I find it difficult to describe this project that is forming. Perhaps because of how new it is. But perhaps my difficulty comes from the breadth of the project. I love long-form journalism and this one is certainly huge. Many months to come.
The behind-the-scenes will of course will appear on this blog as it develops.
A few days ago (Feb 26), I introduced it. This is the first installment of photographs as I spend time in the field. Literally.
Or, as today is concerned, in the air.
Featuring a dozen different farmers and middlemen and support crew takes time.
Today, other than in the air with the crop duster, Ken, I spent time with Chris, the owner/manager/operator/director of a chicken litter company.
How many times have I passed by these fields? How many people pass every day without realizing what really goes on out in the fields with the men and women who feed the country. Put corn in the ground and more corn comes up. Simple as that, right?
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Most of us saw the Dodge commercial that ran during the SuperBowl this year. (If not, here it is.)
Well, for all the sentimentality that ad might conjure, it does have a few truths, primarily: these are impossibly hard working people.
In a land where we now have people getting handicap license plates to go park at a 9-acre WalMart and people who refuse to go to physical therapy because if they get better they will be ineligible for their disability checks, these guys refuse to stop, even after years of chemotherapy and cancer surgeries leave more scars than any farm implement.
So there’s the first solid day of image collection. Stay tuned…
-Noah D.
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PS: Aerial photography never gets old. I’ve flown a few times now to photograph things on the ground, but this was a first: air-to-air photography is tough… and a single lap belt to keep you in the seat doesn’t leave much room for error.
