Calhoun Photographer Chet Dowell (left) has been capturing life in Calhoun County and the region since the beginning of the new millennium.
Dowell's new photo book "People of Place" was released last summer. It is a collection of black and white images with an introduction by Robert Weaver.
The book is the result of several years of photography in Calhoun and surrounding counties.
From the back roads (some way back) to the main streets of west central West Virginia, Dowell visited homes, front porches and the places where people gather.
He took his camera to parades, celebrations, festivals, even into grocery stores, making everyday life the subject of his photographic art.
In the tradition of the FSA photographers of the 'Great Depression' era who have long inspired him, Dowell worked to give an authentic and respectful portrait of the people and places of the region where he lives.
The book includes images from Calhoun, Roane, Gilmer, Ritchie, Wirt, Braxton and Kanawha counties.
In his introduction Robert Weaver writes, "It is apparent in these photos that Dowell has a great empathy for his subjects and that he has the skill and the eye to capture moments of emotional impact and veracity".
The book is available at www.chetdowellphotos.com
It is also available by mail order from Chet Dowell, 471 Hughes Fork Road, Mount Zion.WV 26151.
Send a check or money order for $43.00 for the hard back and $33.00 for the paper back plus a shipping charge of $4.00.
DOWELL'S PHOTOGRAPHIC EYE REVEALS WV LIFE
By Bob Weaver
Dowell, who lives close to the Village of Hur, is a well-known professional photographer whose works have been acclaimed and sold around the USA, but is now focusing on life in the hills of central West Virginia.
"People of Place" captures a culture that has transitioned from largely subsistence farming, where wealth was measured by what was in the cellar house, corn crib and the number of hay stacks in the meadow, to a money culture tied to jobs and business.
While tough times have changed lives, people still hold to treasured memories of a connected life, with roots in the soil.
These memories are pleasant and powerful reminders of a kinder, less complicated time when one could embrace life's simpler pleasures.
Dowell understands what matters most is the community where one stands and lives.
The older generations came here to a wilderness and carved out homes and farms and learned to help each other in the rough times of drought, sickness and hard winters.
Today's generation inherited these traits of independence, self reliance and concern for neighbors.
There is still a general resistance to centralization, globalization and the notion that bigger is better, the people eying such movements with great suspicion.
While the stalwart souls of the agriculture era are fading, there is still a holding to their values with a sense of freedom and a quiet peace.
It is apparent in the photos that Dowell worked with a great deal of empathy for his subjects.
It is also plain that he has the skill and the eye necessary to capture meaningful moments that give his images an emotional depth and veracity.
The photos honor the people and the traditions that shaped them.
His photo book should be part of every central West Virginian's family collection.
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