Photographer Greg Von Doersten was asked to create a series of unique captain and crew portraits for the Discovery Channel’s Deadliest Catch to be used for marketing and collateral. He was asked to deliver 30 to 50 hi-resolution 300dpi raw files with a variety of looks from full body in frame to up-close portraits, as well as action, lifestyle, and still life.
The shoot was an action packed four days in Dutch Harbor, AK covering every captain from the series in all types of weather – from rain to sunshine to snow. It was a stripped down production with one assistant and Greg covering the whole shoot on their own. Greg wanted gritty conditions to match the series with rain and snow and ended up having a sunny day where we were forced to shoot inside the wheelhouse and galleys for some different looks. With this being the 20th anniversary of the series, Greg thoroughly researched the locations while working directly with the captains to push their creative vision and enlisting the crew’s help in sourcing a number of locations that hadn’t been covered in previous episodes. A big part of the success of the shoot wouldn’t have been possible without the support of the captains, crew and OP productions. Captain Keith Colburn of the Wizard and Captain Sigg of Northwestern went out their way to capture their personas and show him some unique locations that really helped in setting these photos apart for the project.
See some of of the final images below, and for more of Greg’s work, visit his Workbook portfolio.
