Roots Run Deep by Leigh Ann Edmonds

The places we belong, the beliefs we carry, the people we become.. Roots Run Deep is a documentary series about my own observations growing up in a small town of the American South. The land, the culture, the traditions all ultimately shape us into who we become.

The emphasis of the project started in 2020 when I began documenting the locals within the surrounding areas of my home. What started out as a way to pass my time quickly turned into a way I connected to others within my own community until the project eventually grew to other areas within the American South.

Through my simple and careful observations, I discovered that regardless where I spent my time, the sense of belonging was in the forefront. People were more likely to spend time where they felt a sense of community and companionship through their likenesses.

Regardless of the community or the culture, there always are the underlying similarities of having a sense of belonging. The importance of belonging somewhere helped me realize the importance of setting down roots and belonging to my own community.

Roots Run Deep is about the deep-rooted community of generational differences yet similarities within the American South.

^{Leigh Ann Edmonds' Portrait: © Nathan Watson}




Leigh Ann Edmonds
Leigh Ann Edmonds is a freelance photographer out of Birmingham, Alabama. Her work predominantly focuses on the rural regions of the American South, the people, their deep rooted culture and the land that is often passed down with each generation.

Leigh Ann has a degree in studio art and journalism from The University of Alabama; Tuscaloosa. Her conviction to break away from mainstream photography led to her retirement as a professional wedding and family portrait photographer, allowing her to focus more on her personal work and photography projects.
www.leighannphotography.com
@leighann_photo
All about Leigh Ann Edmonds

Her personal work is shot predominantly on 35mm black & white film. She uses a 1955 vintage NIKON S2 rangefinder and the first camera she learned to shoot on, the Nikon N80 SLR.