Bloody, visceral world of Montana’s off-grid butchers
Ania pulls buffalo fat from a gut pile as Epona waits with her backpack. In the dead of winter, Matt Hamon went to rural Montana to photograph the lives of a group of people he calls "the gleaners."
Matt Hamon
Alex's hands after a day of scavenging buffalo carcasses. The group sustains themselves by scavenging meat from bison carcasses left by hunters.
Matt Hamon
Alex and Katie field dressing a buffalo for a native hunter.
Matt Hamon
Hamon's images intentionally resemble classical paintings in both tone, color and framing.
Matt Hamon
Josh carries a buffalo backstrap from the hunting ground.
Matt Hamon
Hamon said what impressed him is the group's resourcefulness.
Matt Hamon
Jerry prepares a scavenged buffalo hide for tanning. "On my first night there they served me buffalo liver pate, which was made from livers scavenged from the field and sweet potatoes. I was skeptical, but it was delicious," Hamon said.
Matt Hamon
At first, Hamon said his subjects were reluctant to be photographed. By pitching in with chores, he managed to win their trust, gaining enough access to produce intimate portraits of a group of people living on the fringes of modern society.
Matt Hamon
Having experienced what it is like to gather and scavenge for food, Hamon said returning to his urban lifestyle was a sort of culture shock.
Matt Hamon
Josh loads buffalo quarters into a Native American hunter's truck.