Chesapeake Island Life: Smith and Tangier Islands

Photographer Jay Fleming has had a lifelong love affair with the Chesapeake Bay and those who live and work here. His 2016 book, Working the Water, is a vivid and poignant visual narrative exploring the Chesapeake’s watermen communities, and Fleming is now putting together his next book on Smith and Tangier Islands.

In Island Life, Fleming explores the rich environment and culture of the last two inhabited off shore islands in the Chesapeake Bay. Historically, Smith and Tangier were inhabited by Native Americans and later, colonists, who were drawn by the two island’s proximity to rich fishing grounds. Both communities experienced a spike in population in the late 1800’s as the Chesapeake’s fishing industries began to boom, but the environmental pressures and declining fisheries of the 20th and 21st centuries have taken a toll.

From the island traditions and fishing techniques to the seasonal rhythms in these tightly knit communities, Fleming captures the tenacity and resilience of Smith and Tangier residents—many of whom can trace their island lineage back six generations—standing strong in the face of an uncertain future.

Learn more at http://www.jayflemingphotography.com/, and follow Jay on Instagram and Facebook