Not every viral video was shot with the hope it would explode on the internet. For Dave Miller, his spell as a Buffalo Facebook celebrity came as a shock, and the glow of the social media spotlight was a little uncomfortable for the unassuming merchant mariner.
On Dec. 4, the captain of the MV Calumet, a cargo freighter based in Cleveland, shot a time-lapse, point-of-view video to document his arrival to the Buffalo harbor, his destination for the 17,000 tons of sand he carried across Lake Erie to deposit at the sand wharf, near the Ohio Street bridge.Â
The roughly 2-minute clip exposed the beauty of Buffalo’s skyline at night, the majesty of the U.S.S. Little Rock anchored at the Naval Park and the colorful light show bouncing off the Connecting Terminal grain elevators, all from the perspective of a ship captain making a routine trip through the city's ship canal.
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While he's taken similar footage in the past to share with family and friends, Miller's video had a public purpose for the first time: he knew it was a rare vantage point for others dedicated to snapping photos from shore or peeking up from a kayak or smaller boat.
And even though he said he's not a "tech person," his documentation of his arrival showed appreciation for – and contributed to – the efforts of the Buffalo Area Transportation, Industry, Architecture and Defense Facebook group, founded by Brian R. Wroblewski in 2015, that now exceeds 3,200 members and features new content daily.Â
"[These] people put in time to take pictures of ships; they're wonderful pictures," Miller said. "If they could see things from my perspective, they might enjoy that. Lots of people ask me questions about [the view] but never actually get to see what it's like."
There was even a little drama, too. Miller's anticipated arrival to Buffalo was Dec. 3, but strong winds – from the southwest at a rate of 30-40 knots, creating 8- to 10-foot waves – delayed his arrival by 24 hours.
"Everyone [in the group] was waiting around, the excitement built up for when he finally came in, and then the video hit – it was a perfect storm," said Robert Wolcott, a photographer and active member of the Facebook group.
What Miller didn't expect, however, was the eventual payoff.
On Facebook, Miller's video accrued more than 146,000 impressions, nearly 600 likes and roughly 1,350 shares, advancing well beyond the self-described local "boat nerds" of the Facebook group, to the 17,000-member Buffalo, a Toast to the Town group, to general fans of Buffalo's waterfront and people who just thought it was a cool view.
[Read more: Sean Kirst introduces the Toast of the Town group]
Miller said he was surprised not only that the video took off, but some people even set the video to music.
A visit to Buffalo is usually an exciting homecoming trip for Miller, who’s been at the helm of the MV Calumet for the last six years and has captained ships for the last 15. During a pandemic year, however, the best Miller could do was wave to his family, watching from the shore, as the ship careened along the Buffalo River.
He stayed for only five hours before embarking on his next assignment, but the social media touch to his routine arrival was a high point for marine fans.
As the title suggests, the transportation Facebook group welcomes discussion and visual content on a wide range of subjects, appreciating both historic photos of abandoned railroad cars to up-to-the-minute captures of a ship's arrival, valuing the context and perspectives that result. It's a compelling blend of artistic and informative content that flows from a group that's far from homogenous.
"We have them all: old, young, male, female, all different races, and even disadvantaged people with disabilities that like this stuff as a good, clean hobby," Wroblewski said.
Wroblewski's professional background in shipping vessels and trains laid the foundation for the Facebook group. In 1995, Wroblewski began reporting on shipping for the Buffalo Harbor Museum (then the Lower Lakes Marine Historical Society). In 2008, he transitioned to the role of locomotive engineer for Buffalo Southern, allowing him to cultivate his local knowledge of both.
Even with his career focus shifting away from the water, he didn't lose his love for chronicling ship arrivals and departures, keeping his BoatNerd.com site current through 2014 before embarking on a new social media approach. Steeped in photos and experience in both fields, Wroblewski sought a forum to share his passions with others.
He said he believes the popular understanding of shipping in Buffalo is that it's more relic than gem – which to some degree is true, but not to the extent many assume.
"They all think that ships don't come here anymore and that industry and railroads are all a thing of the past, but there's real history being made right now, every day," he said.
"A lot of people don't realize ships come into Buffalo – roughly 75 to 100 each year," Miller estimated. "But it's not like it used to be."
Led by Wroblewski, a small gaggle of photographers still chronicles each ship's arrival into port. A move into drone photography and videography has enriched the content, too, with Wolcott producing high-quality content; here's his drone video of Miller's sand unloading.
For Captain Miller, his video was a chance to enhance the experience of a growing Facebook group and to showcase the beauty of his hometown, not to become a social media superstar.
"I got a text from a guy on another boat, who grew up in Orchard Park, who said, 'Hey, you've gone viral!' I said, 'Yeah, OK.' If my son made a viral video, he'd be really happy," Miller said.
"I love Buffalo – if I can show it in a good light, I'm happy."
