“Riding With Chubby Checker” is from a photographic project of the same name. This is the first photo taken in the series. It began at 5:30 AM on a rainy, winter’s morning in Conway, SC. We left Conway, headed to Andrews, SC, and the home of Chubby Checker. Hence the title of the image and project. Initially, I had planned to explore the economic and social impact of public transportation on rural communities. It came to me almost immediately that the project was not about budgets and rider miles, but about the people who ride the bus and the commuting experience. I found that I very much wanted to photograph my fellow riders and wanted viewers to feel the same connection that I did.