Snakes are alive! Boy with snake in the Appalachian Mountains: Best photo by Hannah Modig | Photography

I I first visited the Appalachian Mountains in my mid-twenties, after deciding that I needed to get away from my inner circle in Sweden to find my way into photography. I felt like I had to be alone, just responding to things happening around me and not thinking about my daily life.

America played a big role in my family history, and Appalachians in particular called me out because at the time, around 2006, I was listening to a lot of bluegrass music. I wanted to get closer to the people who lived where the music originated, and music has always been a huge source of inspiration for me. As I was driving into the mountains with no destination in mind, I met a social worker who told me, “Whatever you do, don’t go to St. Charles.” She said something about it being very dangerous, which piqued my curiosity.

At one time, St. Charles, Virginia, was a thriving town serving 10 coal mines. Now, all but one of the Pony Blue mines are closed, along with all the shops and bars. I stayed in a small hotel and photographed everyone I met with my medium format analogue camera, or I knocked on people’s doors to ask if I could photograph them. One family I got to know well was the Taylors, particularly the three brothers Laken, Josh and Derek, who were 14, 15 and 16 at the time. I felt really comfortable around these kids and their parents. I spent Thanksgiving at their house, and Lakin and I have stayed in touch ever since.

Intimacy is important when I photograph people – I need that feeling of connection, and I try to be open and vulnerable. This means that the people I photograph stay with me, and for 20 years, the people of St. Charles have remained deeply embedded in my consciousness.

I always imagined I would come back faster than I did, but things happened. I had children and got involved in other photography projects. But over the past three years, I’ve visited St. Charles several times, and this photo was taken on one of those trips. The boy’s name is Carter, he’s Derek’s son, and I should know his mother too, Makayla.

A group of us was going hiking in the mountains looking for ginseng. I was amazed and inspired by how free the Taylor family children were. They were running and looking for snakes under the stones. They are not afraid of them, although rattlesnakes and copperheads live in that area. I don’t think Carter’s snake was venomous, he just picked it up and carried it. Derek had taught him how to do it, although Carter was sad when he wasn’t allowed to bring it home.

One thing I see when I shoot in St. Charles is people’s love for the mountains, which are their backbone. They are truly connected to nature. I try to capture that, and reveal people’s inner souls through minute details. I think I also reflect myself when I photograph, by describing the lives of others, I say something about my own life and my own longings.

I have realized that many of my projects revolve around themes of social structures, time and memory. When I look at this picture of Carter, there’s a sense of heritage because I can see his parents in him, and of course my first book includes pictures of his father when he was young. The image is from a new series I’m making, The Wild Horses at Bonny Blue. Last year, while staying with the Taylor family, I went for a run and encountered a group of horses protected by a white stallion. When I tried to approach them, they ran away. Laken explained that someone in the town once released some horses that multiplied and became a mountain herd, which came down when they needed more food. With their strong bonds, these horses reminded me of the Taylor family – who lived wildly and simply, close to nature.

Biography of Hannah Modig

child Stockholm, 1980
High point: “Hillbilly Heroin, Honey won Best Swedish Picture Book of 2010, which gave me the validation to keep going. As well as a Prix Pictet nomination for Hurricane Season and an accompanying exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London this year.
Top tip: “Work with people you enjoy and respect.”