From societal upheaval to sporting moments of glory, there are many types of events and subjects that can make iconic, stirring images. But perhaps the most powerful, emotionally evocative photos are those created a little closer to home—of our family and friends, and the funny, wild, scary, sad, and happy times we share with them.
In her new monograph, Holy Cow!, US-based photographer Melonie Bennett captures this “emotional rollercoaster,” depicting the “rituals, traditions, dramas, laughter, and drunken exploits” of life as a member of a Maine dairy farming family.
Taken over a period of 20 years, from 1990–2011, the nostalgic black-and-white frames reveal scenes of the “absurd and unexpected,” such as a dog wearing cowboy boots, boys playing cards in bras, heading home at 2 a.m. after a moose hunt, and college kids streaking through farmland.
“This collection of photographs presents the world I know—the complicated, mad world that includes my father, mother, brother, sister, friends, dogs, babies, extended family, and the stuff of life,” Bennett said in a press release.
Melonie Bennett (b. 1969) lives and works in Maine. She graduated from Maine College of Art with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in photography before beginning her career as an assistant to photographer Judy Glickman Lauder in 1991. Since then, her work has been included in more than 60 exhibitions across the US and internationally.
Her latest project, Holy Cow!, is an ode to all families, highlighting how each and every one is unconventional in its own way. You can preorder a hardback copy from the publisher, GOST Books, for $55 (£40 / €50), with publication scheduled for May.
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