Photographer Isa Leshko is scared of growing old. After caring for her mom with Alzheimer’s disease, she was “forced to confront her own mortality,” but she intended to face this fear unconventionally. Leshko started visiting farm sanctuaries across the USA to snap pictures of the geriatric animals that lived there. For nearly a decade, though, the project shifted focus from being a vehicle for Leshko’s anxiety to activism. She now uses her photo as a way to speak on behalf of these creatures.
The series called Allowed to Grow Old features subdued black and white portraits which capture the animals in their habitat. They offer a dignified but unflinching look at the hard lives these animals have endured. Some, such as Buddy (a 28-year-old Appaloosa horse), are blind and suffer from arthritis; and Violet, a 12-year-old potbellied pig, is partially paralyzed. Their stories are tragic yet not unique. “Nearly all of the farm animals I met for this project endured horrific abuse and neglect prior to their rescue,” Leshko writes. “It is nothing short of a miracle to be in the presence of a farm animal who has managed to reach old age.”
The powerful photos depict Leshko’s respect towards her resilient subjects, which comes down to her approach to photographing them.
Allowed to Grow Old is a book which features Leshko’s photos as well as biographical notes on her subjects. You can get your copy on Amazon.
Isa Leshko: Website | Facebook | Instagram
Phyllis, Southdown sheep, age 13
Abe, Alpine goat, age 21
Violet, Potbellied pig, age 12
Forest, Santa Cruz sheep, age 16
Bessie, Holstein cow, age 20
Handsome One, thoroughbred horse, age 33
Babs, donkey, age 24
Rooster, age unknown
Tessa, Yorkshire pig, age 13
Buddy, Appaloosa horse, age 28
Blue, Australian Kelpie, age 19
Zebulon, Finnsheep, age 12
Zebulon and Isaiah, Finnsheep, both age 12
Ash, domestic white turkey, age 8
Kelly, Irish Wolfhound, age 11
COMMENTS