To know whether you have a passion, determine if you’re willing to do it night and day for free.
For Brooke Elizabeth, it’s an easy one to answer. She has been putting in long days photographing hundreds of families at no charge to capture this moment in time.
“It’s definitely like a full-time job on some days,” she said. “It takes about an hour or two to come up with a route. People are sitting outside and waiting so I have to be prompt and accurate.”
In normal circumstances, Brooke would be managing Three Ways Beautiful Salon & Spa in Gainesville and photography would be a side hustle. When she saw how COVID-19 was hurting small businesses, she asked herself what she could do to help. That’s when she discovered “porch portraits” on social media. People stand outside their homes and pose. Photographers take pictures, while social distancing.
“I thought this would still be a way to give back and capture people with their families and still keep a social distance,” she said.
There’s no monetary exchange for the photographs. Brooke simply makes a suggestion to pay a kind act forward.
It’s a collective effort with her fiancé, Jason Bailey, who drives her to each stop and keeps her on schedule.
“He’s very patient with me and loves being a part of this as well,” Brooke said. “We both like giving back and it makes us feel good to do something for our community at such a trying time.”
Brooke has photographed close to 300 families across Loudoun and Prince William Counties with the number growing by the day. Even the ER department at StoneSprings Hospital Center recently posed to support the movement.
“The photos have been very simple to extremely creative like the Mad Hatter’s tea party,” said Brooke.
Chatting with people, even if it’s from the street, is part of the fun and reward for Brooke. For some, it’s the first time they’ve dressed up or put on makeup since the coronavirus pandemic began. For others, it’s the first family picture they’ve had in years.
Some simply wanted to document what they’ve been up to, such as home improvement projects or a new hobby.
“We’ve been touched by everybody’s story,” Brooke said.
There’s been one particular photo that has tugged at Brooke’s heartstrings: a portrait of five-year-old twin brothers embracing next to a garden flag for childhood cancer with the word “hope.”
“Dylan the Destroyer“
This is one of the photographs that Brooke captured of Dylan and Tyler outside their Aldie home.
At this young age, Dylan has already undergone more than what many will experience in a lifetime. He was diagnosed with Leukemia in January of 2017 and considered a high-risk patient. Luckily with a more aggressive treatment course, he will complete treatment this May.
His mom, Melissa Akers, said they’re very grateful to Brooke for documenting their family as they approach this big milestone.
“We loved having the opportunity to have our family photos done with Brooke. It’ll help us remember this time and will be a great reminder to slow down and not take time for granted.”
The family has a private Facebook page “Dylan the Destroyer” for friends and family to keep up to date with his treatment.
Dylan enjoys taking toys apart to see how they work. This is where the nickname came about as a way to speak to his strength to destroy cancer.
Brooke said she’s happy she “could shed light on his story.”
She plans to continue to photograph families even when she does return to work at the salon.
You can follow Brooke’s front porch journey on Brooke Elizabeth Artistry of Northern Virginia Facebook Page.
Have uplifting news to share? Tag @upliftloudoun or write us at editor@upliftloudoun.com.