A Midwest Slow Dance

Upon setting out for this project, I really intended on it focusing more on showcasing small towns and their features and similarities. While some of that is present, I really found myself enamored by the more run-down places and objects on the backroads of the Midwest, especially when juxtaposed against locations well kept. During the process of photographing these places, I began to construct a narrative. For instance, much like how many of us have grown up and left our small towns, these abandoned places, objects, and machinery have been left behind by whomever left them there. This project is grouped into four sets of ten images: a nine-image grid, and a larger “definer” image meant to compliment the grouping while tying into the general theme of both the project, and the grid itself.

            I created this project, which I have titled A Midwest Slow Dance, entirely on medium format color film in the 6 x 9 aspect ratio and used 15 rolls of film. I developed all of my own film by hand in my kitchen, and scanned and edited each photograph digitally.

This project was created out of curiosity for the less seen, and the nostalgic feelings I have for small towns, including the one that I grew up in. While driving the rural backroads, I began to develop more of an appreciation for these types of places but also a sort of sympathy toward them as well.