“As I Live and Breathe” is a collection of color-forward photography accompanied by short-form writing, to explore what it means to be human in the American South. This soon-to-be photo book is grounded in the belief that our existence itself is the catalyst for change and the tool that moves us forward. Flourishing is reciprocal and understanding, like culture itself, is something we build together.
“As I Live and Breathe” champions Southern life as multifaceted and sacred, rather than spectacle. It is grounded in a belief that regional misrepresentation thrives when we refuse to be curious about people and places different from what we know. “As I Live and Breathe” offers an intimate invitation into the Southern experience through richly-styled portraiture, detailed vignettes, and vivid Southern landscapes, unveiling the forgotten brilliance of the South and its people.
As Told By Its People
THIS IS THE SOUTH
layered, evolving, and unapologetically human
This book is more than a celebration, it’s an act of cultural preservation and narrative justice. It archives voices and faces that are often overlooked or misunderstood at a time when empathy, curiosity, and connection are more essential than ever. “As I Live and Breathe” invites us into a more honest and nuanced understanding of identity and belonging.
Storytelling is resistance and too many stories have been told about us, without us. Visibility is healing and honoring where we come from, with all its complexity, is how we begin to write what comes next.
The stories we tell about who we are, and where we come from, deeply matter. May this be the home for Southern Visibility.
Interested in financial giving to support the execution of this project?
Who gets to tell Southern stories?
What do we lose when narratives are oversimplified?
What happens when we’re finally seen for ALL that we are?
