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How to Save Summer 2020
New York TimesOne evening in mid-March, looking to scratch a creative and social itch, the photographer John Martin texted his neighbors in Grosse Pointe Park, Mich., to come outside for a socially distanced photo shoot. The street, he said, seemed to light up with cheer.
One family dressed up with sequined tops and pajama bottoms. Another posed for a take on “American Gothic.” Mr. Martin posted the series online, titling it “Porchraits.” He charged the families a small fee, which he donated to local restaurants to provide meals for health care workers. Within days he heard from other photographers around the country, including from Atlanta and Cincinnati, asking to replicate the idea.
Mr. Martin’s initiative offers a snapshot of the creative thinking needed amid the pandemic. It taught him, he said, that fostering connection in a time of distance demands ingenuity.
As the days grow longer and hotter, Americans will begin craving the rites of summer — afternoons at the pool or boating on lakes and rivers, evenings spent dancing, listening to music and eating outdoors. Those customs can’t look the same in a period of social distancing, but that doesn’t mean they should be abandoned.
One family dressed up with sequined tops and pajama bottoms. Another posed for a take on “American Gothic.” Mr. Martin posted the series online, titling it “Porchraits.” He charged the families a small fee, which he donated to local restaurants to provide meals for health care workers. Within days he heard from other photographers around the country, including from Atlanta and Cincinnati, asking to replicate the idea.
Mr. Martin’s initiative offers a snapshot of the creative thinking needed amid the pandemic. It taught him, he said, that fostering connection in a time of distance demands ingenuity.
As the days grow longer and hotter, Americans will begin craving the rites of summer — afternoons at the pool or boating on lakes and rivers, evenings spent dancing, listening to music and eating outdoors. Those customs can’t look the same in a period of social distancing, but that doesn’t mean they should be abandoned.