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Don Johnson and the floodwater at Eagle Lake in Warren County, Mississippi on July 21, 2019. Photo by Eileen Busby.

Steve Pittman Jr. left, helps his father, Steve Pittman Sr. cast off their boat on the floodwater. In the background, Rodney Porter prepares to do the same. Valley Park in Issaquena County, Mississippi on July 20, 2019. Photo by Christelle Enquist

Beverly Cooper recalls the day she had to leave her home (19th of May 2019). Eagle Lake in Warren County, Mississippi on July 21, 2019. Photo by Christelle Enquist

Three crosses near Rolling Fork, Sharkey County, Mississippi on July 21, 2019. Photo by Christelle Enquist

Flooded farmland in Rolling Fork, on July 19, 2019. Photo by Eileen Busby.

Eagle Lake mail boxes and flooded farmland at Eagle Lake in Warren County, Mississippi on July 21, 2019. Photo by Eileen Busby.

Rodney Porter maneuvers his boat in a flooded yard in rural Issaquena County, on July 20, 2019. Photo by Eileen Busby.

A flooded road and one of the ubiquitous #finishthepumps signs in rural Issaquena County, on July 19, 2019. Photo by Eileen Busby.

Three crosses near Rolling Fork, Sharkey County, Mississippi on July 21, 2019. Photo by Christelle Enquist

Rodney Porter and Steve Pittman Jr. use chainsaws to clear the Pittman’s deer cabin of a fallen tree. Issaquena County, Mississippi on July 20, 2019. Photo by Christelle Enquist

Steve Pittman Sr. sits on his and his wife’s shattered glass covered bed in the deer cabin. Issaquena County, Mississippi on July 20, 2019. Photo by Christelle Enquist

Interior of Steve Sr. and Sandra Pittman’s deer cabin after being destroyed by a fallen tree. Issaquena County, Mississippi on July 20, 2019. Photo by Christelle Enquist

Photographers tell stories through their lens.

With images taken they can capture a moment in time, which words sometimes can’t describe.

This summer, as part of a Raw Society Photo tour workshop, amateur and professional photographers visited the Mississippi Delta.

“Our aim is to teach photography and provide unforgettable and ‘raw’ experiences in the places where the workshops take place,” co-founder Christelle Enquist said.

Founded in 2017 by Enquist and photographer Jorge Delgado-Ureña, the Barcelona-based company brings amateur and professional photographers together from around the world.

Photographers who visited the Delta included both Enquist and Delgado- Ureña, who live in Barcelona, along with Rory Doyle, who served as a guest mentor from Cleveland and Eileen Busby and Regi Metcalf from New York. The assignment was to capture images from the area that would tell stories through photography as if it were for a magazine or newspaper.

“Initially, it was going to be about something more open about the Mississippi Delta,” Enquist said, “However when we found out about the flooding and witnessed the frustration many people were feeling, we immediately changed the assignment to focus on that, with the hope of giving the issue more visibility and help in a way that we knew how.”

Enquist said during her time in the Delta she was “humbled” by the kind people she met.

“I was surprised by their positive outlook on life despite living with the flood since February (some before even),” she said, adding, it was also sad to see the devastation to homes, farmland and natural habitats.

“As I looked at their photos, I felt their pain and frustration, saw the toll it was taking on them, but also learned a lesson, one of resilience. The people of the Mississippi Delta are tough,” she said.

“Getting to know the people of the Mississippi Delta was an incredibly moving experience,” Busby said. “It was a privilege to be able to tell the story of the flood and how it affects the lives of the people in the Delta.”

About Terri Cowart Frazier

Terri Frazier was born in Cleveland. Shortly afterward, the family moved to Vicksburg. She is a part-time reporter at The Vicksburg Post and is the editor of the Vicksburg Living Magazine, which has been awarded First Place by the Mississippi Press Association. She has also been the recipient of a First Place award in the MPA’s Better Newspaper Contest’s editorial division for the “Best Feature Story.”

Terri graduated from Warren Central High School and Mississippi State University where she received a bachelor’s degree in communications with an emphasis in public relations.

Prior to coming to work at The Post a little more than 10 years ago, she did some freelancing at the Jackson Free Press. But for most of her life, she enjoyed being a full-time stay at home mom.

Terri is a member of the Crawford Street United Methodist Church. She is a lifetime member of the Vicksburg Junior Auxiliary and is a past member of the Sampler Antique Club and Town and Country Garden Club. She is married to Dr. Walter Frazier.

“From staying informed with local governmental issues to hearing the stories of its people, a hometown newspaper is vital to a community. I have felt privileged to be part of a dedicated team at The Post throughout my tenure and hope that with theirs and with local support, I will be able to continue to grow and hone in on my skills as I help share the stories in Vicksburg. When asked what I like most about my job, my answer is always ‘the people.’

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