What is Tinyboatsession?

Tinyboatsession is a musician singing a song that's in their heart that they want to play on a tinyboat.

How did Tinyboatsession start?

I was out for a row in Seattle about ten days before the city shut down and saw a man playing his saxophone in a tinyboat as the sun went down. That inspired me to start looking for more songs in tinyboats. Read more about the story here.

How is a Tinyboatsession made?

I have access to my boat at home, and I know the waters well enough to find good locations. On the road, I have to find a boat and a location. Once I have a location, artist, and boat we meet, and I row or paddle with one hand and film on my phone in the other.

How do I find the artists?

I began by reaching out to friends both on and off social media. Now that I have a body of work to show people, I ask artists to recommend other artists. Occasionally I reach out to an artist, and occasionally they reach out to me.

How do I find boats?

I've been rowing and doing boating projects like rowing across the ocean and down the Mississippi. That's led to knowing many people in a lot of places that have access to boats.

How do I find locations?

After 20 years of rowing in the Pacific Northwest, I know many of the waters around here. If I am unfamiliar or traveling, I ask the artist and the people I borrow the boats from for suggestions.

How do I shoot a Tinyboatsession?

I manage the boat with one hand using oars, paddle, or just standing in the water. With my other hand, I hold my iPhone and film as steady as I can. My goal is to capture the artist, boat, environment, and sound as best I can with what I have.

What do I shoot with?

I shoot with an iPhone XR in a Lifeproof case. If I'm shooting several tinyboatsessions, I bring a battery to keep it charged.

Why are you doing Tinyboatsession?

I'm inspired by the image of a musician playing in the back of a tinyboat. It's beautiful to me and I want to share it.

What's your background?

I am a writer and rower. You can read more about my other projects and background at www.jordanhanssen.com.

What were the precautions you took while shooting in the pandemic?

The virtue of a tinyboatsession was that it was outside, and though the boat was tiny, the artist was often six feet or more away for most of the shoot. I wore a mask, and I left it up to the artist to decide if they wanted to sing with or without a mask. When I traveled, I used a combo of testing and quarantining.

***Photo: SolJornPhotography