

   Photo essays within the book focus on different aspects of the experience -- the mountains; the fluid forms of clouds and water; how the weather influences the light; the functioning of the transit system; the cycles of a day and of the seasons. Supplementing and supporting the photos, sections of the book are devoted to facts about local geology, the Sound, the lands surrounding the water, and the ferry system.

About this title

About the Author:

   Michael Diehl combined facts and images gathered during hundreds of ferry voyages to portray what passengers may see and experience on a crossing. Focusing on one cross-Sound route, the author uses it as a launching point for a sweeping visual and verbal story about natural and human factors that shape the region and what may be observed or learned during a voyage on the Sound. The author earned a master's degree in photojournalism and brought to this book the experience of having designed and produced many complete publications as a photographer, writer and layout artist.

Review:

"... informatively poetic narration ... -- A signature Seattle experience for visitors and a lifeline for everyday commuters, the Washington State Ferries system is one of the largest in the world.  And while the boats are made of steel, the system, as a whole, is somewhat of a living, breathing organism.
"That organism is ... documented and reflected upon through stunning photography ... -- ... it's more than simply a collection of pretty pictures, it's a comprehensive, full-color story... It examines ferries as icons and images, as a way of life and as this amazing, visceral experience ... readily available to anyone ..." --The Port Orchard Independent

"A handsome photo-essay on ferry travel around the Sound. -- ... a good eye for both the bright and brooding light of our maritime environs." --The Seattle Times

"a unique combination ... breathtaking photos of views of the Sound, ferries, mountains and waterfront taken from the ferries, and a description of the boats and their operation, facts about the Sound, weather patterns, and reflections on the commute. ... a photography, keepsake, and reference book of great appeal to locals and visitors alike." -- kitsap-literary-scene.com

   "... stories, history, and musings along with striking color images .... The effect is dynamic -- no static, merely pretty pictures -- ... holistic and cohesive, ... a story whose whole is larger than its parts." -- The Bainbridge Island Review

About this edition

• Publisher: Island Earth Publications
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 0981881513
• ISBN 13: 9780981881515
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 304
• Illustrator: Michael Diehl (photography)