It started with a Facebook message. A friend sent me a post about a photographer in Tennessee who spent an afternoon photographing her neighbors who were locked down. He suggested it would be a good project for Frenchtown.
I thought it was a great idea and jumped on it, naming it The Porch Portrait Project. The project ran for about a week and 60 families took part, dogs included (and a few cats).
The first step (after coming up with a clever name) was to set up a webpage (https://brokawphotography.com/porch-portraits/) explaining the project and giving people a way to indicate they wanted to be part it. Participation was free and the webpage included a PayPal button so people could donate to support the project and the local food pantry.
After setting up the webpage I headed over to the Frenchtown Facebook Group to announce the project. It was warmly received and people started registering to be photographed.
I grouped people by general locations and gave them a 30 minute window when they could expect me to show up (kind of like the cable guys).
Everything went smoothly. I’d arrive within my predicted window and people would be ready on their porches for me to photograph them from the sidewalk or their front lawn (about 10-15 feet away). I’d coach them into a good group pose and then fire off a few shots.
Everyone was friendly, happy and totally cooperative. It was a wonderful experience being out photographing the community. After shooting I processed the photos and posted them on my website where people could download them for free. https://brokawphotography.com/porch-portrait-photos/
The response was overwhelmingly positive. Some folks had props and some simply had willing happy faces. My little project was a welcomed distraction from being locked down, even if only for a short time.…