Photographer Agnieszka Sosnowska is the Edge of Humanity Magazine contributor of this photo essay. From the project ‘In My Backyard’. To see Agnieszka’s body of work, click on any image.

Arnar Collecting Sticks in the Cod Drying Racks
Djúpivogur

I live on a farm in East Iceland, where the landscape and the weather are infinitely changing. I document how people, nature and the animal world are intertwined.

Within these worlds, age and decay create a surreal world of rituals that, for many people, may appear unappealing, overwhelming, or in some cases, grotesque. The rituals of farming and hunting are slow, deliberate, and labor intensive. Because this activity is not economically rewarding, I have often wondered what drives people to live completely off the land.

Fishing, hunting, planting and gathering are considered pastimes for many people in the developed world. Other than hobbies or leisure activities, most people do not have a thoughtful connection to the land.

We live in time when the instantaneous has become the norm. Fast is never fast enough.

In this age, a farmer’s efforts are uncertain, and in an age of mass production, such a life choice is noble. Nature, diseases, and politics powerfully influence their efforts. The pace of farming is a slow evolution, dictated by nature, economy and sheer will. Farming, to me, can be seen as a physical manifestation of a human’s determination.

For years I have been visiting farmers and creating a visual inventory of their lifestyle. I examine the ways in which farmers connect to the earth for sustenance. By documenting these individuals, I hope to reveal a way of life that will not be forgotten.