The Photojournalist

Paul Gero, a Wisconsin portrait photographer, was at one point a newspaper photojournalist.

You may remember that I featured Paul's work on this site here and here.

His journalism instincts are kicking in again. During the current COVID-19 pandemic, Paul has embarked on a neighborhood family portrait project.

And, yes, he is observing all relevant “social distancing” guidelines, as outlined by his state government.

Portrait Project

I had the honor of speaking with Paul last week about his project, “Portraits In The Time Of Corona.”

If you are wondering if the title echoes Gabriel Garcia Marquez' work of fiction, it does.

A Few Photographs

Here are a few images from Paul's project:

Other Portrait Projects

Several other photographers, across the country have either started to work on a similar idea or are about to embark on one as soon as it is safe to do so:

Sree Sripathy says she will be photographing the Indian community in the Bay Area.

Cara Soulia was featured on NBC for her project called and hashtagged #thefrontstepsproject

CBS News carried a segment about a Twin-Cities photographer who offers complimentary porch step portraits.

While most of the initiatives have been positively received, some feel photographers should wait till the “stay-at-home” guidance in most of the states are lifted before venturing outdoors and interacting with people again.

So, tell me, what would you do? Would you go outdoors and photograph families from a safe distance or would you rather hold off on any portrait sessions until everyone is safe to move about the country?

Update

Paul has wrapped up his project and launched a book of all the portraits he was able to create in his community.