Out on Buford Highway

Atlanta, Georgia is like many American cities- it has grown to be a collection of people from all over the world. Somehow, however, this amalgam seems more incongruous in the heart of the South. In a region that often still celebrates its roots in the Confederacy, the concentration of foreigners is surprising. One of the concrete examples of this influx is Buford Highway. It starts inside Atlanta’s city limits and runs northeast through the suburbs for miles. It’s a sea of non-descript strip malls and former fast food stand-alone buildings. Immigrants eager to start their own businesses have flocked there because of the affordable rents. As a result it’s become home to some of the best and least pretentious culinary experiences that food crazy Atlanta has to offer. For over a year, I’ve gone to the Buford Highway area dozens of times to shoot inside and outside Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Guatemalan, Peruvian, Pakistani, Ethiopian, Mexican, Honduran, Cuban and many other stores and restaurants. I go early in the morning, at night, and during the day. I go to shoot, to eat, and to drop off prints. I love the people, the food, and the quirky architecture and I expect I’ll be working on this for some time. This is a small selection of the work I've done on Buford Highway. If you'd like to see more and read what I've written about the people and restaurants, go to http://forestmcmullin.blogspot.com/search/label/Buford%20Highway.