12.07.2020
With less than a month left in the year, this pandemic has turned the world upside down! Being a photographer I’m pretty much looking out from the inside through my lens. I do miss the handshakes & aloha hugs, not having to walk out of my house without a mask & hand sanitizer. For myself, I’ve always seen life as a glass that’s half full rather than half empty person, but that’s just me. I know that many other people are having a difficult time dealing with isolation & depression due to the lockdown the pandemic has caused. My daughter suffers from depression & was having a difficult time during the 1st Statewide lockdown in March but she’s doing the best she can & so far things have been pretty good!

I do not want the pandemic to ruin & run my life! Trying to find a balance between “normal” & the “new normal” is not so easy!

I envisioned this shot entitled, “Pandemic, Isolation & Depression”, with the thought of, is this our new normal & how it’s affecting people’s mental health? What we once had may never be again? I wanted to focus on how this pandemic has been affecting depression in people that’s been isolated not only in their home but not being able to sit right up next to a friend & talk story face to face, the Aloha hugs, handshakes & kisses.

I’ve had this shot stuck in my head for a while now but was looking for the right person to bring that vision to life. Enter Melani, I met her about a month ago on a photoshoot I did with her & you know that good vibe you get when you meet someone, I knew she was the one! So I pitched my vision to her & she was all in!

This small body of work was meant to be seen as such. The main image the “Hero Shot” supported by the closer detailed shots tells the story of the pandemic in 2020 through my eyes, here in Hawaii. My hope is that, if the images we’ve created touch 1 person, I’ll be moved & humbled to have created something that can move someone emotionally or even to take that 1st step to get help. Mental Health is nothing to be ashamed of & the 1st step to getting better is knowing that you need help. The main reason why I created this set of images is to bring more awareness to the overwhelming number of people who have depression but are afraid to get help. My daughter & family has received help from an organization called NAMI the National Alliance on Mental Health, www.nami.org, on IG @namicommunicate This organization is your 1st step, don’t be afraid to get help & know this, you are not alone. Mental health awareness needs to be brought to the attention of the public & not seen as a taboo topic!

Of course, I couldn’t have done it without the help from my good friend Brandon & the beautiful & multi-talented Melani, thank you soooo much for indulging my crazy visions, you guys are the BEST!!!

 Aloha a hui hou my friends!
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