Front porch portraits document home life in the time of coronavirus – USA TODAY

As a photographer, Cara Soulia feels her purpose is to document life. Its why she left a successful career in finance five years ago to pick up her camera full-time. So when thecoronaviruspandemic began to take hold of Soulias cozy Boston suburb, closing schools and forcing residents indoors, she worried about more than just her finances.

Even though this is negative, its historic and needs to be documented, said Soulia, who lives in Needham, Massachussetts. I couldnt help but think, How am I going to document this time in history?' Then I got the call from Kristen.

Kristen Collins helps Soulia market her family photographybusiness. She had been considering a similar question over coffee when she had a flashbulb idea: Why dont we go to these families and capture this moment in their lives where they are in their homes?

Or to be more specific and socially distant, in front of their homes. The Front Steps Project was launched on St. Patricks Day, and it has since raised almost $20,000 for charity.

Soulia and Collins started by pitching the idea to a handful of close friends and clients. Soulia would drive over, honk, and the family would be dressed and ready to step out the front door. Soulia would come no closer than 10 feet and do her best to pose them.

Im used to being up close and moving them, Soulia said. Im not used to posing people with my words I dont even know everyones names.

Once she gets the girl on the end or the dad in the frame and looking at her, she snaps a few shots and is on her way. In lieu of payment, she requests a donation to the Needham Community Council, a nonprofit that works to address health, educational and social needs in the community.

Thanks to social media and word of mouth, Soulia and Collins were soon overloaded with requests through their online application form. Two other area photographers, Caitrin Dunphy and Topher Cox, joined the project. Together, they have shot nearly 400 Needham families.

Perhaps even more inspiring was the response from other communities around the country as news of the Front Steps Project stretched to Georgia toIndianato California. More than 250 photographers contacted Soulia and Collins looking to capture their neighborhoods and raise money for local causes. A studio in South Carolina has families hold up a sign with a word or two about what this time has meant to their families. Aphotographer in Michigan calls them "porchraits."

Now that pandemic has intensified, Soulia and Collins want to set another example for their fellow photographers:hitting pause. As of this week, The Front Steps Project is joining the movement to flatten the curve.

We knew wed have a stay-at-home order, Collins said. We want to respect our government and community. We want the other photographers to see us as leaders who say when its time to stop, its time to stop.

While Soulia and her 10-year-old daughter/navigator were hustling around the neighborhood, frantically clicking the shutter button, they didnt have time to stop to appreciate what they were doing. Now on hiatus, Soulia has had a chance to go back and really look at the images: families wearing everything from slacks to PJs, huddling together, trying to smile through one fleeting moment of normalcy in a time of staggering uncertainty.

One of the most important moments was when we connected with the local hospital, Soulia said. There were nine ER doctors in blue scrubs with masks on. It was everything. The story of what was happening. I didnt have time to process it at the moment. When I got home, I couldnt help but cry.

Tony Rehagen is a freelance writer in St. Louis

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Front porch portraits document home life in the time of coronavirus - USA TODAY