Photography as an act of trust

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CALEDONIA, VT.: Screams of delight at the Caledonia County Fair, Aug. 24.

December 15, 2023

I had only been with the Monitor for four months when a summer deluge descended on Vermont – the state I call home and a place rarely considered newsworthy by the rest of the world. That first night of flooding, I hunkered down, heeding warnings to stay off the roads, and felt grateful to live on high ground. I woke the next day to images of water rising in Montpelier, our tiny state capital, where I used to commute to work.

I wanted to document the response to the flooding, how neighbors were helping neighbors. So I drove to Montpelier, making detours when I hit washed-out roads. When I finally got there, it was eerie. Sirens blared. Kids splashed in murky puddles.

RICHMOND, VT.: A farm submerged by floods, July 11.

It was weird to see my favorite quiet places suddenly the focus of national attention. It refreshed my empathy for the people in front of my lens. I now carry this feeling with me whenever I am welcomed, cameras and all, into someone else’s home or their favorite quiet place. This could be anywhere from a Mohawk school in Akwesasne, which spans the United States-Canada border; to a church in Middletown, Ohio; to grasslands in Bear Butte, South Dakota. It is an act of trust from the people we photograph. Each time, it’s an honor.

CALEDONIA, VT.: Competitors at the Caledonia County Fair, Aug. 24.

BEAR BUTTE, S.D.: Madonna Thunder Hawk, May 30.

MIDDLETOWN, OHIO: Pastors in the Middletown Ministerial Alliance, April 29.

HERMOSA, S.D.: High school bulldoggers, May 29.

AKWESASNE MOHAWK TERRITORY: A teacher and student planting seeds, May 18.

Click here to explore more favorite photos of 2023.

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Mark Sappenfield

Editor

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