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When Joclyn (Bushman) Kuboushek steps behind the camera lens, she gets a unique view of the farmer's world. Now she's sharing that with others by offering Field to Frame sessions, depicting farmers as they go about their work on the farm.

ANKENY — What Joclyn (Bushman) Kuboushek sees through the lens of her camera when photographing farmers yields breathtaking snapshots of the day-to-day life of someone striving to feed the world.

Kuboushek, 28, grew up on a farm in northeastern Iowa where her family raised livestock and crops. While helping with chores or simply enjoying the outdoors, Kuboushek developed a knack for noticing the little things that led to her honing her photography skills down the road.

“We have a poultry farm, so when I was younger, my job was to go catch the chickens. They’re all free range, so we’d pick them up and haul them into the huts,” Kuboushek said. “I grew up showing 4-H livestock, too, and just loved all of it.”

Every time she was with her grandmother as a little girl, she would snatch her Polaroid camera and take a slew of photos. In high school, she asked for a pocket camera and took tons of photos of her friends.

“I’d be the one always taking it to dances, sporting events,” Kuboushek said. “After my freshman year of college, I started assisting an equine photographer in my area since I needed a summer job. I had always loved photography and enjoyed watching her. So for Christmas, I asked for a camera and slowly got started.”

She spent a considerable amount of time practicing photography with her camera, then saw numerous livestock internships posted while attending college at Iowa State and worked in that capacity, photographing livestock shows. Kuboushek progressed to shooting portraits while majoring in ag communications at ISU.

In 2018, she officially started her photography business, calling it Joclyn Clare Photography.

“I photograph seniors, families and weddings on the portrait side, but I’ve shot photos for marketing efforts by businesses. I would love to get more into that, too,” Kuboushek said.

After graduating college, she joined the Iowa Soybean Association as their official photographer.

“I shoot photos for our publication to accompany stories,” she said. “The photos are very newsy.”

Between all of her photography endeavors, Kuboushek said she was still figuring out what “sets my soul on fire.”

It was while photographing for the Iowa Soybean Association that it dawned on her what ignites her spark behind the lens.

“Not a lot of farmers have the opportunity to have photographs taken of them working on the farm, the day-to-day life of a farmer. I thought back on my grandpa and my dad, and I always wished there were more photos of them working, not posing for a photo,” Kuboushek said.

Joclyn Clare Photography launched Field to Frame sessions in March, which are documentary-style photography experiences designed to capture real life as it’s happening — not posed, not polished and not staged. The sessions focus on the everyday moments that often go unnoticed, from their hard work to the important details and the quiet in-between to the stories rooted in the land.

“I decided to offer sessions for farmers and farm families where I go out and spend the day. I stay in the background, photographing them working with cattle, working on equipment, going through their routine,” Kuboushek said. “Farmers are few and far between and capturing them and their story, photographing them in their element, is such a unique thing to do. I really cherish these photos of my grandma, my dad and past family members on the farm and I wanted to offer that option to farmers today.”

Those who have participated walk away with their legacy captured in print.

“They do feel a little special. They’re very much open and I explain that I just want them to do their job and I follow them around, maybe pause for a couple of quick smiles. I aim to build that comfortableness between us when shooting,” she said. “Farmers need to be documented. They’re a unique breed. I’m capturing history and I’m excited about it. It helps that I’m a farm kid and know when to stay back. I know the dangers that can happen.”

One intriguing farm photo shoot Kuboushek’s done was of her aunt and uncle’s bison ranch in northern South Dakota.

“Seeing them was incredible. How they farm is so different than how most farmers do it in Iowa. My family does everything on horseback, and bison are such unique livestock, so different from cattle,” she said. “I really love capturing photos of families working together, especially when it’s different generations together.”

Sometimes, the simplest scenes result in the best photos — a morning coffee on the front porch, sitting still with the farm dog as the sun comes up, right before the day’s work begins.

“I want farmers to have these photos to cherish, to look back and have these memories on the farm preserved. I’m a sentimental person and I get so much joy out of these photo shoots,” Kuboushek said. “It feels like this is where I need to be.”