Mountain Workshop, Williamsburg, Kentucky

Photography is invariably a solitary pursuit, but to grow, most of us need the feedback of our peers – I certainly do. This is why I was so pleased to have the opportunity to attend this year’s Mountain Photo Workshop based in Williamsburg, Kentucky.

Every year, a group of photographers, videographers, and photo editors gather to document a different small town within the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Western Kentucky University's School of Media Photojournalism organises the workshop, and they do an incredible job. In two days, they created a newsroom with facilities that would be the envy of most city newspapers.

My story focused on a couple with a lifestyle that could have hardly been more different from my life in south-east England. Kathy and Cleo live on a small farm in rural Whitley County; they raise sheep, chickens, horses and a lone goat. They opened their hearts and their home, they fed me and answered my incessant questions.

I’d like to thank Kathy and Cleo, the tutors, other participants, staff and students of Western Kentucky University.

This is the story as it appears on the Mountain Workshop website.

Kathy Lay and Cleo White take a break from cutting wood for their home, heated by two wood burning stoves. Cleo's grandson, Eli, helps clear the field at a neighbour's farm.

Caring for the land and each other

In 1982, Kathy Lay moved from Cincinnati with her former husband, making a new life in Whitley County. She worked in a nursing home and a department store but wanted to continue the education she’d paused when she became pregnant with her first child.

Her studies in social work and public health at the University of the Cumberlands led to 23 years working in health education for the city of Williamsburg. She specialized in tobacco prevention education and the HANDS program, which provides home visits for pregnant women and families with young children.

Her life now is very different. With her partner, Cleo White, the couple – she’s 64, he’s 74 – live on a small farm on the western side of Whitley County.

They live as closely to the land as possible, raising chickens, sheep, goats and horses. And they have four dogs.

After leaving his role as a military policeman, Cleo worked as a logger and in construction as a member of a core drill crew. The hard manual labor took a toll on his health, especially his knees.

Kathy enjoys volunteering for a local food bank. On a recent afternoon, she helped load bags of groceries into the cars of needy families.

“We don’t want a job," Cleo says, “but we both work all the time.”

Cleo supervises his grandson Eli, 13, who is cutting firewood and using a chainsaw for the first time.

Kathy cooks most meals from scratch using their own produce where possible. They raise chickens and grow their own food in a polytunnel.

Family photos and Kathy's art decorate the walls of their home, including this image of Kathy from 15 years ago.

Art is Kathy's great passion, and she works whenever time and chores permit. Much of her artwork is sold to benefit local charities.

The Canada Town Fellowship Baptist Church holds a God's Pantry food bank at the University of Kentucky Extension Office every two months. The pantry is entirely organized and staffed by volunteers.

After leaving his role as a Military Policeman, a lifetime of hard manual labor has affected Cleo's health, especially his knees. As the years go by, Kathy finds she has to take on more responsibility for the work around the farm.

The couple used to milk their goat for Cleo to drink. Goats' milk containing less lactose is easier to digest. However, the milk has recently dried up, and the goat needs to be bred again to produce more milk.

Kathy and Cleo live as closely to the land as possible, raising chickens, sheep, goats, and horses. Fresh eggs are common.

Kathy spends the early morning feeding and checking to make sure the animals have water. In addition to their three pet dogs, they have a guard dog who keeps a close eye on anyone approaching the farm's entrance.