Erin Fine

Portfolio 2019-20: Rural Exploration

For my portfolio's inquiry question, I dug deep into a side of my family often overlooked by both me and my urban-based contemporaries: those in rural Minnesota. I asked if there was truly some insurmountable difference in our lives and values purely because of our different lifestyles.

Artist's Statement

The most significant hurdle I had to overcome for my portfolio this year was the simple act of communication. Even when I was trying to show the humanity of rural life, I still struggled with breaking that city/country boundary. Despite many of the subjects in my photos being family members based in rural parts of Minnesota, I still did not know them well. I often employed my mother, who grew up in that area, as an interpreter, and it became easier to speak with my extended family.

Most of my photos come from three trips up north: in November, January, and February. On the first, I met with my uncle and explored his combined dry cleaners, car wash, CBD dispensary, mechanic's shop, and apartment. Many in rural areas run their businesses right out of their homes, which makes the area seem much more neighborly. While my uncle grew up as a dairy farmer with my mother, most of my family has had to move on to other businesses to make enough money to live off of.

On the second trip, I met with the boss at my mother's barn job. She owns two donkeys, and we met with her where she boards them. The entire time was spent watching her care for the animals: corralling them around their pen, feeding them, and cleaning them. My mother's boss is a German immigrant, showing just the broad range of people that land in wilder areas of Minnesota.

On the third trip, I spent the first night with my mother's young cousins, who have a toddler-age son and had just had a baby girl. They conducted the evening's chores for me, even toting two excited children behind them. They stood steadily on the iced-over roads and took care of a mob of bulls with resoluteness. On the second day, I met with more of my mother's cousins and watched them at work in tractors early in the morning.

This exercise was important in exploring several aspects of photojournalism. For one, I had the opportunity to capture live subjects I did not know well, even if the environment itself was slightly simulated. However, and more importantly, I had to learn to communicate with my subjects. As much as an aspiring photojournalist wants to be invisible, it is vital to me that I have explicit consent from my subjects. Although it is not always possible, most times a photographer can stop a stranger, explain what they're doing, and ask for permission. I have heard many stories from photographers that were denied a photo, but after sitting and making small talk with the subject, finally allowed a shot. Learning this skill of talking with strangers about capturing them in a personal position is a necessary skill for photographers, and one that my portfolio prepared me for.