Thomas Ebelt is a customs officer for the port of Hamburg, patrolling aboard a customs vessel. As a sideline, he works as freelance photographer focusing on maritime subjects, nature, architecture, travel and underwater photography. He has exhibited his work around Europe, has published illustrated books as well as calendars, and regularly contributes to prestigious journals and newspapers. He has a lifelong passion for lighthouses, and has spent 13 years and covered 160,000 km photographing them, inspired by his enthusiasm for architecture and different building periods, and because lighthouses enliven the surrounding landscape. `Whenever I see a lighthouse I think of the sounds of the sea, the salty taste of the air, the light leading the way and the distance from everyday life. They tell stories about bygone times and stand up to the wind and weather. And unlike animals, they don't run off when I photograph them...'