by Stefan Lonce – photos by James Katsipis
Local well-known photographer and Montauk native, James Katsipis, owner of James Katsipis Photography, graced us with our cover photo this month of the now former Lazy Point Stilt House in Amagansett’s Gardiner’s Bay. This shot was taken during the Aurora Borealis a mere two weeks before its final collapse and it was its final wave goodbye before her final rest after 70 years.
James has supplied us with many cover photos in the past, but this one has been seen by a much larger audience then ever before. James was interviewed on FOX Weather about the demise of the house which featured our cover photo. Check out the video at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tX1iG2E-dvA.
James was a local kid with an interest in photography who stuck with it and became good at what he does, gaining him notoriety in the photography world. Now with his own business and gallery (https://jameskatsipis.com/) his notoriety is spreading even further. James’ fine art photography and commissionable artwork are now featured in art galleries, books, media campaigns, and magazines around the world.
Thanks to James, we have forever images of the Lazy Point Stilt House which was considered an inevitable loss due to coastal erosion. 
The Stilt House stood for seven decades, until the weekend of February 1st, when the structure was destroyed due to extreme cold and ice heaves that cracked the supporting pilings sending the structure falling into the frozen Gardiner’s Bay.
Originally standing 100 feet from the water, since around 2004, due to beach erosion, the house has been surrounded by water, ending up 30 feet from the shore at the time of its collapse. Following its collapse, the Town of East Hampton initiated emergency plans to remove the debris from the bay. As James said on his FOX Weather interview, “The ocean’s going to win. No matter what, the ocean’s going to win.”