When a picture is worth more than 1,000 words

Published April 9, 2020

By NANCY PARSONS

A SNAPSHOT IN TIME was captured by local photographer Samantha Watson of dozens of North Reading families simply gathered on the front steps of their homes last weekend, such as this photo of Chris and Renee Deming and their daughter Meredith. Taken with a telephoto lens to maintain proper social distancing, Watson’s only “fee” was a pledge by each family to make a donation to the North Reading Food Pantry’s gofundme page. The photos have been posted to social media. (Samantha Watson Photography)

NORTH READING — There have been a number of creative fundraisers for the North Reading Food Pantry HOME Fund in the past year-and-a-half, and this year—despite the heath crisis—creativity is still sparking. The latest inspiration comes from local photographer Samantha Watson (Samantha Watson Photography) who launched the “Front Step Project” to raise funds for the Pantry, while carefully maintaining social distance and creating keepsake memories for local families.

“I borrowed the idea from Cara Soulia, a photographer in Needham—with her permission, of course,” Samantha said. “I saw it as a positive way to reach out to families who may be feeling isolated right now and at the same time, to do something helpful for the community.”

For Samantha, who specializes in wedding, family and real estate photography, this was right in her line of work. Through an online invitation, Samantha offered to photograph families on their own front steps while she took the photograph from an acceptable social distance. In exchange for a professional Samantha Watson portrait, each family would agree to make an online donation to the Food Pantry HOME fund.

Thirty families responded. Each family—dogs and stuffed toys included—gathered on their individual front porches to smile while Samantha framed the shot from a safe distance of at least 15 feet.

“I was pleased that the project brought some positivity and happiness in this difficult time,” Samantha commented. “

The Front Step Project has been a gift for the Food Pantry also, as donations from families continue to come in, pushing the Fund higher every day.

The photo album of the Front Step Project is available to view on Samantha Watson’s Facebook page. And you can watch the growing dollars in the HOME Fund’s gofundme account at https:www.gofundme.com/NRFPHomeFund.