David Hills’ Camera Captures The Cape’s Fishing Industry

ORLEANS – David Hills has been accompanying fishermen on trips for 20 years. A commercial and editorial photographer by trade, he had decided to take up a yearly personal project in the name of cleansing his creative palette by doing something completely different from his normal work. 
A trip to Alaska introduced him to the world of commercial fishing, and the pull to capture it led him back to Cape Cod. 
“There’s so much cool stuff that happens offshore, and most people don’t get to see it,” Hills said. “When I got back to the East Coast, I knew about Chatham. I knew there was a lot of fishing going on here, so that was my next stop.” 
At first, fishermen were reluctant to take him out on their boats, fearing he may get seasick or interrupt their work. 
“It’s an all-consuming pursuit, and so public relations doesn't always fit into their daily routine,” he said.
But Hills was able to build trust with them over the years, and eventually, friendships as well.
“Once I did a few trips and did OK, word of mouth led to more trips. And it actually led around the country. People in Chatham knew people in California and people in California knew people in Washington. It just kind of grew,” he said. 
His work reflects that time spent on the water. His photos are large and sprawling. There are seascapes, some dotted with fishing boats, and others an exploration of light, drawing the eye to the point where the sea meets the sky. Many are pictures of the fishermen at work.
As a commercial photographer, Hills focuses on mastering the light in a picture, or controlling the subjects in a photo. The work on display in his gallery reflects a different kind of photography altogether.
“When I get on a boat, I can’t control anything. It’s just like, ‘This is what it is: make something happen.’ So it’s an exercise of a different set of muscles,” Hills said. “I’m looking for things that are uncommon. I’m looking for the light, too.”
The sun and the tide are often working against him, but the challenge and spontaneity of the nautical work are part of what makes it so engaging for him. 
Hills and his family have been coming down to the Cape since 1998, finally settling here permanently seven years ago. Amidst this, his work continued.
“I had a few things on display at Focus Gallery in Chatham, which was lovely,” he said. “But then Focus closed their doors and I didn’t have another place to show my work.”
About a year ago, Hills and his wife bought the gallery, located just off Route 6A in Orleans next to Double Dragon. After some renovations, it became a space for Hills to consolidate all his “fishy photos,” as he calls them, in one place. 
Looking ahead, Hills wants people to know about the scenes he’s documenting just off the Cape’s shores.
“We have something that’s uniquely relevant to the Cape and to what it means to be a part of the seafaring history of Cape Cod,” he said.