Artist’s Statement:
With his capable, trembling hands 94-year-old farmer Charles Bradley, referred to as “Mr. Charles,” continues to work on his 450-acre farm that has been in the family since 1883. He lives with his wife Mary, 93, who maintains a joyful spirit despite her advanced dementia. They live independently with the support of an attentive daytime caregiver. Their story is all-too-common, as small family farms lose their profitability and large-scale farming is becoming the norm. Yet what remains is Mr. Charles, who according to Mary, has never been “a rocking chair kinda guy.”
Artist’s Bio:
I am a Canadian freelance photojournalist and documentary photographer. If I am not shooting for an editorial client or an international aid agency, I am likely working on a long-form photo essay. I got my start by landing a few competitive photojournalism internships and acceptance into the 2012 Eddie Adams Workshop for emerging photographers. It is this training outside of classroom walls that continues to shape who I am as a photographer and storyteller. As a daughter of Chinese immigrants to Canada I am interested in stories about home and community. From documenting the long displacement of a Canadian First Nations reserve to photographing young children addicted to tobacco in Indonesia, I am drawn to human rights issues which affect vulnerable people and disenfranchised cultures. My work has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal and Time.com amongst others and I regularly contribute to Canada’s largest newspapers–The Globe and Mail, National Post, Toronto Star and The Canadian Press wire service.