With the help of NYC’s community, photographer Stephen Lovekin decided to create a hopeful photo series in these dire times. 'Words At The Window: Social Isolation And The Coronavirus' is a portrait project that showcases families and individuals holding a message of solidarity from their window.
Lovekin who felt compelled to document this unprecedented time in human history said: “Starting locally, I reached out to people in my Brooklyn neighborhood of Ditmas Park to see how they were feeling, and to see what message, if any, they would like to share with the world, whether they be personal, political, or spiritual.”
In black and white fashion, these touching photographs feature loved ones gathered together in the frame of a window. And their sweet messages encourage kindness, social distancing, and perseverance. You may ask, why a window?
“When beginning the project I hadn't completely settled on the idea of photographing everyone behind a window. Some people would come out on their porches or stoops, but that just didn't feel right to me for some reason. As the project began to evolve the idea of the window started to make more sense. The window being something that we look out on the world from. Something that literally frames how people can look in on us and how we look out at the world. Something that we normally do not enter or exit from,” said Lovekin.
It's heartwarming projects like this one that we long for during this pandemic, not only do we connect with the world but these positive messages serve as a reminder as to why we’re all confined. “It will not be easy, but nothing worthwhile ever really is,” added Lovekin.
Click through this wonderful photo-series and remember “soon we will be together”.