Jeff Tallard

My love of photography evolved from a fondness I have for the rustic farms that dot Wisconsin’s rolling countryside. They remind me of a time when life was less complicated. Small farms are rapidly disappearing. Several of the barns I’ve photographed over the past few years have been demolished or collapsed. I feel the need to photograph them while they are still standing. I find beauty in the hand laid stone foundations and rich patina of weathered siding. Perhaps I see my work as their curtain call, a final tribute to the farm families that toiled there for generations.

Abandoned farmhouses are another favorite subject of mine. We currently live in a restored turn of the century farmhouse. Other favorite subjects are landscapes, cityscapes, and wildlife, with a preference for birds, especially raptors. I enjoy capturing the expressions on their faces that make them seem almost human. Photographing wildlife is a constant reminder to me of the need to preserve space for the creatures we share the planet with. Karen and I are snowbirds and split our time between our farm in Mount Horeb Wisconsin and our condo on Siesta Key in Florida.