‘Behind the Front Porch’

Pacific Palisades Front Porch Project Photographer Robin Aronson Shares Series in Partnership with the Palisadian-Post

By Robin Aronson  |  Contributing Writer

The Aronson Family

My Pacific Palisades Front Porch Project has been extremely rewarding and I have enjoyed sharing with our community a look into some of the wonderful families I photographed.

When quarantine began, my business was put on pause. The jobs I had booked were postponed for an indefinite amount of time, and I felt determined to fill my days with an activity that was beneficial to me and others.

I like to think that I found the perfect balance of keeping myself busy, giving families in my community an event to look forward to and helping those in need. I was fortunate to meet many new people during this time, and with each family, I chatted (from a distance) and learned how the pandemic affected their lives as well.

Quarantine brought both of my children home from college, and my house went from an empty nest to a full nest. For my Mother’s Day present, I asked my family to pose for our own front porch portrait.

I set up my tripod and used a remote so that we could all be in the photo together. We decided that each of us would wear something that represented how we spent our time in quarantine.

My daughter, Riley, is a student at UCSB and her spring quarter was entirely online. She made the best of it by sunbathing in our backyard while doing her (never-ending) schoolwork.

My son, Ross, is a nursing student at Endicott College in Massachusetts and he was also at home completing his spring semester. Ross would end his day by relaxing with a glass of wine.

Daniel, my husband, was working on construction for some of our rental units. I chose to wear my workout clothes and hold my camera to depict how I spent my time.

Lastly, Cooper, our adorable labradoodle, was loving all the attention he received in my very full house!

The Ross Family

The Ross family has been handling the quarantine with grace, gratitude and patience.

Fortunately, Gavin was able to continue working and keep his employees on. He continues to tackle his 5,000-piece puzzle.

Jenna finished her first year at USC at home via Zoom. As a musical theatre BFA, she was challenged to find locations to perform scenes (even standing in a cold shower to simulate a cold rainy day).

Keely navigated the end of 11th grade from Pali High online. She continues dancing nightly on Zoom with Fancy Feet.

Emme hasn’t completely enjoyed her seventh-grade Zoom education at Crossroads, as she has missed physically seeing her friends. She continues dancing on Zoom and being very creative with her baking experiments.

I have tried meditation, Spanish on Duolingo, listening to podcasts, reading and paint by numbers. Teacup, our 13-year-old white poodle, has taken endless walks.

The heartache and loss of jobs, income and life make us reflect daily on how fortunate we have been. Although we have had moments of frustration and sadness, we have found a way to look at our behavior and make sure we are doing our best for the greater good.

—Terry Ross

The Frenkel Family

What does our picture say? Our picture represents family unity and the love we have for each other.

Like many people, we are doing our best to appreciate the plethora of blessings we have in our lives. At the same time, it’s isolating and we desperately miss the personal connection to our community.

Chayim, Mandi, Molli, Angel and I are tightly interwoven together in this. We have been given the opportunity, as adults, to intimately share in each other’s personal and individual journeys.

We are deeply concerned for those in our world who are suffering and challenged with heartbreaking difficulties. We pray for the healing of all people and living creatures on our planet.

It’s a pandemic picture. Never to be forgotten.

Robin, your brilliance and creativity has allowed our community to share their life stories through expressing themselves in photos. You have shared with us your valuable gifts in an effort to raise money for the Westside Food Bank.

You are a champion in the lives of so many. Bless you and your family.

—Marsi Frenkel

Lipsky Family

Our quarantine experience has been a mixed bag. We worried about education online, lack of socialization, too much screen time, money, work and the state of this country.

However, we knew that this was a historical moment and thought about what our kids would remember from this time.

We found gratitude for the modern technology that allowed the kids to continue school and connect with friends. We appreciated the simple joy in a long drive to Point Dume to pick up burritos.

We planned front lawn get-togethers with neighbors and FaceTime cocktail hour with friends. We have cooked, organized, read and napped. I’ve lost a few rules and gained a few pounds, but we are healthy and we have each other.

—Jill Lipsky