THE 2026 MOUNTAIN WORKSHOPS
Winchester | Clark County, Kentucky
OCT 20 - 24, 2026
The Stories That Make Us
Photos by Santiago Ochoa Rueda, Paul Besch-Turner, Ryan Orebaugh, Lylee Gibbs, Jacob DeLuca, Santiago Ochoa Rueda, Paul Besch-Turner, Bella Lang, Emily Susan Widman
More than 130 visual journalists from across the United States and around the world gathered in Winchester and Clark County, Kentucky, for the 51st annual Mountain Workshops.
Participants have traveled from coast to coast and across international borders to take part in the Mountain Workshops. From Massachusetts to California, Arizona to New York, and states throughout the country, they’ve converged on Winchester, Kentucky, alongside international participants from New Zealand, India, Taiwan, and Canada.
Together, they are documenting the people, places and everyday experiences that define this community. From Winchester’s historic downtown and Kentucky’s frontier roots to the region’s agricultural traditions, local businesses and changing way of life.
Founded in 1793, one year after Kentucky became a state, Winchester offers a rich backdrop for stories that connect the region’s past with the people shaping its future.
Participants have traveled from coast to coast and across international borders to take part in the Mountain Workshops. From Massachusetts to California, Arizona to New York, and states throughout the country, they’ve converged on Winchester, Kentucky, alongside international participants from New Zealand, India, Taiwan, and Canada.
Together, they are documenting the people, places and everyday experiences that define this community. From Winchester’s historic downtown and Kentucky’s frontier roots to the region’s agricultural traditions, local businesses and changing way of life.
Founded in 1793, one year after Kentucky became a state, Winchester offers a rich backdrop for stories that connect the region’s past with the people shaping its future.
Video by Nic Huey, Wil Hughes and the Mountain Workshops participants
October 20 - October 24, 2026
PORTFOLIO
FEATURED STORIES
PHOTOS BY BEN PENNINGTON
For more than 25 years, veterinarian Patrick Reister has cared for animals of all sizes at Boonesboro Animal Clinic. He is also taking care of people.
VIDEO BY AAYAS D. JOSHI
Carter Muzic lost his father at age 2. Raised by his mother, the high school quarterback now models masculinity built on talking through hard things instead of holding them in.
PHOTO BY SANTIAGO OCHOA RUEDA
Martha Venable Johnson's FishBack Farm is a living museum, and she is uncovering new pieces of ancestral history every day. She spends her days restoring her family home and her nights learning about those who lived there before her.
VIDEO BY KAITLYN WEBB
Doug and Carrie Shepperson love caring for their land, their animals and each other. During a decade of farming together, they've had to adapt to many challenges. But a new challenge has them concerned.
PHOTOS BY BRADI HAWKINS
At the Webb family's tobacco farm, Ben Webb and his father, Benny Webb, carry on a multi-generational tradition where family comes first and that family extends to their beloved workers.
VIDEO BY JILL CRAIG
Identical twins Alyson and Caitlyn have been clogging for 30 years. After winning multiple national titles, they now teach the next generation Kentucky’s official state dance while building community.
Behind the lens
For many participants, the Mountain Workshops can help shape the course of a future career. For the people of Winchester, it’s a chance to see their community through fresh eyes and discover the stories, faces and places that make their town unique. Step inside and meet the visual storytellers behind the cameras.
Video by Lauren Howe and Myah Griffin