Moving Forward

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In the world of photographers, everyone eventually discovers their “niche”. For some people, it’s wedding photography; for others, it’s sports. For me, it’s black-and-white photography (as everyone is well aware).

For those who don’t know me, I grew up in a very Appalachian part of northern Alabama. An area with urban legends and familial ties and musical roots. I grew up in an area that is completely different from the rest of the state. Growing up in the southernmost part of Appalachia, I heard a lot of stories. I heard a lot of superstitions. Everything is intertwined and things have a way of being pretty cyclical.

Growing up, grandparents and older folks warned me not to venture into the woods because the “haints” might get me. “Haints” are ghosts, usually malicious ones, that like to snatch children up who wander into the woods. There were stories like Wicked John and the Devil, which told of a man who was so mean that most folks never crossed him. One day, he showed a kindness to St. Peter, who granted him three wishes. He used those wishes to outsmart the Devil, who in turn hated him so much that he wouldn’t let him into Hell. There was the story of Ashpet, the Appalachian version of Cinderella. A lot of those stories can be found in The Grandfather Tales, a collection of Appalachian folk stories.

My grandmother used to tell me about superstitious things. My great grandmother used to refer to “widow women”, old women who lived up the road and could cure warts and coughs. Old timers would tell me of witches that lived way out in the woods; specters that waited for the chance to do you harm. Growing up, there was lots of salt thrown over shoulders, and covering mirrors when people died, and all sorts of stuff.

Because of my upbringing, and my desire to share Appalachia with the world, I’m going to be working on a photo series I’m tentatively titling Appalachian Folk Tales, which I aim to have completed in November of 2017. I aim to compile this series into a photo book to be available in 2018.

As a photographer, I’ve evolved. I realized I didn’t want to do weddings or families anymore. Some people have the personality for it; I most certainly do not.

I’m a storyteller by nature. I’m a story teller who grew up with all kinds of folks tales, and legends, and superstitions, and a community of people who knew them just as well as I did.

The stories are dying out.

As more and more people die, or move away from smaller communities, our stories and our culture, which have given us in Appalachia a distinctive identity, are slowly fading. This is why I’m compiling the photo book with stories found both in my own life and the old book, The Grandfather Tales, because I do not want to see my way of life die out.

Particularly in northern Alabama, where Appalachia blends with the Black Belt, and poor farmers mold with old money, we have a distinct culture that we can claim entirely for our own. People that eat pimento cheese sandwiches and wash them down with RC Cola. People that go to the “hairdresser” every Friday. People that sit on the front porch and “visit a while”. Appalachians are the ones that are in the coal mines, the ones in church every Sunday, the ones brave enough to stand in a worship service and allow themselves to be covered in poisonous snakes. We are the ones who’ve grown up singing old folk songs, who probably know the words to “Barbara Allen” and gospel hymns better than we do most popular songs on the radio.

We are the ones that still sound the most like our Scots-Irish ancestors.

We’re the ones that still hunt and grow and preserve our own food. We are the ones that still believe in a little bit of magic, even if we do sometimes blame it all on the Devil himself.

That’s why I’m focusing on this series. My people and I have a story to tell.

Over the next few months, I’ll need volunteers. I’ll need people who are interested in being a part of this collection of stories and folk tales. I’ll need people willing to share parts of their own upbringings; whether it be playing a character in a story, or being willing to demonstrate how your granny taught you to make cornbread. Anything you think could be helpful, tell me about it.

The goal is to bring awareness to Appalachian culture/language/customs. All of it being together in one book, as a kind of reference for anyone wanting to learn. I want to incorporate music, religion, food, and stories into one visual guide. Several people have offered to help me, but I’m going to need more. I’m sending some of these photos to be printed and turned into postcards, as well, so you’ll be able to purchase some images separate from the book.

I’m so excited to be sharing this project with everyone, and I’m even more excited that a few blogs have been interested in working with me about it.

So here’s to an awesome 2017, folks. I’m looking forward to what’s to come.

-Amanda