The Iowa Photo: Venison for dinner, Inshallah

Not all documentary photography projects come to fruition.

After a busy winter of sports and life, I caught up with Humza Igram as he hunted his family’s land on the last few days of the bow hunting season. My goal was to capture how Humza, a devout Muslim, processes all of the meat he harvests from hunts following the strict rules of Halal.

However, without a deer, I have no story.

With the clock ticking, Humza and I both prayed for a deer in our own ways. Alas, despite two almost close encounters, we finished without a deer despite making several trips through the subzero weather.

Despite not getting a deer these last few weeks, this was still an opportunity to showcase Eastern Iowa’s large and diverse outdoor community.