This is us on our porch during these terrible crazy times of COVID-19, March 30th, 2020 {Photo taken by Bryan using the Canon App , camera on tripod}

I decided a couple of weeks ago to spread a little joy and photograph families on their porches for fun! What started as a way for me to serve my community and ‘stay busy’ during this time turned quickly into a personal photography project. My mission: to photograph as many porches as possible and to create a honest real-life portrait of Asheville 6ft apart. The vision: to collage the images together, creating a sense of community and an attempt to bring Asheville together in self-isolation.

I knew I needed to be outside and at least 6ft away from the subjects (in order to stay at a healthy distance) and the porch seemed such an appropriate location. The entranceway of the home has so much character; we’re proud of our porches and we spend so much time there, sipping our morning coffees on the front stoop, watching our children play in the yard, and chatting with neighbors.

It has been such a weird and scary few weeks as we watch the news and read about the virus spreading and the death toll rising. Locally, businesses are suffering, people losing work and families are trying to cope with their new normals with children at home. Let’s face it- we’re all in this together and for the long haul.

I hit pause on the project to honor Governor Cooper’s “Stay in Place” declaration but hope to get back out there soon and continue to provide a little joy, offering a small distraction and keepsake of these times together in self-isolation. I’m grateful for the amount of enthusiasm and interest in my little “porch project” and will never forget all the families I’ve met and the stories we’ve shared. As awful as this pandemic is and the challenges it’s brought, I know that one thing is for sure- people have come together in new ways and our communities are stronger than before.

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