On top of the countless financial concerns small businesses are facing during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, owners and customers alike are missing out on many of the personal accents that help make local retail and restaurants so special. During this period of social distancing, delivery and carryout orders, and government mandated isolation, Milwaukee photographer Andrew Feller is trying to capture spirit of local purveyors and increase visibility of the people who are still working hard during this difficult time with a new photo series.
Feller’s ongoing Curbside Portrait series—a name he says is a take on “curbside pickup”—is a volunteer effort, with no money exchanged for his services. While making sure to keep a safe, CDC-recommended distance from his subjects, Feller usually spends five minutes or less setting up and photographing owners and employees in their natural state. He says the pictures are intended to be “un-styled or as-is in nature,” and taken with an intention of drawing more attention to hardworking Milwaukee area professionals who are trying to navigate through uncertain circumstances.
“This is solely [to raise] awareness that there are great businesses still operating and adapting to things as they develop,” Feller tells Milwaukee Record. “This is a time for community, and small businesses are part of the heart and soul of that.”
Check out some of Feller’s Curbside Portraits below, then support these local business any way you (safely) can. If you’d like your business to be featured in Feller’s series, contact him at his website.
