Porch photography: Connecting with people while keeping distance

STURTEVANT, Wis. -- An Oak Creek photographer is bringing us together at a time when we're ordered to stay apart. She's hoping the Front Porch Portrait Project will help her reconnect with the community.

In the eye of Jamie Robarge, there is beauty in everything -- Even a 'Safer at Home' order.

"I've learned that as much as we don't realize the small things, human connections are really important to have, even if you're having them six feet apart," Robarge said.

And with her photography business feeling the pain brought on the economy, she's using her camera to capture those connections.

Which, on Friday, brought her to her dad. They haven't seen each other in a month.

"It's different. I used to go over there about every week, get to hold the baby and that type of thing," Michael Robarge, Jamie's father, said.

From below his balcony, the photos provide a medium just to meet, talk and be in each other's company.

And the project is a breath of fresh air for families across southeastern Wisconsin.

"I found that I was able to still connect with people, express myself creatively," she said. "I was also giving people something to look forward to in a time that's uncertain and trying."

And even for those that don't like having their picture taken, it's worth it just to connect with loved ones again.

"If this project brings some kind of joy to even one or two families during this, I'm all for it. It's great," Michael said.
If you'd like to get your photo taken, you can check out her website or visit her Facebook page.