Porch portraits will define this time of isolation for many families. And perhaps Porch Portraits will mark this COVID-19 Era of family time for history. But you might be thinking, “What are porch portraits?”
Photography in the Time of Pandemic
Trapped at Home? Don’t Be Depressed…Take Porch Portraits.
Simply put, Porch Portraits are photographs made by people who are sheltering in place—posing on their porch. How can such a stressful time suddenly give birth to a special art-form? Who would guess that this could become a time when people would value family portraits? No, we are not writing about the in-studio, hands-on posed, close-up and personal kind of photographs. We are talking about photographs made with social distancing. We are talking about photographs from a safe social distance. And usually, the subjects pose on the front porch of their home.
Porch Portraits: Making Memories of a Special Time
A recent trend includes both professionals and amateurs. They have begun an intensive, coast to coast movement to create family photographs on the front porch. The idea is simple. The photographer makes a memorable image of families who are observing the shelter-in-place rules. And they pose on the front port to memorialize this time. Too many family groups, this quarantine time has become a special time of slowing down. They include family dinners, board games, arts and crafts, and homeschooling. Time has stopped and frozen social activities and associations in many cities, towns, and villages across America. And families are turning “counting days” into “making days that count.”
Good Times and Bad Times
Woops! That May Be a Little Less Than the Required Spacial Distance.
Spending more time with family has been a side-effect of the shelter-in-place rulings. Porch portraits focus on family time in this unique break from work and routine.
- In some cases, this new style of photography has helped photographers. Needless to say, photography studios are struggling. Portrait photographers who depended on wedding and newborn photo sessions have seen their calendars erased.
- In other cases, photographers have created porch portraits for the benefit of favorite or COVID-19-related charities or as personal gifts to their community.
- The Porch Portrait Style of Shooting: Photographers are renewing their creativity with these portraits. They are, for the most part, across the yard or street from their client’s porches. Long lenses and great equipment enhance quality. However, memory creation is the point. Safe social distance is the order of the day
Professionals and Porch Portraits
How do neighborhoods and clients feel about this distance style of photography? Miranda Hertel, a photographer, stated, “When they discovered that I won’t come anywhere close to contact with them, not even touching cash or anything like that, everybody was, “like I have to do this.”
And she added, “Why not go outside, get some fresh air and have this tangible time of history that you’ll have forever?” Miranda has been a photographer for the past four years. She saw the trend and realized it would help her with clients.
“Any way I can keep my family fed and keep myself sane during this time of isolation, I’m willing to do it,” Hertel said. “I didn’t see anyone else in the local area doing this yet so I figured I have to hop on board with this.”
She stated, “I’m happy that we can do something like this to make everyone’s spirits a little higher during this difficult time.” One of her clients stated, “We just thought we don’t have anything else going on today. So, why not help her and her business?”
The Key to Porch Portraits
Photographers and Photo Memories of Close Family Moments.
Making it fun and being able to give good posing directions are essential to this trend.
“We’re allowed to get fresh air,” Hertel said. “We’re allowed to drive in our car. All are allowed to see friends and family as long as we’re socially distancing ourselves within the six feet. I’m actually going to be more than six feet away. So if the response keeps going, until we’re actually on a quarantine lockdown and we’re not allowed to legally leave our house, I would love to continue to do this.”
Front Porch Project NOLA
In New Orleans, Jillian Carruth states she thinks this trend of “capturing families quarantine stories” provides her with a way to give back to her community. So, her photography venture is called the “Front Porch Project NOLA. “I believe it’s possible we can all feel more connected after this,” Carruth said.
Carruth, who is at the other end of the country, is documenting family stories. Remember, families are spending time at home, at safe distance from her, on their front porch. She doesn’t charge families and she gives them one free professional portrait. However, there is a charitable twist. All she asks in return is that “participants support a local business or restaurant of their choice. They can do this by either making a purchase or buying a gift card at any amount.” Carruth has captured 90 families and now carries a waiting list of about 500 families.
More to the Porch Time Story
One project can lead to another with premium family time. If you want to pretty up your porch, check out this reliable online design resource for some amazing Pretty porches.
Also close by is another company, Greer Photography in Plattsville, N.Y. They are asking for donations in return for the porch portraits, ear-marked for their local hospital. The Favro family posed on their porch while Jason Greer explained poses and positions from a safe distance.
Mathew Favro said, “Photos are a way of memorializing good and bad things and I think both of those things are important.” Vanessa Cicarelli, also from Greer-Ciarelli Photography stated, “Kind of a nice way of documenting that together time that is rare in our society.”
Porch Portrait Donations to Hospital Workers
Make Memories of Historic Times During the Coronavirus Era.
“This is hitting close to home for us and I can tell you everybody that’s dealing with this is a hero right now, but the hospital workers are literally putting their lives on the line every day to save people,” Favro said. “They need everything we can do for them.”
We’ve probably all seen the saying by medical workers, “We go to work so you can stay at home.” Vanessa commented thoughtfully, “It’s a privilege, right? …to get to stay home with your family,”
So, we of Bullhorn Media invite you to make some porch portraits. Call a professional or make them by yourself. Just make a family memory on your porch. We sincerely believe that porch portraits of this time will have a place in history.
Wherever you are, follow the rules. From the Bullhorn Media family to yours: Be safe.