Where humanity learned to settle

The Breath of First Fields

"Because I love this land, the history
and the air here."

— Kübra Elmas

Southeastern Türkiye is part of a region where some of humanity's earliest settled communities developed and where agriculture began to transform the relationship between people and the land. Today, agriculture remains an important part of the region's economy, landscape and daily life.

The Breath of First Fields is a long-term photographic and written exploration of this region, its agricultural landscape and the people who live and work within it. The project considers contemporary life in the context of a history of settlement and cultivation extending back thousands of years.

The project began in 2019 when Canadian visual journalist and photographer Spencer Wynn first visited southeastern Türkiye. Its broad agricultural landscapes and open horizons recalled the Canadian prairies, a landscape with which he has long felt a connection.

The project has since developed through collaboration with Kübra Elmas, an agricultural engineer from Şanlıurfa. Her professional knowledge, relationships with growers and understanding of regional agriculture contribute an important perspective. Her independent essays explore agricultural practices, scientific knowledge and the experiences of people working in the region.

Through photography, essays, short films and field observations, the project documents cultivated and uncultivated landscapes, water resources and irrigation, agricultural practices, and the communities connected to them. It also considers the role of research, education and changing agricultural methods in the region's future.

The Breath of First Fields is an independent documentary project, developed through repeated visits and collaboration. It seeks to provide an informed and accessible view of southeastern Türkiye, recognizing both its historical significance and the people, knowledge and work that shape the region today.

The collection will continue to grow as new photographs, essays, films and field notes are added.