Project Overview

As someone who grew up in Petersburg and has walked most of its streets and talked to many of its residents in their homes, I feel extremely comfortable here and am interested in the stories of the people who call Petersburg home, for better or worse. My goal is to tell 100 personal stories through a combination of photography and written accounts. A key component of this project will be a side-profile portrait of each individual.

Through the personal stories and photographs, I hope to demonstrate the unique qualities of each person, while also highlighting the many similarities we all share. Regardless of skin color, culture, language, or nationality, we all have similar physical traits and personal stories. Ultimately, we all have the same basic needs, wants, and hopes. That’s why I’ve named this project “a-side-of-us,” and my hope is to turn it into a book.

To bring this project to life, I hope to visit individuals in their homes or elsewhere, document their stories, and capture photographs of them in their environment. Whenever possible, I will take the side-profile portrait in my studio located on Old Street in Old Towne. However, if that’s not possible, I will bring a portable studio to the individual’s home.

Would you or someone you know be willing to be interviewed to share their story of life in the city of Petersburg, Virginia? If so please email me at steven@asideofus.com