Leigh Ann Edmonds is a freelance documentary photographer that resides in a small town of central Alabama, USA. Edmonds’ work predominantly focuses on everyday life in and around these small rural communities with an underlying emphasis on human connection. Her work is often described as timeless, gritty and soulful. With a heavy emphasis on the use of classic black and white 35mm film, she creates nostalgic and enduring story-telling images rich in humanity.
She studied art and obtained a degree in studio art from the University of Alabama in 2004. She incorporated her business shortly after university and focused on commissions for 15 years before returning to focus on her personal work during the pandemic of 2020. Her work predominantly focuses on her small hometown and the surrounding communities of the American South. Her work has been purchased among private collectors of fine art photography, and she continues to sell prints to individuals interested in her fine art photography.
Her work has most recently been featured in All About Photo, Black and White Magazine, Street Photography Magazine, Dodho, The Pictorial List and Birmingham City Lifestyle.

– How and when did you become interested in photography?

I became interested in photography when I was 14 years old. I was gifted a puppy and would photograph him daily. I discovered the joys of photography through showing others that I could
communicate things, people and places that were important to me.

– Is there any artist/photographer who inspired your art?

The majority of work that inspires me is the work that has no sense of time. It feels as though it always was and always will be relatable and approachable. Some of my favorite photographers are the classics, such as Robert Frank’s America, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Dorothea Lange, Walker Evans, and many others from the 40’s-50’s era. The work just seems to always be relevant as it captures life as it was reminding me that life, in a way is so different yet so relatable in today’s world.

– Why do you work in black and white rather than colour?

I focus on black and white because it ages better to me than color. It is more of an interpretive approach where as color feels more descriptive. I feel it is a more emotive approach to photography. It doesn’t need to be loud and doesn’t need to beg for attention whereas color feels more of a louder approach, and I personally feel, individuals who prefer color do not have the gift of interpreting a scene for themselves. It’s the difference between watching a movie ( color ) vs reading the book ( black and white)

– How much preparation do you put into taking a photograph/series of photographs?

The preparation that goes into shooting is a long process of time, trust and acceptance into a community. I focus on relationships in my work and if I do not feel a connection to my
subjects, I will wait until I do before I feel I can capture an image that is relevant to my longterm vision. My work is all created on black and white film, so it is a much slower process
to getting started yet I shoot quick and intuitively. Most of my work is about building relationships with communities I document so I feel it is more important to focus on these relationships than the shooting.

– Where is your photography going? What projects would you like to accomplish?

I foresee my photography going into private archives and collections in twenty or thirty years. My work is more so geared towards the everyday life in the American South. It’s a journal of
my life experiences and I feel that it will only be relevant after enough time passes for people to understand the value of an era that returns no more. Right now, I feel people are more focused on technology, colorful and loud work that feels cold and distant that I feel that the simplicity of life and humanity can be overlooked in a noisy world.

Website: www.LeighAnnEdmonds.com