In Plain View: An Exploration of the Modern Prairie

In 1995, I wrote a critically acclaimed book titled Harvest of Rage. It was deep dive into the challenges of the rural economy and how that decaying economic state had led to increasing suicides among farm families and also antigovernment sentiment. For nearly 30 years, I have wanted to take my camera back to the Great Plains and document it's current condition from its beautiful landscapes so often overlooked to its challenges of drought, farm auctions, closing schools and hospitals and of course the rise of Christian Nationalism. I am now several months into a year-long project photographing the American Prairie, its small towns, its people and the transformational influences now impacting its current state. I truly love the Great Plains. I have always found its minimalist landscapes to be as inspiring as any from the mountains or the sea. To me, these landscapes are like poetry, able to say more with less than any other. For the purposes of this awards contest, I have chosen to submit only a collection of ten of my landscape photos from the project. I hope you enjoy seeing them as much as I have enjoyed creating them.