Photo by Jolene Craig Photographer Jim Osborn, owner of Osborn Photographic Illustration, stands with one of his cameras in his Boaz studio. Osborn and his work were chosen to represent the state of West Virginia in a national project with all 50 states.

BOAZ — Local photographer Jim Osborn said he was pleased to have been chosen to represent West Virginia in a photographic project that included all 50 states. “I felt honored to have been selected,” Osborn, owner of Osborn Photographic Illustrations in Boaz, said. “This project was something I felt was important to do.” The 50 States Project is the brain child of United Kingdom native Stuart Pilkington who researched photographers in each American state and selected 50 amateur and professional photographers to represent the state where they live. “When Stuart contacted me by e-mail, I was a little skeptical of the validity of the project,” Osborn said. “Then I did some research on him and read about his previous projects and thought it would be something interesting to do.” Pilkington, an art photography curator, began the project because he was curious to see how the country and its people have changed since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, Osborn sai.