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Alec Jacobson

Photographer, Writer

Playboy Magazine: In The Shadow of The Mountain

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Location: Burlington, Vermont, USA

Nationality: American

Biography: Alec Jacobson is a photographer and writer based in Vancouver, British Columbia, who likes to dive deep into slow-moving stories. Drawing on his studies in Anthropology, French and Arabic at Amherst College, he prefers to be the only... MORE

A storm blows over the mountains near Telluride, CO.

1 of 14 © 2024 Alec Jacobson

A storm blows over the mountains near Telluride, CO.

Tony Daryani long lived in Tell... who committed suicide in 2016.

2 of 14 © 2024 Alec Jacobson

Tony Daryani long lived in Telluride before moving to the nearby ranching community of Norwood where he and his wife run an organic farm. Tony's friend, Tom Slocum, was one of six people in the Telluride area who committed suicide in 2016.

Laurel Robinson has long lived ... who committed suicide in 2016.

3 of 14 © 2024 Alec Jacobson

Laurel Robinson has long lived in the Telluride area. She now lives in Norwood, a nearby ranching community that is more affordable. Laurel's friend, Tom Slocum, was one of six people in the Telluride area who committed suicide in 2016.

Playboy Magazine: In The Shadow of The Mountain

4 of 14 © 2024 Alec Jacobson

The mountains near Telluride, CO.

5 of 14 © 2024 Alec Jacobson

The mountains near Telluride, CO.

The mountains near Telluride, CO.

6 of 14 © 2024 Alec Jacobson

The mountains near Telluride, CO.

Tony Daryani long lived in Tell... who committed suicide in 2016.

7 of 14 © 2024 Alec Jacobson

Tony Daryani long lived in Telluride before moving to the nearby ranching community of Norwood where he and his wife run an organic farm. Tony's friend, Tom Slocum, was one of six people in the Telluride area who committed suicide in 2016.

Tony Daryani long lived in Tell... who committed suicide in 2016.

8 of 14 © 2024 Alec Jacobson

Tony Daryani long lived in Telluride before moving to the nearby ranching community of Norwood where he and his wife run an organic farm. Tony's friend, Tom Slocum, was one of six people in the Telluride area who committed suicide in 2016.

Tony Daryani long lived in Tell... who committed suicide in 2016.

9 of 14 © 2024 Alec Jacobson

Tony Daryani long lived in Telluride before moving to the nearby ranching community of Norwood where he and his wife run an organic farm. Tony's friend, Tom Slocum, was one of six people in the Telluride area who committed suicide in 2016.

Laurel Robinson has long lived ... who committed suicide in 2016.

10 of 14 © 2024 Alec Jacobson

Laurel Robinson has long lived in the Telluride area. She now lives in Norwood, a nearby ranching community that is more affordable. Laurel's friend, Tom Slocum, was one of six people in the Telluride area who committed suicide in 2016.

Laurel Robinson has long lived ... who committed suicide in 2016.

11 of 14 © 2024 Alec Jacobson

Laurel Robinson has long lived in the Telluride area. She now lives in Norwood, a nearby ranching community that is more affordable. Laurel's friend, Tom Slocum, was one of six people in the Telluride area who committed suicide in 2016.

Laurel Robinson has long lived ... who committed suicide in 2016.

12 of 14 © 2024 Alec Jacobson

Laurel Robinson has long lived in the Telluride area. She now lives in Norwood, a nearby ranching community that is more affordable. Laurel's friend, Tom Slocum, was one of six people in the Telluride area who committed suicide in 2016.

Telluride's main street in the summer.

13 of 14 © 2024 Alec Jacobson

Telluride's main street in the summer.

A memorial bench on Telluride&a... who committed suicide in 2016.

14 of 14 © 2024 Alec Jacobson

A memorial bench on Telluride's Judd Weibe Trail for Tom Slocum who was one of six people in the Telluride area who committed suicide in 2016.

PLAY

STOP

GRID

FULL

LOVE

Public Story

Playboy Magazine: In The Shadow of The Mountain

Copyright Alec Jacobson 2024

Date of Work Sep 2018 - Sep 2018

Updated Mar 2019

Location Telluride, CO

Topics Affluence, Beauty, Capitalism, Community, Dreams, Drug Abuse, Dying/Death, Editorial, Emotion, Fashion, Happiness, Health/Healing, Isolation, Mental Illness, Oppression, Photography, Photojournalism, Portraiture, Poverty, Sorrow, Vacation

Though mountain resort towns, like Telluride where I live, are the spectacularly beautiful sites of memorable vacations, they have a dark underbelly for locals who commit suicide at a much higher rate than the national average. While visitors come and live their best lives, staying in extravagant hotels and eating at fancy restaurants, locals often struggle to make ends meet. Drug and alcohol use and abuse rates are higher here as well, in keeping with the party vibes. These communities can feel a little like Nevernever Land, far away from real adult life. And mountain towns tend not to have good access to mental health care. The result is catastrophic.

I was pleased to shoot images for Chris Pomorski's essential story for Playboy Magazine.

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