FLYOVER STATES

“Flyover States” is a collection of photographs captured both from the ground and from above in America’s midwest. Part One focuses on Nebraska and South Dakota, inspired by my time living and working in these places over the past two years. These states are commonly dismissed as flat, empty, and uneventful — and their true history, culture, and landscapes go unnoticed. While the region is well known for its agriculture, the ranching culture that defines much of the land is often overlooked. But this land is filled with cattle, winding fence lines, and hardworking ranchers, more visible and numerous here than in many western landscapes. Despite popular belief, much of Nebraska and South Dakota are far from flat. Hills rise and fall as far as the eye can see, creeks and rivers carve through ranch land with trees tracing their paths. Ancient buttes and badlands emerge from the prairie as testaments to time, erosion, and endurance. Many of the towns here are among the least populated in the country, offering rare opportunities to encounter wildlife and witness a truly unspoiled night sky. The beauty of places like these is discovered slowly over time by immersing yourself into the land and the culture. And when you find it, it feels like it was meant just for you. I hope these photographs offer you a new way of seeing these so called “flyover states”. To see that what might first appear as nothing is really a layered and living landscape full of texture, story, and spirit.