a few of my photo stories
Home Grown
Living in rural Missouri, Bo Jay is the oldest boy and third oldest child in a family of ten children. He forgoes a typical 17-year-old’s existence to tend to the family farm and his seven younger brothers. Bo Jay’s mother, Jean, homeschools him and his younger brothers, and the children help farm the land under the guidance of their father, Jason. With so many people and a farm to manage, the children have developed a knack for helping each other. Bo Jay often shoulders this responsibility.
Through able hands and a kind heart, Bo Jay fulfills his obligations with grace. When asked about Bo Jay’s character, his mother boasts, “Bo Jay just kind of decided one day that when he makes breakfast in the morning, he’ll just make enough pancake batter for the others too.” He is selfless, sensitive, and strong, but he faces a crossroads as he comes of age, pondering his future as well as his sense of duty toward his family.
Glacier Works
Through his non-profit, Glacier Works, David Breashears and his team document the effects of climate change in the Himalaya. David, a mountaineer, filmmaker, photographer, and author, finds some of the earliest photographs of the Himalaya region and uses his mountaineering expertise to visit that exact same spot and capture the three-dimensional wasting of our glaciers, providing some clarity into what glacial recession is telling us about our rapidly changing world. Just because the terrain is tough and rugged doesn’t mean that it isn’t vulnerable. This project chronicles their work as they climb their way to remote view points in an effort to document the role that climate change plays on the depletion on these hard-to-reach yet significant glacial systems.
Cheyanne
Cheyanne is the kennel manager for Jackson Hole Iditarod, one of the premier dog sledding organizations in the United States. The team runs tours and competes internationally when snow is on the ground, but Cheyanne works year-round to maintain the kennel and care for the dogs. Her responsibilities include training, feeding, and watering the 170 dogs, and she navigates this dirty and demanding with grace, strength, and a whole lotta love.
Uterus Transplant
A uterus transplant is a procedure in which a healthy uterus is removed from one person and transplanted into someone who does not have a uterus for any reason (e.g., hysterectomy). Uterus transplants are the newest form of transplant operation, and these photographs follow one of the world’s first successful transplants.
The transplant was performed and monitored at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas, Texas. In one continuous operation, surgeons extract the functional uterus from a living donor, prep the uterus for transplant, and integrate it into the body of a recipient. Beyond the science and personal care that drives the broader process, the actual surgery involves advanced medical robotics, precise fine motor skills, and many pairs of hands working together. The result is a medical miracle — a life-changing gift that allows a woman without a uterus to carry a child.
Jesse
Jesse Higman was in a car accident as a teen that left him quadriplegic. Though physically limited, Jesse’s art is unique, expansive, and inspiring. Jesse has made paintings for Seattle’s iconic 1990s rock bands, and his work is featured in the Smithsonian Museum and the Roll Hall of Fame, among many other impressive outlets. In this project, Jesse creates art using a process he calls illuvium, which he named after the geologic term referring to the deposit of sediment when a river turns into a flood plain, delta, or lake.
What struck me about Jesse’s art is its inherently social nature. Jesse depends on aids, friends, and strangers in his process, from preparing materials to pouring paint over his canvas tables. Each piece of art that Jesse makes is not just a visual pleasure — it is community building.
Jesse also thinks that traditional men’s haircuts are too boring, and I agree.
Cascades
This expedition to Mt. Goode was the most exciting expeditions I have been a part of so far. Guarded by a vast wilderness, Mt. Goode is regarded as not only the tallest but also the most remote peak in the North Cascades. It is the epitome of cascadian ruggedness, sporting its fair share of bushwhacking, river crossings, thick alders, alpine meadows, chossy scrambling, icefalls, glacier travel, and sustained alpine climbing. Over three days we traveled 40 miles with nearly 9,000 ft of total elevation gain - 4,000 of which we were tied into a rope. It was definitely an adventure we had to earn, but worthy of every ache and pain.