Project supports Iola Food Pantry
By Greg Seubert
Due to COVID-19, Jana Tappa has taken her photography hobby to a new level.
She has photographed families in Iola and Scandinavia since coronavirus cases in Wisconsin started adding up in late March and has also raised awareness about a local food pantry.
The Iola resident is participating in the Front Steps Project, which portrait photographer Cara Soulia and her friend, Kristen Collins, launched in the Boston, Massachusetts, area in mid-March. Photographers across the country are also on board.
“I take a lot of online photography courses, said Tappa, a graphic designer and corporate photographer in the marketing department at Sentry Insurance in Stevens Point. “There are a lot of Facebook support groups and one of the other photographers posted about it and I said, ‘We’re going to try this on our community.’ It just took off.”
Besides offering free portraits to participating families, Tappa is also spearheading an effort to collect food for the Iola Food Pantry.
Local cause
Families that have their portrait taken are asked to make a contribution to the pantry.
“When we were first hearing about schools being closed, there was a lot of concern about some of the kids that weren’t going to be getting breakfast and lunch at school,” she said. “I know there are quite a few kids that would be affected by that. I knew the pantry was probably needing to kick up what they’re able to do. There’s an awareness of the mission of the Iola Food Pantry. People don’t realize that people are going there on a regular basis and need that to sustain their life. I figured out that that’s a really needed mission in this little town.”
Tappa has taken more than 30 portraits outside of peoples’ homes since March 22.
“I put a note on my Facebook page explaining that I had seen another photographer do this,” she said. “It was a way for me to do something to keep busy, but also to help when you can feel so helpless in these times. I put it out there if anyone would be interested. A lot of people said they would be.”
Interested families sign up www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0D4AA9A72DA4FA7-porch and Tappa will schedule a time to come over.
“I require an address so I can get their house,” she said. “I tell them if they don’t see me, I’ll call so they can come out. Everyone’s usually ready for me. Everyone’s home. They’re not doing anything, so they can’t tell me they don’t have time. I don’t approach anyone’s door and I tell them 6 to 10 feet is what I can do. I take a lot of sports photographs, so I have some long lenses that I use for football. I have a few lenses with me to use depending on how far away they are.
“People are excited to get out of their house,” she added. “I’ve had a lot of people say, ‘Thank you for giving me a reason to fix my hair today.’ Everyone’s in a good mood and it makes me smile to give them something to do and break up their day a little.”
Getting outside
Many – but not all – of the photos are taken on a porch.
“Not everyone’s house has a picture-perfect porch or they have a big family and don’t have enough room,” Tappa said. “We can usually figure something out. Most people have something in mind and have maybe thought about it. I’ll ask if they have an idea. I’m not a family portrait person. I guess I’m learning with each one that I do. It happens really naturally. If I’m not rushing to the next one, I’ll ask if the parents want one together and if they want someone with just the kids.”
She spends from five to 15 minutes at each session and won’t accept food donations for the pantry.
“I just tell them to go the grocery store,” she said. “We have a drop-off there. I tell them not to make a special trip, but drop it off when they go for their regular groceries.”
Tappa had to begin limiting her sessions since she works full-time from her home for the time being because of COVID-19.
“I had as many as six a day and I’m also working full-time, so it got a little crazy,” she said. “I work from 8 to 4:30 and I would start my sessions around 5 and go to dark. At first, I was able to keep up.”
Her schedule included a handful of sessions March 28-29.
“I rescheduled three because the weather was so crappy,” she said. “I had a few in the rain and I didn’t like how those turned out, so I offered to reschedule and a couple took me up on it. I’m equipped for it, but I don’t think they turn out as well.”
More photos
Families can download their photos online and Tappa’s list of families to photograph continues to grow.
“I have 36 more families signed up,” she said. “I think we’re going to run out of people in Iola. It’s a small town.
“I’ve had a couple people ask about Waupaca or Stevens Point,” she added. “I don’t think going that far is in the cards for me, but I probably will go to Point to take a couple of my coworkers because we miss each other. There are a few of my friends in town that have elderly parents in Point and Plover, so I thought I could run and get their shots.”
Families can download their photos from her website.
“People post things about enjoying the time with their kids and taking the time to do some things they never have time for,” Tappa said. “It’s a horrible situation, but when you can find something positive and make memories, people will remember this time. This is like summer vacation when I was a kid. I’m finding that I really enjoy taking family photos. I have a lot of fun with it.”
Interested families can contact Tappa on her Facebook page or emailing her is [email protected].
“We’re a small community and a lot of us know each other,” she said. “When you see the pictures, it’s nice to know that they’re doing OK. When you look at a picture of somebody smiling, it’s hard not to smile. It’s been a blessing for me.”