April 17-20, 2020
For this personal project, I wanted to capture a series of brief moments in time that honor the spirit of the lockdown while also providing a way to safely create some human connection in our neighborhood during this pandemic. Inspired by LA photographer Saam Gabby’s #touchlessbirthday project, I armed myself with a list of households who signed up for my project online, my camera, a long lens, and a drone - the goal was to bike around our neighborhood and spend five minutes at each location and from front yards, back yards, sidewalks and streets, capture and share some of the faces behind windows during this stay-at-home period of our lives. I’m really proud of how our neighborhood has taken this situation seriously to protect each other and thankful I had the opportunity to safely capture these images. Please enjoy the below images and their comments and stay safe and healthy everyone!
#poppletonquarantineportraitproject
CHARLI + JESSICA + JOSEPHINE + SAMUEL + DOMINICK
“This photo shoot brought joy to our family. We loved being able to share a few things from behind the window of our life during quarantine.”
PATTY + DICK
“A beautiful Saturday morning. Thanks for this great gesture of friendship. Dick especially enjoyed talking with you about his roots (and yours), the firehouse and SouthWest Detroit. Be well!”
ROSE + CONRAD + BRIAN + GRANT
“This truly was the highlight of our day. We were greeted by your friendly face and I'm glad we had the chance to fit in a quick chat, from a distance. The boys thought it was so “silly” that we were getting our photos taken from outside. I am excited to have a photo of us to appropriately capture this unique time in our lives. I’ve been trying to do the same but I feel like this series will take the cake.”
SUSAN
“Capturing the essence of what some call quarantining, and others call nesting. I call it finding the true meaning of work-life balance. What a brilliant concept, Adam!”
DAMAN + KAVIA + NICOLE + MAHALIE
“This was a great experience for a variety of reasons… First, we were happy Daman was not at the hospital. Second, we were thrilled to see another person. And, third, the sun was shining after so many days of gloom and snow. Quarantine days are often restless, but this was a good one.”
PAT + JACK + TERRY + HOPE + ANNA
“I couldn't help but wonder - will I be able to fit my giant head inside of one regular-sized glass window pane or will Adam be forced to shrink my face in Photoshop, causing the rest of my body to look even more mis-matched than it already is? Additionally, would the film show that Anna had not changed her pijamas in 19 days? Honestly, I was happy to see a friend and a friendly face - and a little jealous that the photographer got to see so many happy people in our wonderful neighborhood.”
SHANTHI
“Thanks for this amazing opportunity! I'm single and live alone, so when I saw your post to have a portrait taken, I immediately hit "yes". Honestly, the very act of self-quarantine is an expression of love. Love for my family, friends, neighbors, community, our country, the world and myself. So we can beat this disease, ease the burden of our healthcare system and make sure we're all healthy. The photo session was so kind and light. I decided to stay in my pj's, but having a reason to put on makeup was nice! This is an extraordinary time of global sacrifice and solidarity. I hope everyone comes out of this kinder and feeling more connected to others. I felt like this session was a moment in history. So surreal, right?”
KATELYN + SVETLANA
“Normally for photos we'd be all dressed up and typically out celebrating something. However, we wanted to be dressed for the photos like we've been most of this quarantine… Drew (below) in scrubs- ready for work, and Svetlana and myself working or hanging out at home.”
DREW
For Drew, things are business as usual. He's still going to work and seeing his coworkers and patients, but for me and the dog this is very not our normal!”
BILLY + SARAH + LEILA + GUSTEAU
“This is the time of year when we generally come out of hibernation and get to see our neighbors and meet new folks in the neighborhood. To be able to meet you through this project and to see other neighbors participating while we were out walking the neighborhood was, in a way, representative of the strange new world we are living it. A new, distant, bizarre way of connecting with our neighbors.”
ALEX + KATIE + KRISTIE + JAKE + ANDREW + DAVE
“Thanks for bringing a little light into our day through your cool project! Seven weeks ago, four of us lived in Italy, one in NYC and one in East Lansing. Though the days are sometimes long and monotonous, the gift of this time together is something our family will forever be thankful for.”
LISA + FENRIK + JAKOB + JORN
“This is such a small moment in our journey, but feels enormous while we are in it. One day, we will look back from a different perspective so thank you for recording our moment.”
PATRICK + SIMON + AMY
“This was a fun experience. Gave us something to look forward to. A very creative way to reach out in a time of isolation.”
I had to include this shot of solo portrait of Patrick with his pipe in his rocking chair because the light spilling into their porch was amazing and very dramatic.
JESS + MAPLE + CLISBY IV + CLISBY + HAYDEN + ARI
“We loved the experience. It was a great opportunity for us to explain different forms of art to the kids. It was fun for the kids to represent themselves as they were feeling that day... Ari pouting, Hayden in his robot costume etc. It was a fun thing to do as a family.”
ALLISON
“Even though everyone is “stuck” at home right now, it’s nice to see new friendly faces around the neighborhood and people making the best out of this uncertain time. Having our photos taken, allowed us to meet others from a distance, but have a dose of personal connection, which is what we’re all hoping for. It was such a fun experience having Adam come and take photos outside our windows. He truly captured sweet moments into our quarantine experience. It was such a fun idea! Stay safe! Have courage and be kind.”
MAX + MIKE + ALI + LAYLA
“The day the portraits were taken was a beautiful sunny day. What a difference weather can make for everyone’s outlook on this unique time in our lives. All of us were rejuvenated after seeing Adam that morning and reminded of how special Poppleton is for children, adults and families. We may be social distancing but not emotional distancing. Just the ten minutes of physically seeing and speaking with another person through our windows gave us hope and reassurance that we are all going to get to the other side of this.”
STELLA + GRIFFIN + JUNO THE DOG + DANIELLE + AL + CAMDEN + BRENNA
“What a wonderful project Adam! We are grateful to our wonderful friends in this neighborhood, even if it from six feet apart. We will never take for granted the humans we interact with daily when this quarantine ends. Hoping we all can cherish and remember the little moments that brought us all closer during this time when life slowed down.”
NOLA (THE DOG) + STELLA + DON + SCARLETT + SAVVY + KELLY
“With the world so quiet, we have begun to hear the rhythm and feel the energy in everything that we do. In this stillness, we have realized that we are all exactly where we need to be.”
LINDSAY + KATELYN + JAMES + BILL + DOGS (TY & REMI)
“Through these pictures I hope families will look back and realize they stayed home to protect their families and community. They stayed home to do their part to help the greater whole. I hope they think of not only the hardships with being home everyday, but also the silver linings and good that came from it.”
ANNA + JOHN + BEN + ALINA
“Glad we can commemorate this odd experience with you and our neighbors. Nice to chat with you as we got situated in the window (human interaction yay!)”
SAMANTHA + VICKIE + MATTHEW + MARK
“We enjoyed having our picture taken during this hopefully once in a lifetime crisis. Our kids can show their kids this picture of when school, work, life, and the world stopped being normal.”
CAROL + LUCA + SAMANTHA + MARCELLO
“We are enjoying this family time and appreciate the forced slowdown in our hectic lives. Thanks for organizing this! We will see you guys in the neighborhood and then for real once we can visit in person again.”
TRUMAN + DAVID + FELICIA + HARRIET
“I loved this project. Art has such an important place in our lives - and even more so at a time like this. Thank you for allowing us to be part of it!”
JOHN + REMI + JEN + GRAHAM
“I think we are all craving some social interaction, even if it’s through a window! Thanks for bringing everyone together in the neighborhood for a fun project.”
HOYT + JEN + GEORGE + SOPHIE + OLIVER + TED
“It was exciting to be a part of your community project - it made us feel more connected to our neighbors during this disconnected time.”
MEGHAN + CONNOR + CHARLIE + KENNEDY + DAVID + WILL
There’s no shortage of love in this photo featuring our friends and their beautiful family (which recently grew by one with their newest addition! See you guys on the other side of this thing.
LUCA + MARK + ELLA + ERIN
Mark took a few minutes from working on a tight work deadline to pose with his beautiful family for this gem. Thanks Mark and hope you made your deadline! Love the rainbow hearts on the windows so had to include that artwork in the shot.
KATIE + KATHY + SOPHIE + MATT + LOUIE
“This was a first. We have become really close as a family these last five weeks in quarantine. Taking this photo brought us even closer. The kids loved all of us breathing on each other :) Adam’s drone was awesome! He used it to get a picture of us in our bedroom window. We were cracking up trying to figure out what was happening. Thank you Adam for the experience”
TEDDY + KATHY + DAN + JIMMY
“Usually I have a hard time getting everybody to get in a picture…especially the boys. They think it’s dumb. Haha. But this was different. It was a moment in time during a time in our lives that is anything but normal for all of us. Being quarantined together has brought us much closer and more sensitive to each other’s feelings. The pictures will capture that moment in time that will not soon be forgotten. Thank you again. Stay well. Hope to see you around the neighborhood in better times!”
MATTHEW + WILLIAM + ELIZABETH + CHARLOTTE
“Thanks so much for coming! I’m appreciative to have a family picture as someone is usually left out taking the picture!” Actually, the family dog “Loki” was left out so I made sure to capture him before I left as he remained on “watch” as seen below.
LOKI
JOHN + WILL + LISA + ELLA
“Thanks for coming by today to take our family picture!” - My pleasure and we look forward to seeing you all again soon in person!
MAGGIE + JAMES + ANN + PATRICK + BRODY + WILL + GRACE
“We were together. I forgot the rest.” - Walt Whitman
MIKE + MARKY + PETER + JEN
“It was just such a nice thing for you to do. At first I was worried that we should try to do something clever for our picture. And then decided we should just be ourselves as we have been during these days and keep it real... no makeup, kids in pajamas and all. Also, it was nice to see a friend on the other side of the glass. It was really special to be a part of your neighborhood quarantine series, to be connected to everyone in a unique way even though separated.”
ADAM + ALEXANDRA + SOPHIA + ROMAN + ANDREA
“Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to get through this thing called Life” - Prince
As the photographer for this project, it was fulfilling and an honor to be able to capture these moments in time and hopefully create some connection and a sense of community during this state of isolation between us all. And, although I was a far distance from everyone while taking these, I definitely felt a strong connection to all my old and new friends made along the way.
Thanks for the nice sign!
The neighborhood and its empty streets.
Poppleton Park, which would normally be full of families.
View of Poppleton Park Neighborhood from downtown Birmingham
About the Photographer
Adam Green is a photographer, director and professional firefighter. He founded and owns a full service video and photography production company called Green Sky in Detroit, Michigan where they specialize in commercial and stylized branded content. When he’s not at his studio, he’s at his firehouse Engine 33 Ladder 13 in Detroit eight 24-hr shifts a month. He lives in the Detroit suburb of Birmingham with his wife and three children.
