A national photography project focused on documenting the people and stories that make up the country is making a stop in Natchitoches on April 7, with a strong push for community members to take part.
“The Americans,” created by photographer Aaron Patton, is a growing archive of portraits capturing individuals across all 50 states. The project focuses on stripped-down, black-and-white images that remove distractions and center entirely on the individual.
Patton, an editorial and commercial portrait photographer based in Wichita, Kansas, said the project is rooted in curiosity and a desire to better understand the people and places across the country.
“I do this work because I’m constantly curious and this job lets me indulge that curiosity in ways I never imagined,” Patton said. “Being in Kansas means I can go just about anywhere in the country at the drop of a hat.”
The local session will be held from 4-7 p.m. at StoryBrew Coffee Cafe, located at 780 Front St. in Natchitoches. Participation is open to anyone, and Patton said the project relies on a wide range of individuals to fully capture the American experience. Participants can expect getting their portrait taken to last just a few minutes.
The Americans Project seeks people from all walks of life, including students, professionals, retirees and workers in every field. Patton said every participant contributes to building a broader picture of the country. He’s looking for a mix of blue collar, white collar, no collar, local characters, and the people that make a place unique.
“The local butcher is just as welcome as the risk analyst and the retired mechanic,” Patton added. “I’ve had participants aged 4-92. Anyone with a defined “role” that I can put in the caption can be photographed for the series. Unique jobs do stand out in the mix (especially when they present in an interesting way in the images), but the series needs the full spectrum of American roles to be complete. I’ve yet to meet someone truly ‘ordinary.’ If there are things you use in your role, bring them. And wear what you regularly do for that role. I like the mess of everyday life much more than too much preparation.”
So why did Patton choose to stop in Natchitoches?
“Small communities are the lifeblood of American culture,” Patton said. “They’re what keep America unique and vibrant. I love to visit the oldest places wherever I go, and the second I read that Natchitoches was the oldest city in Louisiana, I knew it had to be on my list.”
He also noted the importance of including places like Natchitoches in the project, pointing to the role smaller communities play in preserving regional identity and traditions.
Patton said the project is intended to document people in a direct and honest way, often through brief portrait sessions that last only a few minutes. Participants are asked to face the camera directly, creating a moment of focus and self-awareness.
The project, which began in early 2024, has since expanded and Patton said the experience has introduced him to a wide range of people and stories across the country—many of which have left a lasting impression.
“I’ve met so many unique and weird and wonderful and fascinating people doing this, it’s impossible to pick just one,” Patton said. “Whether it’s an 11-year-old rattlesnake butcher, Miss Navajo Nation herself, a cartoonist who turned my white backdrop into a mural, or a mom in Missouri taking care of her special needs son while juggling a career and a nonprofit, there are just countless ways that I’ve been surprised and overwhelmed by the stories that each person carries.”
Patton said that as the project continues, his vision of success extends beyond exhibitions and publications.
“Seeing the portraits on a museum or gallery wall will be a satisfying moment,” he said. “But success to me will be knowing that anywhere I go in the country, I’ll know a great story about someone not too far away.”
The long-term project, which is expected to remain in production through 2028, will include a book, a traveling exhibition and a growing archive of portraits from communities across the United States. Patton said the work is designed to live in multiple formats, allowing more people to engage with the stories being collected.
At its core, Patton said the project is about connection—both between the people being photographed and those who will eventually see the images.
“So that someone, somewhere, can be introduced to Natchitoches the same way I get to be,” he said.
