My First Camera & Fascination for Shipping

A good photographic print has always captivated me, a thread that pulls me toward history and my blog’s industrial musings. At my grandparents’ countryside home, each visit sparks an urge to wander—room to room, tracing their photo collection like a map of memory. From the drawing room overlooking the garden pond to the breakfast room, dining room, and living room, the journey feels endless. A few images, though, stand out, shaping how I see the world.

My photo walks start in the drawing room, where grandchildren’s drawings line the walls. Hidden behind the door is a large aerial photograph of the farmlands, snapped when I was eight. A pilot knocked on our door, pitching his aerial photography, and a month later, my grandfather handed me a small box. Inside was my first camera—a black plastic film model. That afternoon, he showed me how to frame shots and adjust light, a lesson that hooked me on capturing landscapes. I spent summers photographing such subjects, a habit that now makes me walk around snapping photos of interesting industrial sites and harbor layouts.

Years later, my grandfather brought another gem from his archives: a black-and-white photo of three men aboard a warship. He pointed out King Haakon VII of Norway, explaining it captured the Norwegian Government’s evacuation from Tromsø on June 7, 1940, by the British HMS Devonshire. Taken by his uncle Harold, a crew member, this rare image has little public record. The HMS Devonshire later returned Crown Prince Olav V to Oslo on May 13, 1945, and escorted King Haakon VII back on June 7, 1945, marking Norway’s liberation.

Intrigued, we sent the photo to The Royal Court of Norway in 2008. Months later, Cabinet Secretary Berit Tversland replied, her letter carrying the King’s thanks: “H.M. The King has asked me to thank you for the photograph taken on board H.M.S. Devonshire which you have been kind enough to send His Majesty.” It’s funny looking back—that photo, with its wartime maritime story, planted a seed that’s sparked my fascination with ship technology, a curiosity I’ve since explored in my notes on commercialising multi-fuel ships, and carbon transport & storage infrastructure.

In hindsight, these photo journeys have fueled my fascination with industry. That first camera opened my eyes to landscapes, now drawing me toward the machinery of carbon transport sites and harbor designs, while the royal photo sparks wonder about the evolution from wartime vessels to multi-fuel ships. These mementos aren’t just family relics; they’re windows into the history of innovation that keeps me exploring the industrial world.