This just in: booked yesterday, shot today, published tonight: a small but so meaningful graduation 2020 party in Poconos community where I live.
I’ll be quick with this one. A graduation 2020 party in Poconos, as any graduation party this turbulent year, got to be unique. One would say, exceptional and hopefully unrepeated. All public events are banned because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Virtual and family celebrations is all what was left for the millions of graduates, including my 18-year old high school senior.
I’ve already photographed a few graduates during my social documentary Porch Portraits: Lockdown in Poconos in April. Later in June, I volunteered for our community’s Grad Car Parade 2020. We drove around some 10 high school seniors’ houses with the fire trucks, sirens, and cheers. It was fun but… graduation 2020 still sucks.
Schools, communities, and families around the globe do their best to make it up for the class of 2020. Meet these three families whom I had a pleasure of working with on a much more joyful occasion last year. Back then, we went hopping and monkeying around in sunflowers. Same three families plus grandparents now. They are tight-close friends living in NYC but escaping the city in their summer houses in our community, Wild Acres Lakes in Poconos.
Vicky, one of the trio ladies, asked me a week ago if could cover their small graduation 2020 party for three of the gang’s kids (kindergarten and primary school grads). In addition to their schools’ virtual celebration, they planned a little BBQ to celebrate the young (and I hear studious) people’s virtues.
I was supposed to fly someone overseas today so I put them on hold but the flight was—unsurprisingly—cancelled yesterday and I made myself available. Compared to my typical 2-hour work commute back to NYC area, a 5-minute road trip down several streets was a joke. My first paid event in the community, by the way.
Without further ado, enjoy this graduation 2020 party in Poconos!
