NBC News | Watson Farms — Case Study

Client: NBC News

Project: Editorial Portrait & Agricultural Documentary Photography

Year: 2021

Location: Council Hill, Oklahoma

Overview: CreeseWorks was commissioned by NBC News to provide photography for a major investigative feature on the American meatpacking industry and the struggles of independent cattle ranchers. Published October 2, 2021, the story examined how corporate consolidation was squeezing family farmers out of profitability — and how some were fighting back.

The Work: Christopher Creese photographed Damon Watson, a fourth-generation cattle rancher in rural Oklahoma, along with his family, farm, and newly opened small meat processing facility. Credited as "Christopher Creese for NBC News," the images ran throughout the article and depicted Watson's operation from the cattle to the storefront — grounding a complex economic story in a deeply human portrait of rural American resilience.

Impact: The piece ran as a national politics and policy story during the Biden administration's push to reform meatpacking regulations. CreeseWorks' photography helped frame a national conversation about food supply chain vulnerability, rural livelihoods, and corporate power.