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John F. Martin : In the times of coronavirus

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Michigan man taking ‘porchraits’ of families in coronavirus quarantine to help community.

By Brandon Champion | [email protected]

A Michigan photographer is using his camera, some humor and a dash of tequila-inspired creativity to help his community during the coronavirus pandemic.

John Martin, who owns John F. Martin Photography, Inc., has done it all with a camera. Photojournalism, weddings, senior pictures and family portraits.  More recently, promotional work for Michigan’s auto companies.

But the outbreak of COVID-19 in the state has brought those opportunities to a standstill, forcing Martin to find creative ways to find work.

Thus, “porchraits” were born. What’s a porchrait? Well that depends on the family, but generally, it involves families isolated in quarantine being photographed on their porch. A sort of family portrait, coronavirus style, if you will.

“It was really born out of boredom and wanting to get my cameras out,” Martin said. “All my work has been cancelled or postponed though April. I can only take so many pictures of my dog.”

With the itch to take photos, Martin contacted neighbors in his close-knit Grosse Pointe community and asked them if they wanted to have some photos taken in a safe, social-distancing style.

“I told them to make this as fun as they wanted to,” he said. “They took on the whole thing and sort of acted as their own art directors. They did what they thought was funny.”

But what started as a fun neighborhood activity turned into more when the photos were posted to Martin’s Facebook page and others started to react positively.

So, Martin is now offering “Porchrait Sessions,” 5-minute family photoshoots from far away in which neighbors can get outside and have some fun with each other from the safety of their own porch or front yard.

“Part of this is promoting people to be neighborly,” he said. “Even if it’s just people sticking their head out their front door and saying ‘Hi,’ that can go a long way right now.”

The base cost for a session is $375 for up to five families, but that price will be pro-rated and/or reduced depending on how many families are participating.

The proceeds on all shoots, minus personal expenses, will be used to buy takeout food from local restaurants which will then be delivered to staff working around the clock to fight COVID-19 at local hospitals.

Martin hopes it will also be a positive memory in an otherwise trying time when the outbreak (hopefully) comes to an end.

“Everybody wins with this,” Martin said. “And in a kind of dark way, it’s commemorative. This is going to down in history. People are going to remember this. This is way to document it and help others in the process.”

By Brandon Champion | [email protected]

 

To learn more or to book a “Porchrait” session, contact Martin though his Facebook page or his website. 

Article first published in Michigan Live www.mlive.com and RAGAZINE.cc https://paper.li/ragazinecc/1421289908#/

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