Denver photographer Theo Stroomer has spent the last year photographing the people of the North Fork Valley in Colorado. This is a rural area not dominated by ski resorts but by farmers, hunters, hippies and miners. The prevailing philosophy there is one of live and let live. This way of life is increasingly going away and as these rural ways of life disappear, it becomes important to remember what this community brings to discussions of Colorado’s state identity.
Mary Jane and Austin before prom. Both planned to leave North Folk Valley after graduating from Paonia High School.Theo immersed himself in the communities, getting to know the people and their way of life. The work had its first showing in Paonia, one of the communities and was well attended by the towns. Today, Theo continues to explore the North Fork Valley. For him, the work is not yet done.
TheDocumentaryProjectFund was proud to support Theo's work with a July 2013 project support award. We hope to bring the work to many more audiences. To see more of Theo's photography, go to theostroomer.com