The waters of the North Sea are among the roughest in the world. Ingo Gebhard (* 1966 on Wangerooge), a native of the region, captures the force of nature in his landscape photography, for which he has persevered in the salty air, biting and gale-like winds, and drifting dunes―sometimes for hours. Using long exposures, he records the movement of the water, the weather, and the land. The gentle transitions and washed-out contours of his images create the effect of fog but are actually produced by traces of sea currents and passing clouds. This publication combines the artist’s landscapes with his portraits of inhabitants of the northern coast of Germany, including beach attendants, fishermen, surfers, and well-known personalities such as the polar explorers Arved Fuchs and Otto Waalkes. The pores of a cheek are rendered in sharp contrast, appearing like kernels of sand; tousled hair seems to become waves; and a high forehead turns into a smooth-washed stone. The sea is written of the faces of its people. Exhibition: Hafenmuseum Speicher XI, Bremen 7.9.–2.11.2014