Joel Anderson

Booth #: GS8C

Artist bio: Growing up on an old Pennsylvania farm, I developed a deep love of animals and history. I moved to California after getting a degree in aerospace engineering. Unfortunately, that’s also when I discovered I’d rather be a photographer than a rocket scientist. I spent the next 6 years photographing on the side before resigning to become a full-time photographer, living and photographing in California’s Eastern Sierra for 4 years. Later I moved to a rural Pennsylvania farm where I live with my family and rescued animals.

My photography is about telling the story of a place. Most of my images are taken from documentary projects I'm working on, including farm animals in sanctuaries, Home/Land, the changing landscape of my rural hometown, former slave dwellings across the US, threatened old-growth forests, and Hard Coal, a study of bootleg anthracite miners. The slow method of film and darkroom suits the style of storytelling I favor.

My award-winning photographs have been exhibited at the Center for Fine Art Photography in Colorado, the Royal Photographic Society in England, selected galleries, and at juried art shows around the country.