Immediate families have come closer together during this time. When the world becomes an unsafe place, the household becomes a stronger and more integral unit than ever before. But, sadly, the C*********s has also impacted how families are able to bond. Traveling restrictions, postponed events, and closed facilities of entertainment from movie theaters to zoos force families to be creative in how they interact with one another and keep occupied.
One way a Minneapolis, Minnesota photographer named Dave Puente is helping families during this difficult time is by taking family “porchtraits” (portraits from the porch) free of charge!
While respecting social distancing instructions, the passionate photographer has traveled a total of 1,365 miles by car to 146 homes to take part in his latest project.
“I wanted to give somebody something that they can hang on the wall and in a few years look back on it and in such a frantic and scary time see there was some silver lining to it,” Photographer Puente said to WCCO News. “It’s therapeutic for me and it’s been that way… for so many people.”
Although he has several years of experience up his sleeves, Puente has had to be clever in how he executes each porchtrait at the perfect location outside of each family’s home. Some families and couples had portraits taken right from their front porch (hence, the title of the project). Others had photos taken in front of their fence or on outdoor staircases. Some even had their family pictures taken through a glass door or window.
Below are some of the photographer’s incredible porchtrait photos. Underneath each image is a quote said by one of the family members captured in each photo.
“At the start of all this craziness we had to make the tough decision to postpone our trip to Guatemala. We were supposed to be serving at the orphanage Stephen worked at 15 years ago. An orphanage that’s been a big part of our lives and would have been my first time visiting. But God’s timing is perfect and the day we were supposed to have flown out, was the day that Guatemala shut its borders to all foreigners. As my dad has always said, “when life hands you lemons, make lemonade!” Or in our case… MUD!!! – @mrsdeuth
#porchtraits
“Summary of the morning: block towers of 100, making big breakfast together, music drumming jam session, and then science:homemade ice cream shaken to @taylorswift”
“Baby Lucy decided to make her debut at the perfect time – 11 days early and right before the c*********s took off. The hospital allowed both mom and dad to there for her birth but no other visitors. It was the happiest day of our lives, but also such a unique experience to bring a baby into this world. Luckily, she was able to meet most family once we arrived home but after day 3 of being home we had to limit all visitors. We are soaking in all of the newborn baby snuggles and she continues to meet family and friends through the window and on FaceTime. We will never forget this experience of becoming first time parents and finding calm amongst the chaos.” @kmoody30
This photography campaign is beautiful! But there’s only so much time and resources Puente can offer for free if he wishes to continue on with his project.
“The reality is, this effort has a expiration date, and with your help, I can continue to photograph family’s for free and serve this incredible community in this unique way during these uncertain times,” wrote Puente. “This has been the highlight of my professional career and with your help, we can keep it going.”
That said, he has created a GoFundMe that will allow him to financially continue offering free porchtraits for families near and far. You can donate here if you wish to help.
You can view more photos of David Puente’s porchtraits by accessing his Instagram page. Wow, he is a man of talent!
