The Cville People Project, a documentary photography project, was partially inspired by the Humans of New York website, which is the result of the attempt of one photographer to provide a sort of photographic census of New York City.

However, the focus of this project is somewhat different. I believe that we come to know a city through the people who live there, so my goal is to depict the city of Charlottesville through its inhabitants. I intend to make portraits of as many Charlottesvillians as possible and share them, along with a little bit about each person, on this photoblog.

Feel free to contact me at cville.people@gmail.com if you would like to be part of the project or know someone who would.

You can see more of my photos on my other blog The Things I've Seen and on my Flickr stream. You can also follow me on Instagram (K_A_Sprouse) or Twitter (@K_A_Sprouse).

24th June 2012

Photo with 1 note

Alwin, the tourist As I photographer, I often tend to notice other people who are walking around with cameras, and Alwin was hard not to notice, since he had a monopod attached to his.  As we walked beside each other along the Downtown Mall, I struck up a conversation, and he immediately began asking me questions about Charlottesville.  It turns out that he was visiting Charlottesville for the week and was hoping to do some street photography on the Downtown Mall, since somebody had told him that it was the place where you find the most people out and about.  Normally that’s true, but on a quite hot and humid Sunday afternoon, there just weren’t that many people out on the Mall.  I explained to him that he would have much better luck late Friday afternoon or on Saturday, told him about Fridays After Five, and suggested that he might try the Charlottesville City Market on Saturday morning, if he’ll still be here next weekend.  He told me that in New York, he works as a transplant coordinator, which means that he works with the individuals and/or the families of individuals who have volunteered to donate their organs and are near death or have died.  He said that it can be quite difficult work, as you might imagine, but that he feels good about the fact that seven or eight people may end up benefiting from the kindness and generosity of just one donor.        Downtown Mall in Charlottesville, VA

Alwin, the tourist

As I photographer, I often tend to notice other people who are walking around with cameras, and Alwin was hard not to notice, since he had a monopod attached to his.  As we walked beside each other along the Downtown Mall, I struck up a conversation, and he immediately began asking me questions about Charlottesville.  It turns out that he was visiting Charlottesville for the week and was hoping to do some street photography on the Downtown Mall, since somebody had told him that it was the place where you find the most people out and about.  Normally that’s true, but on a quite hot and humid Sunday afternoon, there just weren’t that many people out on the Mall.  I explained to him that he would have much better luck late Friday afternoon or on Saturday, told him about Fridays After Five, and suggested that he might try the Charlottesville City Market on Saturday morning, if he’ll still be here next weekend.  He told me that in New York, he works as a transplant coordinator, which means that he works with the individuals and/or the families of individuals who have volunteered to donate their organs and are near death or have died.  He said that it can be quite difficult work, as you might imagine, but that he feels good about the fact that seven or eight people may end up benefiting from the kindness and generosity of just one donor.       

Downtown Mall in Charlottesville, VA

Tagged: CharlottesvilleCvilleVirginiaCville People Project100 strangersstreet portrait

  1. kasprouse reblogged this from cvillepeople and added:
    Reblogged from my other blog.
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