Faces of a Nation

How can you capture a nation as diverse as ours in one photograph? You can't. But if you interview and photograph one person from each of the 50 states, as I'd like to, a more complete picture of our makeup comes into focus.

This is a project I've dreamed of for years: Truly digging deep down into an America that I've seen very little of, in the grand scheme of things.

I'd travel to all 50 states, stopping and spending time in small towns and big cities alike, criss-crossing a nation in which everyone has a story.

This would encompass people young and old, from Native Americans to immigrants, blue- and white-collar, from homeless to wealthy, in an attempt to present a true cross-section of our culture.

Along the way, I'd constantly update a blog from the road (and, well, in the case of Hawaii, the sky) with outtakes and glimpses into everyday life of everyday Americans.

I'd spend time at each stop along the way, getting to know the residents, getting to know one person (or a handful) in particular. These wouldn't be pre-arranged, and they wouldn't be drop-in sessions.

The final product would be a book, with one face for every state in the union. The photographs would be environmental portraits, not impersonal studio work, that really show what life is like for each person featured.

In the book, you'd see a portrait on one page, and on the facing page, you'd read, in the subject's own words, what life is like for them; what their America is. At once, it would be like looking in a mirror and like looking at something completely foreign.

Exactly what American life symbolizes.

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