SHELTERING by Doug Menuez

SHELTERING

A day with Oscar & Julien by

Doug Menuez

Being a kid in the time of Covid-19 is tough.

Everything I read and see tells me children are bearing the brunt of isolation. They miss their friends, their schools and social interaction.

They really need all that.

And yet I know as a parent that children are astonishingly adaptable.

They manage to find joy in the simplest things.

Watching them might help us to reconsider our own situation. I believe in the power of hope and that there’s a silver lining in all this for almost everyone. One thing we know for sure: nothing will ever be the same.

Enjoy the little moments.

It’s been pretty stressful.

I’m getting a little bit sad that we can’t just go out and play with our friends.

- Oscar, 12 years old

The best thing about the quarantine is that everyone that’s not healthy because they might have other illnesses is safe. Like if everyone follows the rules people should be safe.

-Julien, 12 years old

It’s great having our house because our family gets time to bond. Our family is not all off doing our own thing now. We do a lot more things together.

- Julien, 12 years old

Me and Oscar together will play soccer, video games, Netflix. We get along pretty well I think.

Honestly, I don’t know a lot of brothers who get along too well. But we seem to get along better than most other siblings.

- Julien, 12 years old

Production Note For the past 56 days, I’ve been yearning to get out and shoot something. So in collaboration with my producer Lynda Goldstein/ Pix Producers, we decided to take on the CDC mandated safety protocols and apply them to a simple, everyday situation. We set out to test the concept that we could produce authentic, emotional storytelling despite following the strictest safety procedures in every aspect of our production.

We used PPE at all times and careful distancing, minimal crew and a family that has been in quarantine together for months as our talent.

The family allowed us to use their house and property. Lynda and I have also been in lock-down for the past few months.

So we spent a day with Oscar and Julien, 12 year old brothers, as they did what they’ve been doing most days that aren’t raining: online schoolwork and outdoor play. And while we went a bit slower and it felt a bit harder, it wasn’t that all different for me than what I’d done on past journalism shoots when required to use PPE and social distancing in hospitals, and we truly had fun along the way.

In the end, applying my stripped-down documentary approach was a good way to merge the competing needs of safety and advertising production. I proved to myself that I could still get images that have that sense of intimacy and connection I strive for while keeping everyone safe. And this is the first of a two part shoot, so there is more to come. Please enjoy.

Doug Menuez

Heather Elder Represents (415) 931-7709 heather@heatherelder.com All photographs & text ©Doug Menuez. All rights reserved.

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