#TheFrontStepsProject

Wow, what a month!!! In the blink of an eye, so much change. As a small business owner, I thought about ways I could help, what could I do? Most of the things that our community needs (toilet paper, masks, hand sanitizer), are things we simply cannot find or things we cannot do right now. A photographer in Massachusetts (Carla Soulia Photography) had an amazing idea and after an overwhelming response, she iencouraged other fellow photographers to jump on board! Last week I joined the #FrontStepsProject and am so excited to share these photos with you!

We are in this unique time in history where so many people are stuck at home, together--college kids sent home too abruptly, grade school kids home, and many parents home too. It's an unusual time, and its going to be nostalgic to look back at these and remember that time we were all quarantined in our homes for a Global Pandemic. We remember these moments through photos.

Last week, before the “stay at home order,” I took 5 minute photos of families on their front steps for the purpose
of bringing our community together when we might feel isolated. I wanted to highlight the faces of our community during a time when we might not see them in passing at the grocery store, gym, or restaurant.

After I posted this project on social media, I got an overwhelming response from the community. Parents asking for a photo because it would give their child something to look forward to that day; Parents asking me to come on their child’s birthday to give them something a little special; Some families had a spouse that was risking their life every day by treating hospital patients; and some stories were more personal in nature so I will not share those here or post their photos. The point is, everyone had a story to tell, and my mission was to capture that in a photo. The project turned out to be something much more meaningful than anticipated.

I took the images outside ONLY and from about 30 feet away to maintain physical
distancing. I did this free of charge, as a gift to our community. I told the people who participated that it was not meant to be a typical “Erica Land Photography” styled portrait session. I encouraged people to be creative, dressing like they are now (in pajamas) and/or holding signs and props. What I wanted was for people to show themselves “as is,” or how they wished to capture this moment in time.

I will start by posting a photo of my family (me, my husband, my three children, and my two therapy dogs). While this pandemic brought about a lot of change, this photo shows how it also brought our family together!

I plan to share a photo a day with you so that you can see the faces of the wonderful families who participated in this project.

Erica