#SmallBusinessStories

Quarantine and Our Local Businesses: A Personal Photo Project


About this personal project

In the small town of Montrose, CA,  the main street and heartbeat of downtown is Honolulu Avenue.  It's been featured in many films and television shows as quintessential small town USA.  On my daily walks, when I’d reach Honolulu, I was struck by the signs in every closed small business or restaurant.  I felt driven to document this time with my camera.  My first instinct was to photograph the families and do a ‘porch portrait’ series, at a safe distance, but after giving it more consideration, I realized that I should highlight the businesses instead.  There are so many local businesses, that we as a community want to support, but the truth is that we rarely see the faces behind the businesses. They all have signs in their windows explaining why they’re closed, but by now, we all know the reasons.   They are struggling, and I want to do what I can to help give them a voice and make it more personal.  I want to support our town.

If you'd like to support any of these businesses, you can click on the links below to see their stories and please visit their online shops, buy gift certificates or just give them some love via social media.


Have a business you want to recommend or would you like me to come highlight your business?

Do you have a local small business or is there one that you'd love for me to photograph and share?  Fill out the form and let me know a little about them or you and I'll get back to you. Thanks so much!  #coronakindness #smallbusinessstories