Alex Burke

Artist Bio: Living on the edge of the prairie, the open expanse of land and sky that make up the Great Plains has captivated me and influenced my photography throughout my entire journey into the medium. In recent years it’s been the changes to this landscape that get to me the most, especially from a viewpoint in Colorado where population growth often leaves the small towns of middle America forgotten in the dust of modern society.

This project was sparked by rapid changes. On countless trips down old familiar county roads, I’ve seen homesteads, grain elevators, and many cherished sights fall victim to the times, getting torn down to make way for the new. I never know when something that’s been around for a century will one day disappear forever, which creates a rush to capture it all. The resulting images are a documentary blend of man-made and natural elements that remind us of life in past times.

To create these images I’ve stuck with traditional large format 4x5” film and a view camera, allowing for unique perspective control while photographing structures. Nearly all of these images were captured on just one film type, Kodak Portra, which has a special color palette known for subtleties. For the majority of scenes, I scout them out many times, returning over and over until the light and color of the sunrise make for the perfect image.