For the last eight years, Michael Dvorak has photographed people in his home state of Minnesota. Taken at county fairs, parades, and on the streets in and around Minneapolis, the images are part of a series he calls “Close to Home.” They also appear in his new book, Embrace. Though the photographs are specific to the Upper Midwest, Dvorak says he hopes his work “echoes American life in an honest way.” See more at dvorakphotography.com.

— Ed.