BUFFALO 95227

Buffalo 95227 is a photographic exploration of  day in the life at my in-laws' ranch in Clements, California. The picturesque setting in the rolling Sierra Nevada foothills is home to a working ranch, filled with rusting and obsolete machinery that is slowly decaying and returning to nature—a location that embodies the forgotten aspects of California's historical roots.

This idyllic scene is greatly enhanced by a thriving and ever-growing herd of domestic Cape Water Buffalo. These beautiful animals punctuate the landscape and are now almost more numerous than the grand and majestic oaks that dot the expansive terrain they roam. It all began years ago with my father-in-law John's wholehearted and ambitious idea to become a boutique cheese maker, raising the buffalo for the production of the much sought-after Mozzarella di Bufala cheese. Unfortunately, that ship has long since sailed. He is aging, and the herd has grown to over seventy, making it a tremendous task to manage both physically and financially. All the buffalo have names, such as The General, Cinque, and Dave. In livestock economics, animals are considered products and are typically identified by numbers rather than names. The reality is that his love and passion for his buffalo is now an out-of-control hobby rather than a business, with its demands and obligations now requiring the attention and resources of family members from afar.

My intention with this photographic exploration is not for the viewer to extract a specific narrative from this documentary series; rather, it is to convey how my father-in-law, John, is as much a part of this landscape as the landscape is a part of him.