You Can Never Leave

Shot on 35mm color negative film. 2025-2026

View of the ocean from a balcony with reflective glass walls and a safety railing, under a partly cloudy sky.

A scene of an empty swimming pool with a surrounding deck, and a large mural on the wall depicting the ocean and sky.

Large indoor area with curved seating and white railings, featuring a big digital screen displaying a woman speaking with an architectural background and a QR code, during daytime with natural light.

Close-up of a pink and red water slide on a Ferris wheel, with the cloudy sky in the background.

A singer in a red glittery dress performing on stage with a microphone in hand, surrounded by dim lighting, curtains, and reflective vertical decor.

A futuristic indoor space with a walkway illuminated by blue and warm lighting, featuring sleek modern architecture, glass windows, and minimal furnishings.

A section of the exterior of a cruise ship with a boarding ramp and safety netting.

Empty restaurant dining area with round tables covered in white tablecloths, set with utensils and small glass centerpieces, surrounded by red chairs, and a waitress pushing a cart.

View from inside a high-rise building, showing an atrium with a large pool of water at the top floor, surrounded by balconies and doorways on each side, and a person walking on the lower level.

Interior of a modern airport terminal with tall palm trees and lush greenery, seating area with orange patterned cushions, and a person in a red hat walking past. The structure features glass walls and white support columns.

A woman relaxing in a small pool on a cruise ship deck, with ocean water in the background and surrounding lounge chairs and umbrellas.

View from a cruise ship balcony showing the ocean, a cruise ship in the distance, and part of the ship's balcony and seating area at dusk.

At a moment when experiences everywhere are being increasingly commodified, this series examines cruise ships as closed systems that make the world beyond them unnecessary. I photographed six cruises over 14 months, coming to see them less as travel and leisure, and more as sealed environments.

At sea, you can’t leave. But the point is that you don’t need to. The ocean is always there, yet often only as backdrop: reflected in windows, projected on screens, or simulated altogether. Between identical itineraries, each room is reset and prepared to repeat the experience. Every menu is thoroughly curated and every day precisely scheduled, for your maximum relaxation. What the ship is really selling is the relief of not having to decide: where to eat, what shows to watch, and who’s paying.