A longtime resident of Columbus, Mississippi, Birney Imes has spent much of his career photographing the surrounding communities of Lowndes County. Using his photography to build trust and understanding, Imes brings a sense of empathy and respect to his subjects as he depicts the social practices that define spiritual life in the region. In this picture of members of the Oaklimb Missionary Baptist Church conducting a baptism by immersion—a central rite of Baptist Christianity—Imes emphasizes not only the joy and physicality of the moment but also the intimate connections between land, faith, and body that characterize the ritual.