DECEMBER 2004 – The container ship Maersk Naples at the HDW wharf in Kiel, Germany. © Mark Zanzig/zanzig.com
The story behind the image
We had travelled from Munich to Kiel to visit my mother. When we had booked the flights we did not know we’d visit her in the hospital. She had developed an aggressive cancer in autumn and had refused the recommended traditional treatments (surgery, radiation treatment, and chemotherapy). So, I sensed that it would be the last time that I’d meet her but would not allow that thought to sink in. I am generally a positive person and tried to spread optimism during our visit in the hospital.
Anyway, during our stay Petra and I also took a long walk along the promenade – my mother was too weak – and from the Schlossgarten I took this photo. The Maersk Naples was brand new back then, and it looked fabulous as it gleamed in the afternoon sunlight. (Here’s another image showing this ship, with far more details.)
Today, almost two decades later, I wonder whether there was an unconscious meaning to this image? A large container ship being prepared for a long trip from her hometown in Kiel? I don’t know.
A few days after our trip I received the inevitable message that my mother had died peacefully.
I miss her.
The high resolution image
| Capture Date | 18-DEC-2004, 14:13 |
| Location | Kiel, Germany |
| Camera | Sony DSC-P72 |
| ISO | 100 |
| Exposure | 1/160 sec at f/10 |
| Digital Image Source Format | JPEG, 24 bits/pixel, sRGB |
| Edited Image Format | JPEG, 24 bits/pixel, sRGB |
| Edited Image Dimensions | 2032 x 1339 Pixels |
| Copyright | © by Mark Zanzig/zanzig.com |
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