Benjamin Driver
A Fire on the Farm
I discovered to my surprise today that through the hole of 2024 I have not uploaded a single image. This is, though unacceptable to me, understandable, as not only have I spent much of this year working on a large but highly personal photographic project, but it has also been a year of great trials, emotional upheaval, self discovery, and trauma.
It seems fitting then that this first upload of the year comes quite close to the start of the story which lead into the struggle.
This image was taken at the end of 2019. I had taken on some short term work, as I required a financial boost, but was committed long term to working freelance. This job however, did not go well. At the time, I was in the beginnings of a budding long distance relationship, but one in which the other half was extremely tentative, which was causing me great stress, on-top of which I was struggling with a seemingly undiagnosable health issue. All this lead to my being brought into an office where a man whom I had never had contact with told me that he was the man in charge and that I was working too slowly for his liking. He then proceeded to show that there were cameras on us at all times (which I was unaware of) and that I had "wasted time" taking off my coat.
It took me far longer to work out that this was not worth the effort than I am proud of. After about five minutes of returning to work, I could take no more, and left, having a family member collect me, as I was too distressed to drive.
All this to say, I saw this extraordinary and terrible site on the way home, and knew that to exorcise the experience of that evening from my mind, I had to get the image. I raced home and got my camera, only to race back, now on foot and capture the image of this blaze.
My efforts were not wholly in vain. The image was shortly thereafter, used in the local press. It is perhaps such small victories which carry us through our toughest times.
I hope this blog like style of writing to accompany my images is something which you can all engage with, as I intend to do more of it as I upload this year. Given that I have so many images over the last five years yet to share, it seems sensible to reminisce as I go. I have many more projects underway to share, and I greatly appreciate any and all support.
(I want express my deepest, though late, sympathy for the owners of the barn, who were the victims of this fire. I hope the issue was resolved quickly and has not caused any lasting or irreplaceable damage.)
A Fire on the Farm
I discovered to my surprise today that through the hole of 2024 I have not uploaded a single image. This is, though unacceptable to me, understandable, as not only have I spent much of this year working on a large but highly personal photographic project, but it has also been a year of great trials, emotional upheaval, self discovery, and trauma.
It seems fitting then that this first upload of the year comes quite close to the start of the story which lead into the struggle.
This image was taken at the end of 2019. I had taken on some short term work, as I required a financial boost, but was committed long term to working freelance. This job however, did not go well. At the time, I was in the beginnings of a budding long distance relationship, but one in which the other half was extremely tentative, which was causing me great stress, on-top of which I was struggling with a seemingly undiagnosable health issue. All this lead to my being brought into an office where a man whom I had never had contact with told me that he was the man in charge and that I was working too slowly for his liking. He then proceeded to show that there were cameras on us at all times (which I was unaware of) and that I had "wasted time" taking off my coat.
It took me far longer to work out that this was not worth the effort than I am proud of. After about five minutes of returning to work, I could take no more, and left, having a family member collect me, as I was too distressed to drive.
All this to say, I saw this extraordinary and terrible site on the way home, and knew that to exorcise the experience of that evening from my mind, I had to get the image. I raced home and got my camera, only to race back, now on foot and capture the image of this blaze.
My efforts were not wholly in vain. The image was shortly thereafter, used in the local press. It is perhaps such small victories which carry us through our toughest times.
I hope this blog like style of writing to accompany my images is something which you can all engage with, as I intend to do more of it as I upload this year. Given that I have so many images over the last five years yet to share, it seems sensible to reminisce as I go. I have many more projects underway to share, and I greatly appreciate any and all support.
(I want express my deepest, though late, sympathy for the owners of the barn, who were the victims of this fire. I hope the issue was resolved quickly and has not caused any lasting or irreplaceable damage.)