How Are You Doing?

It’s a simple question.
And it’s particularly worth asking these days.
Ask your family.
Ask your friends.
Ask your clients and business partners.
Ask yourself.

We are, all of us, fighting our own battles. How do we keep our bodies and our minds healthy? How do we distance physically without distancing socially? How do we connect with our friends and loved ones without putting them in danger? How do we educate our kids? How do we push for the change we want to see in the world? How do we save our business?

How do we start over, if we have to?

If you got my email back in January, you’ll probably recall that we kicked off 2020 in a cheeky, optimistic way. My New Year’s intentions were health, strength, clarity. And in a way, I suppose these have been as relevant as ever in this year of the pandemic, though perhaps not in the way I originally intended.

2020 has been a brutal year for many of my clients and business partners. Dozens of weddings and events have been rescheduled or postponed indefinitely. These postponements have taken a grave emotional and financial toll. Needless to say, the event industry as a whole is reeling.

On a personal note, though, the last few months have provided some amazing opportunities. I’ve been homeschooling my son, Dov. He’s really honed his bike skills, and learned how to play basketball.

Together with Dov, we launched an educational project tailored to his age group (5-7 year olds) called The Green Schoolhouse. We’ve hosted over 70 online lessons, covering topics ranging from Probability, to The Five Senses, to teaching Parts of Speech using superheroes.

The quarantine finally gave me an opportunity to build a deck with my Dad. A father-and-son project I’ve always dreamed of but never quite had time for.

When Zoom videoconferencing started in full force, I shared my photographer’s take on lighting and improving video presence.

Several weeks ago, a crisis flared in the Crossfit community, and spread to our own local box. As a nine-year member and devout fitness Kool-Aid drinker, I got involved with a group of like-minded crossfitters to see how we can bring about positive change and evolution in the sport we all love.

Photography-wise, I’ve worked on my craft by tinkering in the studio. Just before the quarantine began, I had an opportunity to create iconic portraits for several business owners. I’ve also broadened my skillset by taking on projects outside my comfort zone, such as real estate and product photography. Towards the end of May and early June, I created several sessions for high school seniors. I hope these photographs will give them positive and lasting memories, that will hopefully supersede the disappointment of a broken senior year. I’ve also continued to create family sessions, capture baby bumps and surprise proposals, and document intimate weddings.

The 4th of July holiday marks the halfway point to this maddening, challenging, indelible year. Even if there are no big parties or fireworks, let’s celebrate wherever and however we can. Let’s celebrate each other, our failures and accomplishments, and our individual and collective resilience.