The birthplace of American soul lies within the Mississippi Delta. I wanted to see it, to feel it, and for it to inspire my work. To many, the Delta is no more than the long stretch of Highway 61 with a few plaques reminding visitors of why they are visiting.
I started this project photographing from afar. With a long lens, I drove into rural communities and often shot stealthily through the windows of my car. It wasn't until a visit to The Rosedale Baptist Church that I encountered real human contact. With the approval of the minister, folks lined up to have their portraits taken. I noticed the pride with which families composed themselves for the pictures. In a world of selfies and Instagram, these people still welcomed an outsider and his camera as an honor. The results from these first relationships and the places they have taken me have been startling and beautiful. I have found the Mississippi Delta of long lost in the the most obvious of places: within the lives of the people that inhabit it.
