Tim Barnwell has spent a lifetime exploring the southern Appalachian region, documenting the farm culture, visiting with and photographing the people of its isolated mountain enclaves. Here farmers, their lives and labors timed to the season, follow traditional ways of working passed down through the generations. Many are living as their parents and grandparents did, in close knit communities bound by heritage, kinship, and faith.

The acclaimed author of The Face of Appalachia and Hands In Harmony, Barnwell once again turns an intelligent and compassionate eye toward rural America in his second book, On Earth’s Furrowed Brow. Set against the breathtaking backdrop of the Appalachian Mountains, over one hundred timeless black and white photographs provide a window onto a world that is quickly fading. Portraits of people in their homes and at work in the fields illuminate the richness and rhythms of everyday life.

The images are complimented by oral histories derived from conversations between the photographer and his subjects. This union of photography and text honors the heritage, humor, and wisdom of these genuine and hardworking people. Capturing a culture that most people will never experience firsthand, Barnwell’s technical mastery and unique vision put life and energy back into modern documentary photography.