Purbalite Photo Editor Paige Crawley took photos over the summer for a book by Pittsburgh poet Sam Hazo, and she was featured today in a column in the Post-Gazette about the book’s upcoming release.

Crawley has been taking pictures almost her whole life, she said. When she was 4, her grandfather gave her a point-and shoot-camera, and her lifelong love of photography began.

“I’ve always taken pictures of things that meant a lot to me,” she said. “When I was a kid, that was stuff like Barbies, but now I like to take pictures of people.”

Though she mostly takes pictures of people, Crawley enjoyed taking pictures of the city for the book, which is called The Pittsburgh That Stays Within You.

“I got a chance to explore the city a lot, and I have more of a love of Pittsburgh now,” she said.

Her photos were of places such as the Strip District, Kennywood, the Cathedral of Learning, and the outdoor art project called Randyland on the North Side.

Crawley was hired to provide photos for the book through Jason Price, the designer for the book. She knows Price because she had previously taken pictures of his sister’s family.

Crawley connected with Hazo soon after getting the job. She remembers meeting him for the first time and admiring him.

“He’s such an amazing person. I remember going to his house and sitting on his couch and feeling a connection with him.”

Hazo told her he admired the originality of her photos.

“They had hired someone else before me, but they decided not to use his pictures because Sam thought they were too cliched,” Crawley said.

The book already is available for pre-order on Amazon. It will go on sale locally on Sept. 28.

There will be a book release event Sept. 28 at Riverside Landing in Oakmont that will celebrate this book and other new books by the same publisher.

Memories of this project will stay with her a long time, Crawley said.

“I think of Pittsburgh as my city now, and I know it a lot better,” she said.