Front Steps Project- Sharum Photography
One thing we can all agree on is Covid has definitely changed all of our lives in some way; some more than others.
As wedding and event photographers, we were just starting to crawl out of slow season and I was so excited to finally get back to work. If you don’t know me well, I am a very goal oriented person. It wouldn’t feel normal if I didn’t write out a list of things to do for the next day before I go to bed - like I do each day. For me, this business is not only our main source of income, it’s my passion and I enjoy it so much.
Now I’m suddenly left with nothing to do, and this is a feeling I haven’t had in quite some time. Suddenly I was bored.. what is that?!
I knew deep down that this uncertaintly about the future that I was feeling was affecting others as well. I had questions floating through my mind like,
“How are we going to pay for our home? How will we buy food?” and “With Justin still fortunate to be working his other job, how are we all going to stay healthy?”
I’ll be honest there was a lot of stocking up on boxed wine, unhealthy meals for comfort, and late nights of worry while endlessly scrolling through news and Facebook. One of those nights I came across a news article about Boston photographer Cara Soulia’s Idea for The Front Steps Project.
The project offers families that are asked to stay at home a way to share a moment and document their experience being quarantined with social distancing photography. (This means I used a lens that was able to photograph over 100ft from my subjects to take their photos on their front steps) Cara Soulia was so overwhelmed that she asked others all across the country to join in on this challenge.
The biggest thing that stood out about doing this project to me was the fact that I could document this weird unsure time in our lives.
My goal as a photographer has always been to capture the realness and personalities of the people through my lens and to document different stages of their lives…
So… what better time than now?
When I learned about this project, I couldn’t sit around and let this opportunity pass me by.
This project isn’t about exposure or notoriety - its to help others. We chose to pass all of the donations from The Front Step Projects to a Burrillville based program called “Between The Cracks”. They are a lifesaver for families that are in a tough spot with money and have nowhere else to turn for help. When we were starting our little family, we struggled badly, and we have had to call upon similar help, so it wasn’t a question of who we wanted to work with. Now more than ever, families are going to need help, and the thought of someone being able to keep their lights on or their homes warm is huge for us.
I was able to photograph over 40 families within a week!
I had already scheduled another week of sessions until I decided to stop and follow Governor Gia Raimondo’s advice once she called Stay at home order.
With a weeks worth of photos I managed to raise
One Thousand Four Hundred dollars of donations to benefit The Between the Cracks organization!
Although I am not photographing anymore front step photos and staying home to prevent the spread of the virus. If you would like to donate anyway here is a link to the Between the Cracks Donation page.
Below you will see that I have contacted most of all the families I have photographed through this process. I really wanted the chance to document not only the photographs but their responses about how life has changed for them. We decided to take one of our own this morning. We literally rolled out of bed for this, because you know what? This right here.. Is US right now living through this Quarantine…
“I’ve been having a hard time not working, so in order to stay sane Justin and I have been working on renovating our Airstream together. We pretty much gutted all of the 70’s interior, Replaced the subfloors, sanded down and painted the walls a beautiful bright white, We will make sure to post a personal blog soon to update you all on our renovations! I have also been crocheting masks and ear protectors for essential workers. I’ve had so many wonderful people donate yarn, buttons and thread in order for me to do so. I have also been restoring old photos which is a hobby of mine - You can check out my page at- Adore the Restore.
Our Son’s Abel and Liam as you can see.. are in desperate need of haircuts!…(and O.M.G this is the first time I’ve seen my REAL hair color *..AH look at those roots!..* in years!) The boys are loving distant learning from home. Before this they were so fortunate to have their cousins and neighbors who are like family close by. They are use to being able to play outside all day but we have made sure to follow the social distancing rules for our families sake and stay separated. We have had a ton of living room sleep overs, movie nights and as a gaming family.. we have been playing video games together and laughing for hours on end. We still make sure to get outside the house and stay active. Even though this is all nerve wracking and we all have our ups and downs each day. We are so happy to be able to be together and stay safe as a family. We are missing our family time with Memere, Pepere and their aunts, uncles and cousins. We are so fortunate to be able to live in a time where Zoom and FaceTime are available.”
“Our daughter arrived on March 4th, 2020 and my husband and I had already planned to take time to adjust and enjoy our new little family. We decided to participate in the front steps project because not only was it helping our community but we had cancelled our newborn photo’s as a precaution to keep our family healthy. This was a safe way to get our first professional family photo taken while our daughter was still little. We will be able to look back at this photo and it will remind us of the days spent inside in quarantine with our little family snuggling, video chatting with family and friends, taking time to slow down and enjoy the little things in life.”
“our quarantine started a little rocky with getting used to distance learning and coming up with a new schedule, but since we have gotten into a groove we have really been enjoying the extra time together. We know this will probably never happen again, and we're trying to make the best of the situation. I'm working from home so I work while Joseph is at school, we take a walk as a family once a day, we've started turning Joseph's school art projects into family projects so we all read the instructions together and make our own artwork and share them. We learned how to make homemade bread and a few times a week we'll make and deliver loaves of warm homemade bread to family or friends. We put fun music on through the car and dance outside of their house until they come to the door! Then we deliver the bread and hope to bring a smile We've been cooking meals together, cleaning together, having movie nights on air mattresses on the floor, had LEGO nights, come up with fun desserts to try, and have really been enjoying our extra time together”
“We are just trying to stay sane... like everyone else! My youngest daughter, Mila, has Cystic Fibrosis so we are a little more on edge worrying about her but so far we are all are healthy and enjoying the extra quality time together. My 8 year old, Ellie, loves doing school online and helping us start a garden in the afternoons when she is done with her school work. It’s frustrating not knowing when this will all be over, but we’re just trying to take it all one day at a time. “
“Quarantine hasn’t been so bad! We have played family games and baked a lot of goodies! We’ve spent a lot of time as a family!”
“Quarantine is going good. Not much has changed except my boyfriends hours got cut a little & the only thing thats really been affected is my spring & summer quarters are starting later. I am due with baby number two in September and now my school will overlap with my baby being born”
“the quarantine has affected our routine greatly. We have been spending a lot of quality time together now that we have it. I am a behavior tech and I work in the public school system, since school has been shut down for quarantine I am out of work, while my son Matthew is home and not in preschool. We have zoom meeting with his teachers and peers a few times a week. Life is different not being able to see our family and friends whom we on regularly see on a weekly basis’s. We miss our taco Tuesday nights at our close friends home. Matthew misses his peers very much. But we can’t complain too much, we have our health and that’s half the battle. Like I said, we have been spending more time together cooking, baking, exploring the wilderness... today I taught Matthew how to build a fire even! It’s been a curve for us, but we’re doing well, sticking to the rules and praying for the day’s we can reunite with friend”
“We’ve been quarantined since Friday 3/12 and have been enjoying our time with each other. Distance learning is weird. Lots of reading, biking without training wheels and board gaming. Kids are bonding so much more than ever before. Will really make an impact on how we shape our future...being home is fun!”
“Just like everyone we are struggling during this time. Everyone has their own struggles and all families struggles are different from each other. We are trying to complete building our home, a dream that started 5 years ago and that process has had its own ups and downs. For us this quarantine has had the opposite effect of bringing us all together as Chris and I are always at the house trying to finish by the beginning of May. We are all doing the best we can and pandemic or not we are always worried about making the best decisions we can for the welfare of our kids. We can only pray that they look back at this time and see it as a good story to share with their kids.”
“Since covid-19 spreads around like crazy and we have been quarantined ourselves since a few weeks. We grabbed the opportunity to renovate around our home. It is very challenge with 23 months old boy, 6 months old puppy and 5 years old dog. Plenty FaceTime with family’s opinions for renovate our home since they can’t come and help us. Our son discovered his new favorite movie is Monster, Inc. Some days, we have full energy to do the stuff around house. Some days, we r so lazy! Some days, we binge Netflix while our son goes to bed. Overall, we try to enjoy it as much as we can.”
“I am a teacher, so fortunately I am able to work from home and stay home with my boys! I get to teach my students virtually and also help teach my own kids! We get to spend all of our time together without the hustle and bustle of our usual lives, although we are missing friends, family and especially sports! We have done a lot of projects we wouldn’t have typically had time for, like extending our chicken coop! The kids have become more independent; creating new routines, learning to cook and helping with home projects! Dad owns a local small business, which is thankfully still open, but keeps him very busy and not home a lot! We are all thankful for modern technology! Even though we stay at home, we can face time and zoom with our family and friends! We aren’t sure won’t will come of all this, but we are thankful to be in it together, as a family!”
“We’re spending our time with online school and working from home. I have a big list of home projects that I’m also attacking. We’re taking everything one day at a time and limiting news to try to stay positive. Our front porch is a big part of our routine. We spend a lot of time out there for fresh air and a change of scenery. It’s also a great way to say ‘hi’ to our neighbors from a safe distance!”
“Our quarantine is going as to be expected. We are certainly doing our part with social distancing and not going to any of the stores that are open unless absolutely needed. We are spending our days juggling working remotely with spending as much time with our son Owen as we can. As frustrating as it can be at times trying to be productive while working from home, and keeping our almost 4-year old busy— i wouldn’t change anything about it. The quarantine has caused us to slow down, return to simpler things, and truly enjoy each other’s company. We’ve had a nice meal together as a family each night, we’ve spent each sunny day outside, and are laughing more together than we did before. As much of a change of pace this has been for us “busy bodies”, it really has been a wonderful reset button for us!”
“Quarantine has been a very interesting change for our family. We’ve gone from going 100 miles an hour seven days a week, to a complete stop. Normally were running around with Elite competitive cheer, hockey, lacrosse and Unified Sports; now we’re filling our time with playing board games, Netflix and chilling, walking the dogs, sewing masks and just hanging as a family. Luckily no one has killed each other yet, despite getting on each other’s very last nerve....
The toughest thing has been schooling and adapting to trying to help out everyone during the class day while also running my business. I have worked at home for almost 10 years now but this is a whole new dynamic. These teachers deserve to be paid millions a year for what they do day in and day out!
Then there is the grocery bill..... haha”
“Quarantine is going fine for us-I honestly cannot complain as everyone is healthy and able to work from home. Compared to what others are going through we are very blessed. We have been making trips to the market only when we really need to and wearing masks and gloves. We are able to spend a lot of time outside in our gardens and yard which is wonderful therapy. And your front steps project was such a fun time during a dark period so we can’t thank you enough for that! Plus we were so happy to donate to local cause.”
“ I am a nurse at Miriam and Glen is a lab tech for aspen dental so we both aren’t able to be home from working, so having school from home with both of us not available is a struggle. Plus the stress of being 31 weeks pregnant with COVID going on and taking care of others but worrying about how covid can effect the baby is the hardest part. Other than that we’re staying positive, and the dog is enjoying Jamie being home.”
“Being a large family during a pandemic is not easy. We go through a ton of food, we don’t get a break from each other and we’ve never been closer. With the bad comes the good. The hardest part is not having our parents close by but this too shall pass and we’ll all be together again. Look out grandparents once this is over they’re all yours.”
“Covid-19 quarantine… what can we say. It’s been an emotional rollercoaster for all of us. Kaitlyn, Alyssa and Natylee are rocking the distant learning and although Dad is still working fulltime and mom is home, we have actually spent a great deal of time all together. It has given us time to Learn, laugh and cry at and about one another. We have all amazed ourselves during this time and are cherishing every moment. This is us… A little bit of CRAZY, a little LOUD & a whole lot of LOVE!”
“Quarantine has been emotionally challenging, especially with two toddlers and a husband who still works , either from the office or home. Our children are not able to see their cousins or friends. They haven’t been able to run up to their nana and papa and get a big hug from them. We had to cancel our yearly trip to Florida which was extremely hard to accept as it’s always been our time to get away and relax. But we have created a new normal. We visit nana and papa and say hello to them while they are in their garage and we stay in our car. We see our friends and family through zoom chats. As a family , we have been able to take a step back and focus on our children and spend more quality time with them. We have to keep reminding ourselves that this too shall pass.”
“The quarantine has been tough. Colds and allergies are suddenly anxiety inducing, seeing your loved ones is no longer an option, grieving a lost loved one or consoling a friend are nearly impossible. Work looks and feels different as my step count has greatly decreased. The world is filled with new vernaculars of “social distancing” and similar phrases. It’s scary. Upon closer examination you can find the “golden nugget” as a college professor of mine would call it. There is something good in EVERY SINGLE DAY if you look for it. This picture on the surface is just a husband and wife on a set of steps. But for us it was right after recovering from what was just a cold but was terrifying until a fever broke. When this is all over I don’t think we’ll take so many things for granted. And I hope from time to time we all take a seat on our steps to smile and remember how lucky we have been in our lives and take a moment with those we love and appreciate it. When this all is over I will be thankful to have these pictures to remind me of the “golden nugget” in a world of so many heart breaks and uncertainties.”
“Timing is everything. We were blessed with two foster boys and then our “family sized” car blew its motor. The quarantine has allowed us to really get to know each other. Plus, we don’t ever need a car for whole family outings. Even with 5 kids, four different distance learning curriculums on 3 different platforms, working full time from home AND a high energy toddler I am so grateful for this time.”
“Life during the quarantine hasn’t changed our life drastically. My husband continues to work on the front line with Warwick Fire Dept. I’ve been out of work since September with a back injury. This time has allowed our children to explore the world with less family involvement and more with the the family at home. Our bond seems to have improved. So we continue to look at the bright side. It’s hard not being around their grandparents, great grandparents and aunts/uncles. We are making the best of it. The pictures on our front step will always make a great story and captured a moment when our/the world was paused from the normal.”
“Quarantine has been an adventure for sure! We literally just closed on the house 3/20 so we’re still unpacking and settling in (and dealing with a surprise leaky basement) I moved my work equipment home and have been working from home in our garage. Crystal works from home most of the week, and her work has become extremely busy! Homeschooling grant is great most days, and a struggle some days. We love being quarantined in the new house, I take the boys for hikes most days so crystal can make some work calls. Overall we love where we are and we love the extra family time we’ve gotten! We couldn’t ask for a better place to be quarantined.”
“While not seeing our extended family any closer than 6’ away is definitely frustrating, we are actually some of the lucky ones. We run two businesses where we are able to keep working and thankfully have not had to lay our employees off. We realize just how truly blessed we are. Plus the pups love having us home! We continue supporting other small businesses during this challenging time and cannot wait to socialize when this ends.”
“During the quarantine my 10 year-old stepson has kept his traditional schedule and floated between our home and his mom's. We've managed to tiptoe around when my husband is on conference calls, yet still sneak in as much normalcy as we can all muster in this strange time.
Our photo was taken towards the beginning of social distancing. A number of weeks later, I've come to realize how much the three of us have come to depend on each other for laughter, for comfort, for joy and for entertainment while we're under the same roof. FaceTime, Zoom and video conferences have a new place in our lives, but there's nothing better than a big, bear hug and a snuggle under a blanket with the ones you love.” Pictured : Meghan 38, Johnny 10 (on a conference call : John 38"
“We are both teachers trying to navigate online learning with 6 grade public schoolers and incarcerated youth. Someone asked me how homeschool and work is going. I told them: I yell, they cry, we get over it, repeat.” There is a lot of love thrown into the mix , but everyday has its struggles. Rowan is a second grader who misses school and theatre terribly. She adores going to school and struggles with the uncertainty of when she can go back. Quinnlyn is in kindergarten and gets sad about being away from her friends. But, she also loves being home and playing dolls with her sister for hours on end. The girls like playing in the yard, but going for walks becomes a chore. I still go running daily for something to do. Rowan wants to dye her bright pink. We are surviving these crazy times living through Zoom meetings, books, toys, games, and the occasional meal out from a small business. Some days I wish I could say I baked more, did more crafts, picked up a hobby. In the end we are still healthy and safe, and that’s what is important right now.”
“We bought a house with an in-law with the idea to provide both my family and my parents with extra support as they aged. We knew how well this worked because my grandmother lived in an in-law in our old house for many years and that family extension was truly a God send for all of us. The goal has been to protect them and to care for them as well as they did for me. We thought it was a bonus that I was in the healthcare field but lately it’s been nothing short of feeling like I am a threat to them every day. Now because of me and my line of work, they are living totally secluded in that little apartment! They have tried to make it fun for the boys by sending little messages back-and-forth under the door but that is growing old and lately they’ve been just sitting in front of the door crying wanting to snuggle their grandparents”
“Our quarantine is making us closer and closer. Being able to spend so much time teaching and being able to join in on her playing really improves my daughter and I as a team. At first I was overwhelmed with working from home too, but now we have a routine and once things are back to normal I will miss it!”
“This picture shows a sacrifice that we make during quarantine. My husband is at work. This is what life looks like after 3 pm most nights for us. We like to try to get some exercise in, take the dog for a walk, or play outside in the back yard while dad is off at work. After dinner, its time for cuddles, bath time, books, and bedtime. It used to be grandma taking care of the kids many nights. We really miss our grandma and our grandpa. We used to see them every day but now we cannot because we want to make sure they live through this so we can share another holiday and many more hugs and kisses from them in the future.
We are much more grateful for things like a yard, and a playset since we can’t go to the park right now. We have new masks that we wear when we go for a walk around people. We miss hugging our aunties, our friends, and our family. We have long talks with our Auntie Julie, she talks to us for hours sometimes when mom is having a tough time with us! Thank Goodness we are living in the age that mom used to talk about when she was a kid, that time when people would be able to see each other while they talked on the phone!
During the day, our oldest spends Monday through Friday doing schoolwork either at the kitchen table or at her desk in her room. It is starting to feel normal, and she likes the extra time with her brother, but misses the library & playing with friends.
Our youngest likes to watch video’s from his teacher at daycare, which he had only begun a couple month’s before the shut down happened. He misses seeing his friends twice a week and enjoys seeing their pictures when his teachers posts them online.
It has been really nice having more time with each other.
Other than that, life seems pretty normal. It is not always easy by any means, but we are grateful for our health, that we are getting through this together, and that we still have some income to help keep our family fed and well. We think about the people out there who have lost family and friends, doctors, nurses, police, scientists, and all the first responders (my husband included) who are putting their lives at risk daily to fight this. Every day you wonder, will dad take the virus home? Or will mom get the virus when she runs to the store for toilet paper or food?
Life is better in many ways now. After this is over, I am certainly going to hold onto everything that I loved during this quarantine and make it as important as the other parts of my life. It will be nice to have a bit more freedom when it happens, but right now we are enjoying the comforts of my home and a lot more quality time together!”
I’m so aware that many people are taking time away from Facebook. I have yet been able to receive a response from this family. What I do know is they were suppose to take a Vacation before Covid hit so they made light of it with their photos! How adorable!
“Quarantine for our family has been going okay so far. I am enjoying the laughs, cuddles and having no type of schedule. We are learning to give each other space if need be. Sometimes we can get a little stir crazy. We have movie nights, roast marshmallows in our fireplace, play UNO or just hang out doing our own thing. At times, we do get sad about not being able to see family or friends. We all miss going out and doing things. For me, the hardest part of this is not being with my students. I am an 8th grade special education inclusion teacher and I miss my students terribly! My heart is not complete without them. My daughters are feeling the same way about their teachers and friends. We are a very social family. Hoping this isn't going to last much longer but if it does we have no other choice but to just roll with it and remember it could always be worse. Hoping to get back to my students by the end of the school year!”
“ Quarantine is going ok. My son has a schedule that we try to adhere to and when we are all home together when Dad is not working we make sure we do something as a family. We have been watching the Harry Potter movies with our son, currently starting the sixth one and sometimes we split over two nights. We miss Daddy aka Eric a lot when he works and as he is working extra and different shifts, I try to make sure we do something outside, even if it's for Julian to ride his bike up and down the driveway. He has more of a social life.. we let him talk to his friends whenever they call and he is not in school! He has a scheduled daily D&D mtg with four other friends so he maintains outside friendships due to zoom, google mtgs and kids messenger!
Dad goes through a daily decontamination process when he gets home so that is something that has become standard and laundry is now done on the daily. We are managing well. We have been doing a little bit of everything from cooking together, baking to assembling lego sets!”
“Quarantine has been okay. I’m an administrator in an elementary school and my husband, Dave, is an accountant. Both of us feel very lucky to be employed and to be able to provide for our family. What hasn’t been as easy is raising a toddler who is on the go 24/7!! We try to see every day as a blessing that we get to spend extra time with her, but teething and tantrums don’t make it easy! all in all, we’re doing well. Missing family and worried about our loved ones on the front lines.”
“I am concerned for my son ( and all the kids) because of how quickly & dramatically their lives have changed.. we just celebrated Jake's 12th birthday last week. I made him his favorite cake & had mail ordered a few gifts for him... He made the most of it, but I know he missed being able to celebrate with other family & friends.. his schoolwork is going ok.. but again, he missed his teachers & friends so much. Mostly he misses playing soccer & baseball with his teammates. Each day we stay busy with schoolwork, chores, games & yard work. He is being brave and has been very helpful! In the meantime, we pray our family and friends stay safe and we can't wait to be together with them again soon!”
“We are doing well! I am a physician assistant involved with testing/treating patients so that can be stressful. But, I’m also thankful to be working! My husband is able to work successfully at home. We miss kids sports/activities but enjoying more time at home and “slow down” mode!”
“We are adjusting to a much slower pace! I used to rejoice on the nights when we had nothing on the calendar (those evenings were few and far between). Between sports practices and activities for both the kids and me, we were always on the go. To be honest, I miss all of that now. So do the kids. We especially miss the socialization that comes with those tennis, basketball, and school. But for now, we’re trying to get outside every day, wave to the neighbors when we see them walking, too, and find creative ways to preserve our sanity. Too much television and screen time are definitely par for the course, but so are new things, like following YouTube drawing tutorials and teaching the kids to play penny poker!”
“Bob and I have been doing a lot of juggling this quarantine. With him as an essential worker and a business owner myself- doing interior architecture and interior design, I am still working. I feel blessed that we both continue to work. My girls are amazing and they are doing great with their virtual learning.
We are highly involved with our parish so being away from our church during lent was probably one of the worst parts of quarantine so far. Our church family is amazing so we have had mass in our living room every Sunday and also participated in the Easter vigil and stations of the cross in our home.
We’ve survived missing our family and friends with zoom happy hours and lots of FaceTime with our closest friends. Our weekends have been spent doing some house projects, playing games, making puzzles, watching family movies and going on hikes when it was allowed.”
“I went to work for the last time on 3/12. I worked as a client services manager in the trade show industry and lost my job due to Covid-19. Major events were being cancelled daily and the world was about to change drastically. Luckily, my husband, Kevin, a town engineer, is still going to work daily and keeping busy. My daughter, Kenzie, age 12, is doing well with distance learning, but misses school and sports. Cali, our Corgi, is living her best life and enjoys having us home and is getting lots of walks!”
We hope you all enjoyed this Blog post.
Stay home guys, We love you all so much!
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