"The Farmers" series features fine-art portraits of farmers and ranchers around the country, promoting Canon's large-format ImagePrograf printers.

My approach to photographing Antonio on the banana plantation was to use a minimum of equipment, and to focus on creating a strong connection between him and the camera. I shot with a 50mm lens using a shallow depth of field, allowing me to work closely to Antonio and to collaborate intimately with him.

For all of the portraits I shot as part of "The Farmers" series, I aimed to forge a true heartfelt connection with the subjects; and to share their lives through fine-art gallery showings held in New York City and Colorado. The photo was selected by Canon to be one of 13 images shown in New York at the gallery event. I printed the images on gallery-wrap canvas to create a closer connection to the subjects, so viewers could view the photographs up close and without any glass separating them from the subjects. Canon produced a video on the project which is viewable here: http://stablefordstudios.com/BTS/1