I am surrounded by people who are suffering and there is little I can do about it. As a photographer, it’s hard to remain in my home and not be able to document or help.
As a result, I started a pro bono project called, Unmasked, which will be a portrait series on healthcare workers who are in contact with Coronavirus patients. These workers are covered from head to toe in hazmat suits and appear anonymous, interchangeable and often scary to their already isolated patients.
Using FaceTime, I will be photographing the nurses and doctors without any gear and providing them with a digital portrait of themselves with their name in a banner, that they can print. I’m hoping they will attach the image to their suit in an effort to humanize them to their patients and to the world around them. I will direct the photo shoot via FaceTime and guide the person on where to stand how to find the light and how to pose. The entire process will take 20 minutes and can be done outside of the hospital, at home, a park, etc.
My hope is that patients will feel less alone and see that they are being taken care of by real people, not robots. Help me reveal the humanity of our heroes that are covered from head to toe.
