‘We laughed and cried a lot’: a Japanese photographer in Alabama – in pictures

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Fumi Nagasaka had never been to the deep south before visiting Dora in Walker County – the people she met and photographed there confounded her expectations

Tue 12 Dec 2023 07.00 GMT Last modified on Thu 14 Dec 2023 21.11 GMT

• The Band, 2017

  When Japanese photographer Fumi Nagasaka was invited by her friend Tanya to visit her home town of Dora, Alabama, it proved to be a moment of creative inspiration. Located north-west of Birmingham, Dora is a town of about 2,300 people. Church, college football and Jack’s – the regional fast food chain – are popular with the town’s residents and Nagasaka was introduced to each over a series of visits. Dora, Yerkwood, Walker County, Alabama by Fumi Nagasaka is published by Gost Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

• Amiyah and Tavean, 2020

  Fumi Nagasaka: ‘Amiyah loves Kamala Harris. This photo was shot the day Biden/Harris got elected and she was super-excited. When I told Amiyah that I wanted to photograph her, she ran home to put on her favourite lip gloss. Her mother, Shaquenetta, who was studying to become a lawyer, told us that the 2020 election was giving kids great hope for a brighter future. Amiyah takes care of her little brother Tavean when Shaquenetta is at work or studying. I could see that there was a lot of love between the siblings and wanted to capture that’ Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

• Pink House, 2018

  ‘Around the time this project began I was living in New York, working as a photographer. I often felt lonely, stressed out about everyday life and worried about the future. When my friend Tanya first took me to Walker County in 2017, I didn’t know anything about the southern US because I never had access. Many people, including those who live there, sometimes associate the south with poverty and rural blight, and while it is undeniable that those things exist, what I found in Walker County was beautiful, charming and full of love’ Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

• Teen Spirit, 2018

  ‘The people I met welcomed and accepted me with open arms and that made me feel very comfortable. In no time, this small southern town became another home to me’ Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

• Matthew in His Car, 2019

  ‘Matthew is the second oldest boy of the Morgan family. He always has so much energy and runs around his front porch barefoot. I photographed him and his family for several years at their front yard – he would always run away from me when I had a camera on my hand so it became a chasing game. Whenever I told him to stop running away and look to the camera, he stopped and gave me the most beautiful expression. One day around sunset he showed me his car. It was run down and missing the window but he looked very proud and I just loved everything about the moment’ Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

• Nolan at His Dad’s Chicken Coop, 2020

  ‘Nolan is a sweet, gentle and quiet boy. He was born with spina bifida and, despite his disabilities, he is very active. His father Nathan calls him a “miracle”. He loves to play basketball, run around in the yard and help his father care for their chickens and hogs. One day, I followed Nolan while he was working and feeding the chickens. I found his kindness to the animals incredibly heartwarming’ Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

• Florist, 2018

  ‘Some of the people I photographed became great friends and we still keep in touch. I think about them often and believe these relationships will endure for a long time’ Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

• Addie Crying, 2019

  ‘I started photographing Addie when she was 12. She was in the marching band in her middle school and I found her in the crowd at the local football game. She looked very beautiful and proud of playing music. In 2019, she was still in the band, wearing the uniform and holding her instrument, but she looked down and was crying. She said she didn’t want to be in the band any more but her grandmother (who raised her) wouldn’t let her quit. She was very frustrated. Her grandmother told me that she didn’t want Addie to be someone who quit easily. I understood both sides’ Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

• Kaleb and Kavin, 2018

  ‘Kaleb and Kavin are twins who go to Dora high school. I met them for the first time at the homecoming dance. They were really sweet and stood out in the crowd. They moved exactly the same, even when dancing. When I first met them, they were on the basketball team and seemed very popular in the school. When I visited Dora the following year, they were on the football team. Their mother Catasha invited us to the Sunday service at their church. Watching them sing and dance with their relatives was a very touching moment’ Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

• Addie and McKenzie Drying Addie’s Rabbit, G-Top, 2020

  ‘In this picture, Addie and her friend McKenzie were playing with Addie’s rabbit but he peed on McKenzie’s bed so they had to wash him in the kitchen sink and dried him with a hair dryer. I thought it was a funny and unique moment to capture. Also they are big K-pop fans like other teen girls so it was interesting to see the K-pop poster in the background showing a little modern side in the story because a lot of photographs in the book look timeless’ Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

• Mr James, 2018

  ‘This project gave me energy and purpose in my life and reminded me why I take pictures. People carry stories that are not easy to share and I am grateful to those who trusted me enough to share theirs’ Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

• Deionte, 2020

  ‘I want to say big thanks to Tanya Rouse for inviting me to Walker County. It’s a very special place for her and I am very grateful that she shared her knowledge and experiences with me. We laughed and cried a lot through those trips. She was a great collaborator (as well as a translator of Alabama accents!)’ Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

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