ENTRY DESCRIPTION
This was one in a series of portraits of West Virginia Coal Miners. A few years ago, then President Trump was promoting the idea of "clean coal" while the environmentalists around the world were saying there was no such thing. What I felt was getting lost in the conversation was the miners themselves, so I reached out to this community, introduced myself, and after a great deal of cajoling, I convinced them that I was not coming to them with an agenda - I simply wanted to show the world who they are.

AUTHOR
Dennis Welsh is an award winning commercial photographer/director based in Maine. His work centers on capturing the human spirit and can be seen throughout a variety of industries including travel & tourism, healthcare, financial and industry. With a strong emphasis on environmental portraiture, Dennis Welsh is known for bringing his subjects forward with authenticity, giving the viewer an honest look into their lives.
His West Virginia Coal Miners series has garnered attention all over the world for its stark, honest look into the souls of these coal miners and see what drives them to do what they do day after day, generation after generation.

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