Some people identify their passions early in life. For others, it’s simply a matter of being in the right place at the right time.
For photographer Scott Bjorklund, his passion for maritime photography developed after landing a job at Duluth’s Lake Superior Maritime Visitor Center … often simply called the “Maritime Museum.” With its amazing location – perched directly adjacent to Duluth’s shipping canal – Bjorklund was instantly transfixed.
“There are a lot of people here in town who have always been ‘boat nerds,’ but I wasn’t really into it before starting this job,” he said. “There’s just so much to see while I’m at work.”
Bjorklund wisely takes advantage of this amazing “front row seat” to capture compelling images of ships and other maritime activity. He operates under the well-suited moniker, Scott’s Canal Captures, or SCC.
Early Years
Bjorklund was born and raised in South St. Paul, Minnesota. His father, Arlen, was a chemistry teacher until his recent retirement. His mother, Patty, was a music director and teacher. Interestingly, she recently pivoted her career to become a Lutheran pastor. Bjorklund has one older brother, Dan.
In his youth, Scott loved creating art. But, rather than photography, he was initially focused on painting and drawing with colored pencils. He also enjoyed many years in the Boy Scouts, working his way up to Eagle Scout designation.
As a teen, he began taking photos of some of the older building in South St. Paul. He alternated between the camera of his “budget Samsung,” and the bare-bones digital camera his family owned.
Through this early foray into photography, Bjorklund developed a passion for history that continues to this day.
Education
Bjorklund had initially thought he’d become a mechanical engineer. “I thought this would be a good choice for practicality reasons. I had also taken advanced math and science classes in high school,” he said.
And, when deciding where to attend college, he immediately thought of Duluth. “We always loved visiting Duluth as a family,” he noted.
“We’d see the Lake Superior Railroad Museum, Split Rock, and the Maritime Museum where I now work.” So, he enrolled at the University of Minnesota-Duluth.
After one semester, though, he knew engineering wasn’t the right choice for him. So, he pivoted to his second love: history. He graduated with a degree in history, including a certificate in museum studies.
A gentle nudge from his college advisor changed his life forever. “My advisor used to work as an archeologist for the Forest Service. He told me about a paid internship at the Maritime Museum – a really good, federal job. Not a lot of people applied, and I got it. I completed the internship in 2017.”
After completing that internship, he took a second one – at a military museum in Ireland. After that, he returned to Duluth. He was hired full-time at the Maritime Museum in 2020.
Career
Interestingly, Bjorklund’s title is technically Park Ranger, and he reports to the Army Corps of Engineers. He explained a bit about his job.
“I’m posted at the desk inside the museum, on the 2nd floor. I answer questions, keep track of the shipping schedule, educate the public, and patrol the property for safety.
“We are very conscious of water safety, and make sure people know it’s unsafe to jump in the water there. And, we make sure visitors don’t feed the wildlife, like seagulls.”
While open year-round, summer is the busiest time of year for the museum. “We are one of the most visited attractions in the state,” Bjorklund said. “And, we offer free admission. Some years, we see 500,000 people in the building and over a million visitors out in the park. We’re kind of a hidden gem in the area.”
Photography
With a natural love of history, Bjorklund was drawn to some of the “classic lakers” he sees daily during his shifts. So, he began taking photos.
“I like the history of all the ships, and prefer the historic ones, like the steam vessels SS Alpena, Arthur M. Anderson, and the Lee Tregurtha, which isn’t a steam vessel, but is an older ship.
“What we have going on in the Great Lakes is so interesting,” he added. “Some of these ships are 80 years old and more. This is unheard of in saltwater, where the ocean vessels are typically only 20-30 years old.”
Bjorklund captures many of his shots during breaks at work. Here, he has access to some super privileged spaces. This includes the rooftop of the office building behind the museum, directly overlooking Lake Superior.
He can also use the “green space” adjacent to the Aerial Lift Bridge, which is owned by his employer, the Army Corps of Engineers. (This public space is also the namesake for Duluth’s Canal Park). He typically launches his drone by Pier B, which he uses to capture the ships loading and unloading.
Bjorklund enjoys maintaining a spreadsheet, to track all the ships he has photographed. “From March 2024 to January 2025, I shot 350 different ships,” he noted.
Equipment
Back in 2018, Bjorklund bought his first digital camera, the Sony Rx100. In 2020, he upgraded to a Sony Alpha a6400 Mirrorless. “This was a college graduation gift to myself,” he noted with a chuckle.
For lenses, Bjorklund uses a few: the Sony 18-35mm lens that came with his camera, the Sony FE 50mm standard fixed lens (which is good for night photography), and a Sony Alpha 70-350mm telephoto lens.
He regularly uses a tripod, the K&F Concept. And, he also has a drone.
After losing his DJI Spark “somewhere in the Michigan wilderness, after it lost battery life and crashed,” he upgraded to the DJI Mini 3. Just this year, he leveraged a great “Black Friday” deal, and acquired a DJI Air 3, which is bigger, has a longer battery life, and also has a telephoto lens. He recently became certified through the FAA to become a commercial drone pilot.
When upgrading his equipment over the years, Bjorklund gives credit to several of his fellow Destination Duluth photographer friends, including David Schauer, Adam Bjornberg, Jeff Doty, and Glenn Blaskiewicz. All four were very generous with their knowledge as Bjorklund asked questions as a new photographer. He also derives inspiration from their work. Beyond these helpful friends, Bjorklund is mostly self-taught.
Other important tools in his toolbox include several apps. SunCalc helps him with awareness of the sun’s location. Space Weather helps him chase the Northern Lights. Marine Traffic helps with shipping activity, and Broadcastify is another great app to learn about ships on the move. For editing, Bjorklund uses Adobe Lightroom.
Northern lights glowing above Duluths aerial bridge last Ocotober during solar maximum Photo by Scott Bjorklund
Regarding time of day and favorite seasons, he said, “I like fall and winter. I also like shooting during the ‘golden hour’ and occasionally at sunrise.
“But,” he added with a laugh, “I’m not much of a morning person, so I don’t usually go out too early.”
Gigs + Extracurriculars
Despite being relatively new to photography, Bjorklund already has quite an impressive resume. He’s been hired by a variety of local musical acts, to capture photos for their albums and other promotional materials.
He has taught classes on Great Lakes shipping through Duluth’s Community Education program. (Which have impressively all been sold out). He has been a guest lecturer at UMD, on the topic of Great Lakes shipping.
He received a scholarship to complete a “winter photoshoot” for the Nevada Northern Railroad Museum, in 2023. He creates and sells an annual photographic calendar, which he sells on Instagram, Facebook, and Etsy.
Bjorklund became an active contributing photographer for Destination Duluth in late 2022. Since then, he’s been featured on the DD platforms 57 times. In 2023, his photos and videos had 970,000 views. In 2024, a video of the James R Barker’s “Bark” went viral with 1.3 million views. Bjorklund was one of six photographers with over 2 million views of his work in 2024.
Bjorklund also serves on several local boards, including the Lake Superior Writers Association, Marine Historical Society of Detroit, and the board for Boatnerd.com.
Personal
Bjorklund lives in Duluth’s Observation Hill neighborhood. He enjoys staying active, and is both a runner and a soccer player.
He is a member of the Duluth Recreational Soccer League. He has run several half-marathons, and has completed Grandma’s (full) Marathon, too. He loves spending time with friends; many of whom are fellow photographers and maritime officers.
He is also considering returning to college someday, and earning a bachelor’s degree in transportation and logistics, or perhaps a master’s degree in maritime history or another historical topic.
Advice
Bjorklund would advise fellow budding photographers to simply reach out and make connections. “Strike up conversations with other people who are actively doing it,” he noted. “Find other photographers and ask questions. A lot of them are very nice, chatty people.
“Beyond that, I would say simply experiment and try things. Find your own style.”
Scott Bjorklund captures the very non-Duluth White Sands National Park in New Mexico. Photo submitted
Follow
To view or purchase Bjorklund’s work, check out Scott’s Canal Captures on Facebook, Instagram, and Etsy.
