JACKSON, Wyo. (AP) - Natalie Yates, a self-proclaimed motherhood photographer and Jackson resident of one year, took a growing trend into her own hands a few months ago. After noticing the nationwide #frontporchproject pop up on Instagram in March, she applied it to the Jackson community.
The Front Porch Project is simple: family portraits taken at home, with the photographer standing at least 6 feet away. Typically all photo session proceeds go to charities.
“I know that our little town is hurting and that there’s a lot of people out there that immediately are going to be impacted financially and then longer run with the slowdown of tourism,” Yates said.
Faced with that knowledge and wanting to do something about it, she devoted her time and skills to create a difference, the Jackson Hole News & Guide reports.
“I knew that I had photography,” Yates said. “Photography was the gift that I could use to offer something to the community.”
She pitched the project to The Hole Quarantine founder Meagan Murtagh. The Hole Quarantine is a charity that started up with COVID-19, funneling local donations back into the Jackson community. For one month, Yates asked interested families to donate in lieu of paying her a fee.
“A lot of people actually donated more,” said Yates, who was excited to see families paying it forward or gifting their friends photo sessions. She thinks that giving cycle helped the project catch on so quickly.
Yates generated $9,000 in the month of April specifically for Hole Food Rescue via The Hole Quarantine and the Front Porch Project.
“It was an awesome way for me to be able to connect with the community,” Yates said, after photographing around 100 families.
Fellow Jackson photographer Samantha Livingston picked up where Yates left off, pairing with The Hole Quarantine to take photos that benefited the local charity for the month of May.
“But I also sit on the board for the (Community) Safety Network, and so I asked (Meaghan Murtagh) if it would be OK if I donated to both, or at least allowed the option for both charities,” Livingston said.
The Community Safety Network serves victims of sexual assault, stalking, domestic violence and similar crimes.
Livingston has worked with about 70 families so far and raised $10,000 for the charities. It’s up to the families to choose which charity to patronize.
For photographers and clients alike, family is the clear theme behind the Front Porch Project.
The photographers each have two children to keep entertained. Yates frequently brought hers along on photo shoots to play in the grass or watch movies. Just waving to people they knew from the car made both and the children happy, she said.
Resident Catherine Holland’s family decided to have their photos taken in the hopes of capturing a tumultuous time for their family.
The Hollands own and operate Wilderness Adventures and Base Camp. While all of their Wilderness Adventure trips had to be canceled due to COVID-19, changes to Base Camp will allow them to still operate it this season.
“It was super easy and wonderful, and she’s so talented,” Holland said about the experience with photographer Samantha Livingston.
She especially liked that there was no sit-down to go through and pick photos after the session. Livingston simply sent them to her. Less stress, Holland said.
A minor wrinkle was the project’s social distancing aspect. Livingston used a long lens to allow close-up shots without impeding on families’ space, and while she’s not one to pose her clients very much, Yates is.
“It was kind of a fun challenge as a photographer, because I’m usually very hands on, and I will pose people and move their hair and twist their bodies,” Yates said.
The photographers are using the Front Porch Project to sharpen their skills while helping the community.
“I actually think the whole COVID social distancing thing is teaching people to communicate a little better,” Livingston said.
Communication certainly helped wrangle the Bullington family into her photo lens on Sunday evening. Baby Benjamin was doing his best to crawl away while his sister, Alex Cross, picked a dandelion bouquet. A few feet away his brother, Gabriel, was doing Superman lifts in his dad’s arms. Mom, Deborah, was supervising.
The Bullingtons heard about the Front Porch Project through their friend Livingston and Instagram. They decided to take part themselves to support their community. And, it’s important to them to have something from this time to look back on.
“Life is so fleeting,” Deborah Bullington said.
The Bullingtons see value in the situation.
“COVID has been difficult, but it’s kind of provided a reset,” Andrew Bullington said. “I’ve had more time with my family than I’ve ever had.”
Time that is now frozen in a family photo.
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