When local photographer Jake Bradley’s spring calendar cleared up overnight due to COVID-19, he decided to take on a different kind of project.
“For a couple days, I thought, ‘Now what do I do with myself?’ And I don't know how long this is – is this going to be a couple of weeks, a couple months, a year? I don't know,” Bradley said.
For the past week, he has been involved in the Porch Project – having families come out onto their porches or balconies for a photo session while maintaining physical distance. Instead of charging a fee, he is asking participants to make a donation to the St. Albert Food Bank.
As of Wednesday, he had photographed about 30 families and most days is booked up beyond his capacity.
Bradley said the idea for Porch Project materialized when he saw photographers from the Unites States doing it. After posting on his social media to see if there would be any interest, Bradley said the community response has been “fantastic.” It is an excellent way to foster connection while maintaining physical distance, he said.
“I think it's easy for people to start to get a negative aspect that we're going through Armageddon or whatever, and I think it's all in the attitude,” Bradley said. “People have had a good attitude, and in the community people are sticking together and I think we're gonna get through this together.”
Bradley added he gets more out of the experience than his subjects, because of the “sheer joy” of meeting people and the feeling of being human again that the experience brings up.
On Wednesday afternoon, Angie Christman and her son Kalen Mussieux posed in the shade of their Northridge for Bradley. Mussieux is a Grade 12 student at Bellerose High School.
While the two had family photos done at Christmas, Christman said participating was more about fostering community during a tough time.
“That was a fun thing to do, and we're stuck inside,” she said.
Mussieux said he is “not very happy” to be out of school, and misses hanging out with his friends.
The result of Bradley’s Porch Project can be found on his Facebook page, Jake Bradley Photography.
