Whether it’s a dairy farmer, or a vegetable farmer, a cattle rancher or an organic farmer, the work is rugged, the hours long, and there are simply no breaks. You rise or fall on your own steam. It is a passion. And for Dennis, it’s inspiring to be around.
Over the years, photographer director Dennis Welsh spent time with farmers creating personal projects, so it was really satisfying to have creative directors see that work and bring him on last year for a number of projects in California, Texas, Maine, and Canada. His production company, Machine Shop Productions, put together a team of seven and created a tight stills and video campaign for each client.
His personal favorite was a project for the Maine Department of Agriculture. From planting in the spring all the way through to the celebration of the harvest at farmers’ markets in the fall, he was able to capture the sheer diversity of the types of farms and farmers in Maine. From seventh generation potato growers to Somali immigrants farming in the US for the first time, he created a story of community, family, connection and faith. All important ingredients to being a successful farmer. As for Dennis, he walked away from each experience with humility and appreciation, understanding the profound amount of work that goes into growing the food that we consume.
See images from the projects below, and to view more work from Dennis, visit his Workbook portfolio.
