Spotlight: Pete Barrett Shooting The American Worker

Photographer Pete Barrett is on a trip, and it’s a long one. For the past six months, Pete and his family have been traveling the country on an indefinite road trip. During this journey, Pete has been focusing on his photographic project, “The American Worker.” He started the project to create a fresh body of work that inspires him differently from his usual assignments.

Pete’s goal with “The American Worker” is to document how people across the country earn their living. He also aims to capture the pride they take in the work they do.

I shoot people who are immersed in what they do and take pride in their work. What they are doing makes a difference and they have an interesting story to tell.

Pete originates from Florida, so his journey started there and went up the eastern coast. His locations are determined sometimes by physical places he knows he’d like to explore and shoot, and sometimes by people who would be a good fit for the project. As word of Pete’s project got out, he started getting referrals for whom to interview and photograph.

Some of his most memorable characters so far are Billy Carter and Mr. Henry, two Bayou fishing guides, Patrick and Sherlene Grant, two lobster fishermen, and the crew at Hammond Lumber Company. He says the people he is meeting are giving him a view into a world that many don’t think about and don’t get to see. With this project, he is able to see that world for himself, and also share it with others.

Pete says “The American Worker” is a bit different from his usual subject matter. It tends to be more portrait-oriented than his usual lifestyle images. He mostly shoots people in action, immersed in their task, which is more in keeping with his style. Ultimately, Pete knows this project is a way for him to take on new and inspiring artistic challenges.

When you play and really push yourself to explore new things, you tend to create your best work.

For Pete, the biggest challenge with “The American Worker” is simply the schedule. Pete often flies back and forth for assignment work in different parts of the country. During these times, he has to pause the project and resume it when he returns.

Currently, Pete is leaving Arizona and heading into the mountains of Utah. “We have a ton of stuff planned,” he says. As he continues moving west, he looks forward to meeting more people with exciting stories to tell.

See more of Pete’s work on his website.

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