COVID & Homecoming Portraits in Northern Virginia

As this COVID-19 pandemic now moves into the fall season and we're all are trying to identify and adjust to the new normal, it's always refreshing to see how some handle the challenges and find ways to make the best of a bad situation, especially when it involves photography!

My younger son and his girlfriend are a great example of this. Like them, many high school students will now be missing out on a number of memorable moments we all took for granted in the past, such as Homecoming, Prom, and graduation due to the pandemic. So - as some of their friends did - my son and his girlfriend decided to not let the situation get the best of them. Instead, they dressed up as they would for the Homecoming dance and we ventured out to take some couples portraits. Typically this is done with friends, but to be safe they asked to go out on their own and do the shoot in a beautiful location - away from crowds. They then followed it up with a dinner out together after the shoot to celebrate some semblance of a Homecoming event they could remember in the future, even if a dance was not in the cards.

To be clear, they took all necessary precautions in venturing out by wearing masks (except when having the photos taken) and dining in a restaurant away from crowds or unnecessary risks to themselves or those around them. I have to give these kids credit... they are taking the virus seriously, but not letting it get in the way of their aspirations, goals, friendships and relationships.

Kuddos to both of them, and their friends, for not allowing this pandemic to take away the special moments that help make up the memories of their Senior year in high school. As students, they already face significant challenges in online learning, and will also have to face the nuances of applying and getting into to colleges and universities in a new virtual world. But to their credit, they're showing amazing fortitude and resilience in the face of adversity.

As a father, this is exactly what I want to see from my two boys and their friends; a resistance to settling or giving in, and an equally strong sense of creativity and refusal to let things get in the way of how they envision the pathways of their lives.