A Harvest of Joy: Interview with the Shrimp Whisperer

By Leah Moss, Communications and Outreach Director, AFPC

Al Laudert is a Valdez resident, an Alaskan shrimp sports fisherman, a father, a husband, and internationally known as the Shrimp Whisperer. For nearly 20 years he has been delighting Alaskans young and old with his posed images of Alaskan shrimp. There is no Photoshop involved, each scene is constructed lovingly by hand and the results are absurd and wonderful.

I sat down for a phone chat with him as he prepared to drive back to Valdez on this year’s National Shrimp Day to better understand how he developed his art and what Alaskan shrimp means to him.

“I am very passionate about my shrimp. The first time I pulled pots with a friend in Valdez 30 years ago and was introduced to the process, I was just blown away! I had no idea how special they are, and how much character they have. When I saw their eyes glowing orange when they came to the surface, I couldn't believe it.”

His connection to shrimp at that moment was just the beginning. For years he caught them to feed his family, friends, and community but he held an untapped yearning for something more to come out of his relationship with shrimp.

“I came home from the harbor one day with a bucket of shrimp to see the neighbor kid playing with Godzilla in the driveway and the light went on! I asked to borrow it for a couple of hours, took him to the waterfront and the rest is history! I couldn't tell you now if they physically called out to me or if it was telepathic, but we communicated. ”

Al’s shrimp images create adventures from horseback rides and fishing trips, to birthday parties, rock shows, and more. Each image is a playful vignette that makes it evident the photographer has a true love of their subject.

“I guess I live vicariously through them. I just envision them wanting to do these things because I know I would if I were a shrimp. These guys you can see they have eyes and souls. When I do my photography, I always focus on the eyes. Because just like with people, the eyes tell us so much that it's what really gives them life and character. And as long as people see them, they can keep thinking about him.”

And Al indeed does have people thinking about them, from bright-eyed children at Alaskan fairs to international fishing organizations.

“We'll be doing our 10th calendar this year. I think last year we sold 2500. I was tracking the orders and the people that I had sold the calendar to last year and it ended up in 35 states and 11 countries that I can verify. So it has gotten out there and gotten some really interesting input and feedback from some groups over time.”

Bike Shrimp Card by the Shrimp Whisperer

Al’s passion has also helped amplify Alaska’s commercial fishing to the rest of the world. Greg Smith, Communications Director of the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute notes, “At the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute, we appreciate the creative ways Alaskans, our industry partners, and all Alaska seafood proponents bring positive attention to Alaska seafood species and the state’s seafood industry. Al’s depictions of shrimp engage viewers, by emphasizing the importance of sustainable fishing practices and showcasing Alaska's pristine marine ecosystems, two key messages that our research shows resonate with consumers.”

Sharing his love of shrimp and sharing his harvest is fundamental to who Al is now.

Shrimp Birthday Party by the Shrimp Whisperer

“I share shrimp with everybody. One of my favorite things to do is to take somebody out on the boat that's never done it before and go through the process of pulling the pots and preparing them, snapping their heads, getting them ready for cooking and I always send them home with shrimp and with stories. You know I've got a special relationship with those shrimp. If I see some people that I haven't seen in a while I say to myself: ‘If I get some extra assurance today I'm gonna wrap up three pounds for this family.’ And almost every time I bring the pots up I have three extra pounds. That happened more times than I can count where I went out with intentions of sharing an amount and getting that and many more. It’s very karmic.”

Obviously, not all the shrimp make it to the photoshoot but instead make it to his dinner plate because in Al’s words “Alaska shrimp are the tastiest shrimp in the world. Spotted prawns and humpbacks are just fabulous. They are cold water shrimp and you don't even have to devein them.”

He loves cooking up the freshest Alaskan shrimp he can.

“I do a real mean shrimp etouffee and gumbo. But to be perfectly honest with you my favorite way is just boiling for three minutes then rush cold water on them to stop them from cooking any further and just do ‘peel and eats’ with a little cocktail sauce and lemon juice.”

While being a shrimp artist is a niche market, his impact is wide-reaching. With each card and calendar he sells more people around the world and right here at home are touched by his love of this incredible Alaskan resource. And as I sit and look through the immense collection of images he has produced over the years I am reminded that our work for food security also needs to incorporate the joy harvesting our food can bring. Especially in Alaska, it connects us to the lands and waters we call home. It feeds more than our bodies, it feeds our hope for generations and Al’s creative mind shows us that it can also feed our sense of imagination and, in turn, our wonder.

Magical Unicorn Shrimp by the Shrimp Whisperer

With a stockpile of thousands of photos yet to make it to production and many more ideas yet created, we can look forward to years of the Shrimp Whisperer.

“It's been such a long and fun journey that even when the journey ends, I can still just smile, and close my eyes and have more memories than most people have ever imagined.”

I am grateful for the vision to bring Alaskan shrimp to the world playfully and joyously. Thank you Shrimp Whisperer, and a happy National Shrimp Day to you all!