Rural Legends

Rural Legends was photographed outside Petaluma in Northern California's Sonoma County using medium-format film on a Hasselblad 500CM. Long before vineyards came to define the region, dairy farming shaped its agricultural landscape. By 1856, more than 5,000 milk cows grazed around Petaluma, supplying butter and cheese to the growing city of San Francisco, transported by schooner along the Petaluma River.

At its height, Sonoma County was home to approximately 800 dairy ranches, many established by Swiss, Italian, Irish, and Portuguese immigrant families. Generations worked these lands, passing down the knowledge and traditions of dairying. Kim photographed these two cows in the countryside outside Petaluma, living reminders of an agricultural history that continues to shape the region.

Originally created for WEST OF MORNING — Analog Landscapes of Northern California, Kim’s inaugural exhibition at fís Gallery, this Studio Edition offers another way to collect the work while preserving the character and craftsmanship of the original photograph.

Each print is produced on Hahnemühle fine art paper, presented with a 3-inch archival white mat, and finished in a handcrafted solid wood frame with a 1.6-inch-wide profile, made in Germany. Available in black, white, or natural oak, each Studio Edition arrives ready to hang.