Hello. My name is Alan W. Smith. I've set out to take one million portraits during my lifetime.

My goal is to get this project into The National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C. That's the place I first saw Richard Avedon's portraits. It was one of the most profound visual experiences of my life. His photography has been a major influence ever since. It's also the genesis of the idea for this project.

You can start at the beginning.