SOCIALLY DISTANT
COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS Across Canada and around the world, the COVID-19 pandemic stopped us all in our tracks. Photographers who thrive when working with people were faced with an unprecedented situation.
C
reating documents of family life and using photography to foster connections and community is not an unusual part of the job. Social distancing and home isolation became a barrier, but working within confines often breeds the highest levels of creativity. In the season of quarantine, lockdowns, and “Stay Home, Be Safe,” photographers persevered to find a solution. In spring 2020, a trend emerged. #Porchtraits (porch portraits), #DoorTraits, and #WindowPortraits became a way for photographers to maintain social distance and document families during this extraordinary time in history. Understandably, the photo trend faced contention from some health officials and professional organizations; but, ultimately, and quite clearly, the photographers and participants have created documents of our time, intending to unify and uplift. We asked three photographers from across Canada about their experiences.
N8 IMAGES Victoria, BC
Nathan Smith is a self-taught portrait photographer. Growing up in Jamaica, he enjoyed a tropical life: weekends at the beach in his childhood, dirt-biking in the hills as a teen, and crewing on a sailboat as a young adult, learning life lessons from the captain and working as part of a crew. Shortly after moving to Canada in 2014, he picked up a camera for the first time and discovered a deep love for photography. One project
Nathan is especially passionate about sharing is his ongoing series Profiling Black Excellence, where he documents the stories behind instances of racism or racial profiling faced by people of colour in Victoria and Vancouver. What made you decide to start this project?
I always strive to use my photography to empower my subjects and benefit community. When lockdowns began, I was worried that I didn’t have anything to offer my community.
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