Gun Nation is Zed Nelson's landmark photographic exploration of America's relationship with firearms. Produced over 3 years across the United States, the project examined how guns have become deeply embedded in everyday American culture and identity.
 
Rather than focusing on stereotypes or fringe groups, Nelson turns his attention to ordinary, law-abiding citizens, gun retailers, and industry events. Combining documentary photography with observational portraiture, he presents carefully staged images of individuals and families posing with their weapons, revealing the contradictions and tensions surrounding gun ownership. These portraits are contrasted with photographs from hospital emergency rooms and morgues, highlighting the human consequences of widespread firearm availability.
 
Through its striking visual language and uncompromising social commentary, Gun Nation challenges the myths, assumptions, and cultural narratives that underpin contemporary American gun culture. The result is a powerful and unsettling body of work that remains as relevant today as when it was first published in 2000.