Photographer Dennis Welsh always thought photographing individuals who mine coal for a living would make for an an interesting portrait series. But when he explained to the various communities he contacted that he was not interested in passing judgement on the industry, but only in telling the stories of those who work it, the answer was mostly “no, not interested.” But he eventually found an opening in West Virginia: there was a guy who knew a guy he should talk to. And so he loaded up his van and off he went.
What he found was a group a miners from all over West Virginia who came together to tell their stories of a shared experience: years underground and a lot of close calls. In the process of creating this series, the trust developed between the photographer and these men is the foundation for these beautifully honest portraits.