Photographer Captures Sweet, Tough Family Moments During COVID-19

GAITHERSBURG, MD — In the wake of uncertain times caused by the coronavirus pandemic, Jerry Frishman is spreading hope and positivity with the click of his camera.

The Gaithersburg photographer, who has been in business for more than 30 years, goes home to home in Montgomery County to snap pictures of families on their front steps.

"The photos create a sense of community. But they also capture a moment in time that hopefully never happens again," Frishman said in an interview with Patch.

Choking up, he added: "Parents with younger kids, they want these shots for the record. The little kids might not remember 25 years from now, but they'll have pictures to show that."

Frishman joins hundreds of photographers who are participating in "The Front Steps Project" — a worldwide movement in which people photograph families outside their home and raise money for local organizations.

All of Frishman's photo sessions are free. He just asks that families donate to a local food bank, like Manna Food Center in Gaithersburg.

According to the latest data released by Feeding America, 83,000 Montgomery County residents — or 8 percent of the population — were food insecure in 2018. The nonprofit estimates that 136,140 people, or 13.1 percent of the population, may experience food insecurity because of the coronavirus pandemic.

But even during these uncertain times — when the unemployment rate remains high and pay is unsteady — county residents are still smiling in Frishman's photos.

"Most of them don't dress up. They are wearing what they wear right there to try and capture the moment of this time in history," he said. "I think everyone smiles in every one of my pictures."

His work has taken him all over Montgomery County — photographing families, elderly couples, and even a woman with her dog.

One of the most touching photos Frishman said he took was of Jeremy Fox and his family in Potomac.

It wasn't a scheduled photo shoot. It was a homecoming party for Jeremy, who nearly died from COVID-19, and a graduation celebration for his son, who graduated from the University of Michigan.

"I got the picture of the father," Frishman said, holding back tears. "The father and the wife with the kid in his graduation gown, all celebrating. It was definitely emotional."

Jeremy's wife, Julie, is a doctor of internal medicine in Montgomery County.

"It was so intense what my husband went through," Julie told Patch. "Being honest, as a doctor, I'm more used to it than most. But it's obviously different when it's a spouse or a family member. What we went through was just a horrible experience. But we are so happy that my husband is okay. We felt so blessed that we had a good outcome, because so many people had not."

Her husband had lost 32 pounds in three weeks as he struggled to recover in hospital. An immunosuppressive drug called Tocilizumab is what saved his life, according to Julie.

Once he returned home, the family threw a socially-distant welcome home party.

She said when Frishman came to their house, he whipped out his camera and started snapping pictures.

"When Jerry took those pictures...they were very heartwarming. It really captured the day which was really a day of celebration and happiness in an otherwise troubling time," Julie said.

"It was so nice for him to do that. We really appreciate it. An act of kindness is not always expected," she added. "I look at the photos with happiness. We were lucky."