I don’t get as many likes when I post farm photos. That could be because this is Instagram and people like photos with sunflares and swaddled babies and that’s simply not what this farm project is about. It was raining the day I went to a local farm and my kids ran through barns and jumped on hay bales and chased chickens and held two-day old pigs? Would I have preferred a bright, sunny day with pretty light? From a photographer standpoint, probably. But there we were on a cloudy, cold day and it was real life. It wasn’t a set up shoot to make everything pretty and glowing and shining like a fantasy because living on a family farm is about as real as you can get. Sure, there are good days, great days even, but there is also real, gritty life - rain, cold, mud, snowflakes flying at your face while you work. Because there is never a day off for a farmer. There is work to be done all day, sometimes all night, every day. Yes, there is time to pause, look out and admire the way the sun hits the grass in the field. There may be time to sit down for a picnic with the kids on a warm, summer afternoon but then it is back to taking care of the animals and the tractors and the equipment and everything that keeps you living a life you love despite the sweat, tears and yes, the blood.
Instagram, when you get down to it, is about ego. It’s about wondering who or how many will like your post. It’s about wanting to be seen, to be liked, to be appreciated. Sure, none of us want to admit we like the validation of someone liking our work but if we didn’t we wouldn’t be on social media. More and more; though, I care less and less about numbers. I’ve decided shooting for what makes me think or smile or feel is more important than the hearts lit up. A meaningful comment has become more important than the virtual pat on the back or 20 virtual pats on the back. For all I know someone’s 3-year old clicked the heart on my photo but when someone comments and tells you how a photo makes them feel, then you know your photo meant something to someone, at least. #shamoftheperfect #deeplyauthentic #jj_its_kids #lookslikefilmkids #alamy #dairyfarming #sayrepaphotographer #farmphotos
