I had a great time doing the portraits over Easter weekend - so much positivity! I met and talked to more neighbors this week (from a safe distance) - some who lived just a few doors down - than in more than a decade living here.

Back in the "before time" - those halcyon days of February, 2020 - I went to a neighborhood gathering for the first time in years, and now I'm even more glad I decided to go.

I made about 15 portraits, became famous, and learned two interesting things:

1) Apparently I'm developing quite the bald spot in the back. (I never see the back of my head, so I had no idea!)

2) People had two main motivations for taking portraits. Some, perhaps those with a darker sense of humor, wanted a fun distraction. They found this way of defusing tension with humor, embraced the absurdity, and made it part of their lives.

Others reacted against the disruption and chaos intruding into their lives, and sought a way to restore balance. For them, getting dressed up for a family portrait (especially on a holiday), was a way to "feel normal" again.

If more people want these, I'll just keep doing them. It was a lot of fun, and a good way to "sharpen the saw" during a lot of downtime. I can only take so many pictures of birds from my porch :)

I'll keep the gallery updated as I add new ones. (They're private by default, unless people decide to share them.)

Swan Acres IMG_9829 IMG_9604 IMG_9891