this guy george culpepper
likes pictures

phoenix magazine
is the University of Tennessee’s student-run literary arts publication. My work was published in three of their issues. Two photos published in issue 68 were also exhibited by Phoenix at Gallery 1010. Click titles to see (issue 73 is not yet online)

issue 73
spring ‘26

green tea


issue 70
fall ‘25


page 42, 52
beach day
pale shelter


issue 68
spring ‘24


page 31, 32, 50
anyone home

gallery 1010
is a contemporary art exhibition space in downtown Knoxville, Tennessee. Mensch and Presence were shown in Phoenix Magazine’s exhibit featuring work from issues 68 and 69

exhibit
fall ‘24
mensch
presence
exhibit
spring ‘26


this photo from issue 73 was also exhibited as part of Phoenix Magazine’s showcase
green tea


obubuinternship 
japan
march-june ‘25


In last year’s spring I interned at Obubu Tea Farms in Japan. There I met the head farmer Akihiro Kita (Akky-san) and many other wonderful people with abundant, radiant passion for their work–creating a real product for people to enjoy around the world, continuing an ancient tradition and people’s combined efforts spanning thousands of years. Their spirit and energy were contagious. It was my first time photographing with purpose. They inspired me to begin
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tea shaping
april 16 ‘25


obubu, the global japanese tea association, and local community organized a tea handpicking and shaping event






harvesting
monzen field
may 5 ‘25













tenku field
june 4 ‘25



processing
may 7 ‘25
may 16 ‘25




trimming
may 24 ‘25










june 12 ‘25
haymaking bukovo, slovenia
june ‘25


My partner’s family let me help her grandparents rake and transport dried grass for haymaking, an old tradition in Slovenia

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karajzewc cerkno, slovenia
june ‘26


I took photos for C.M.A.K. Cerkno at Karajzewc, an outdoor festival for all ages in the nature of Divje Babe (where the oldest known musical instrument was found) near the center of Cerkno C

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world’s end near esperance, new york
may ‘26


I visited my sister and her partner with my little brother on a farm they work on in upstate New York C

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pottery
I photographed Max Mulpagano, the resident ceramicist at World’s End in upstate New York, in his studio

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farmI volunteered on different farms last year. Three were through WWOOF (world-wide opportunities for organic farms). I also visited my sister and her partner on a farm they were working on in Connecticut
ohrid
north macedonia
september 2-10
2025



mokrin
serbia
september 14-25
2025













toksumak
kazakhstan
october 21-november 3
2025






lyme
connecticut, us
november-december
2025

film
I didn’t shoot film since high school until my partner gave me a point and shoot for my birthday in june 2025. It had a roll of agfa film already loaded. I took the first picture in Ljubljana, Slovenia and the last in Lyme, Connecticut (USA). This roll travelled 3 continents. I had it developed by F/32 Photo in Knoxville, TN–my hometown

unknown agfa (expired)

ljubljana
ohrid
sarajevo
kazakhstan
knoxville
lyme
june ‘25 to
april ‘26

agfa funcam


 


ilford delta 3200

knoxville,
tennessee
april ‘26


agfa funcam





kentmere 200
roll I


outer banks
norfolk
april-may ‘26

agfa funcam











roll II


norfolk

may ‘26

agfa funcam
 






roll III











fujifilm 400
(from cvs)

roll I






roll II



roll III
(did not load this one right)





harman pheonix II

norfolk
knoxville

may ‘26

agfa funcam


photo-sheet
more pictures from past years

japan
march-june ‘25


slovenia

june-august ‘25

north macedonia
september ‘25

serbia
september ’25

turkey
october ‘25

kazakhstan
october-november ‘25

usa
novembe
r ‘25




george
culpepper ‘26