Tacoma's Porch-Traits of Isolation: Local Artist, Abby Kok, Captures the Spirit of the Moment

There are people, though, like Abby Kok, who are not only trying to safely bridge the distance that we have between us, but document the deeply strange time we're all struggling through. At the beginning of April, Abby started a project of commissioning what she calls “porch-traits,” where she'll take pictures of Tacomans on their front porch, in whatever motif the subjects choose. Want to get dolled up? Don't want to leave your sweatpants? It's all up to you to!

Beyond how heartening these porch-traits are, they carry with them a touching reminder of the community that has been staying at home around us, figuring out how to live their lives in unprecedented circumstances. In a way, they remind us of Civil War or Great Depression photographs – important pictures that the future will find inextricably linked to 2020.

They're also just a hell of a lot of fun. As of this writing, Kok has done 50 porch-traits and counting. We spoke with her about how this project got started, and where it's going.

Kelli Jo and Sharon: How did you come to this idea?

Abby: It's definitely not an original idea; I think that people are doing it all around the country. One of my friends in Iowa was doing it for her community, and I found her on Instagram. I think there's a hashtag involved, but I'm not a big hashtag person. But I thought it was a really fun idea!

KJ&S: You've been a photographer for years and years. How is this experience different, when you're keeping a distance and you can't really interact with the people whose portraits you're taking?

A: It's really quick and easy. As far as my work with photographing people, it's been a lot of fun. I come out and it takes maybe two minutes. Sometimes, people think they aren't ready, or that their porch is a mess, but it doesn't matter. Some people have a nice setup going and their porch is all decked out; other people are just busy working in the garden. It's just been a really cool way to photograph people, because it's kind of low-stress, both for me and for the people getting their picture taken. … It's all about what people want to do, and what they want to portray. Some people like to get dressed up or do something silly, and others just want a nice, classic family portrait. I leave it up to how they want it to be. All I do is come, snap the picture, and give it to them.

KJ&S: With such a high demand, how far booked out are you?

A: I usually just book about a week at a time. I've been doing about 20 a week. I try not to overwhelm myself, so after I've finished up one round, I'll put something out there on Facebook to see if anybody wants one.

KJ&S: Are there any unique porch-traits that stand out to you?

A: They all so unique. I mean, they're as unique as we all are. People are coming out and presenting whatever they want, whether it be wacky, normal, or just coming out and sitting on your porch.

KJ&S: Has anyone taken your porch-trait yet? If not, what would you want yours to look like?

A: I took my own porch-trait with my son. That was the very first one that I did, because I wanted to have an example to show people when I was proposing doing this. I just set my camera up on a tripod and took a photo of my son and I on our front porch.

KJ&S: Nice! Is there any way for people to support you doing this? 

A: I want this to be something that's for free and for fun. I'm out of work right now, after getting laid off three weeks ago, so I have a lot of free time on my hands, and I know a lot of people do. I'm an artist and a photographer, and I've been really busy the last couple of years finishing up school. So, for me, to have this forced time off I just wanted to use something I love – taking pictures – to give something to my community. There is a way to leave a tip, and people that are interested can do that. So, I have been receiving a lot of tips via PayPal and Venmo. I always make sure people know that's not why I'm doing this, but people want to give back, too. They've been giving very generously. After the first week, or so, I decided to donate a portion of that money, because I'm still fortunate enough to have a home. I donated half of the the first 10 days' worth to Homeless Humans of Tacoma, which is a local homeless outreach program. That came to $240. I'm hoping to donate the next 10 days to two weeks to the YWCA, which is an organization that provides shelter and comprehensive services to survivors of domestic violence. … This has been a fun project, but it really has me thinking about situations where being at home is not always comfortable. 

When we asked where we could direct anyone to see her porch-traits, Abby let us know that these pictures belong to their subjects. As such, there's no Instagram to go to and see them. But, Abby said, she hopes that there's something greater in the future for these photos than something like Instagram can provide.

“I really hope that people don't just share these online, but actually get a print made, to have that physical object,” says Abby. “To have a picture on your wall, or to find one in a book, you have that memento, and it can bring back all those memories. I'm still thinking of a way to share these as a body of work, outside of the internet.”

In the meantime, you can contact Abby Kok on Facebook, or email at lovecolorido@gmail.com to schedule a time for her to swing by and take your porch-trait.