How do you tell a story that began before you were born?

As visual storytellers, we look for new ways to tell a story, ways that can make the viewer look at the world—and perceive time—differently. We look for things that make you take a second glance. For photographer Jackson Patterson, this means combining two separate images to create a narrative. While projects like Dear Photograph have popularized the practice of combining old photos with new, Patterson’s work takes the trope a new level with technique and a clear voice. In the photo series, Recollected Memories, Patterson explores themes of family, land, and western migration.

Patterson says the idea came to him during “a family reunion at