The Emporia Gazette

May 27, 2012

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In May 2003, Kansas City photographer Dan White made a portrait of 3-year-old Bailey Lewis on the Lewis ranch near Strong City. That portrait became the cover of “America 24/7,” a photo book documenting life in America.

“It was one of those crazy days when everything was going wrong, when we got a call asking if they could put Bailey on the cover,” said Terri Lewis, Bailey’s mom. “My oldest was sick and my other two were wanting attention. I put the author of the book on hold three times. He actually thought it was funny.”

More than 25,000 photographers responded, between May 12-18, 2003, to a request for digital photographers to take photos of their cities and towns, friends, neighbors, families and animals. Photographers ranged from Pulitzer Prize winners to first-time users to international photojournalists and newspaper shooters.

The project was created by Rick Smolan and David Elliot Cohen, the team behind the New York Times No. 1 Bestseller: “A Day in the Life of America.”

When the book came out, the whole Lewis family was flown to New York for a book publicity tour and an appearance on national television. That included Bailey and her mother, her father, Jason, and brothers Tanner, now 9, and Jaron, now 5.

Four years later, Bailey is 7 years old and in the first grade. She helps her dad on the ranch, rides four-wheelers, jumps on hay bails, fishes, rides horses and explores their 5,200-acre ranch with her two brothers.

“America 24/7,” featured on “The Today Show,” “CBS Sunday Morning,” The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, gave thousands of photographers the opportunity to publish their art during one ordinary week. They shot more than 1 million digital pictures of their families, friends and communities.

White is a British photojournalist with experience in newspapers and British news agencies. He has also done work for magazines, international organizations, multilateral organizations and corporate clients. His assignments take around the world, but he specializes in South and Southeast Asia. He also writes for some of the world's leading publications as a feature writer and editor.

Fifth in a series of photo packages produced by University of Kansas interns. For more photos, see Essence in today’s paper.