I spend as much time as I can in the Delta, and I have made life long friends. I’m not taking photos anymore, instead it has become a further evolution of my own being and reconciliations of being a black man in America. For a long time I hated my race, I was ashamed and scared, ashamed of what we had been reduced to and scared of the repercussions inherent in being in this country and black. The Delta is the heart of impoverished America and the truly forgotten Americans. Yet they have taught me more about pride of self, who I am and where I came from than anywhere I’ve been. My life is richer because of the Delta.
I work with the same Speed Graphic camera/lens combo I used to make my Afghanistan tintypes, only this time I use dry plates and only take 1 glass plate per trip. I keeps me coming back and thoughtful of what I am doing. The many imperfections of the images are out of my control but welcome. ruins of disarray.