As a photographer, I have always been fascinated with the eyes. With more people covering their faces during the global pandemic of COVID-19, we are offered a unique opportunity to focus on the eyes and the individuality of each person. This is not a series promoting whether or not these are safe coverings, or a series promoting going out in public. I traveled to homes, businesses, and public spaces, mostly near my home in Arkansas, to photograph each portrait with my 200mm lens. I texted on arrival and we met at a safe distance outside for a brief time.

Things I learned:

• The photographs are just part of this project. Talking, even briefly, with the subjects gave me insight to what others are thinking and doing during the pandemic, some of which I've shared in the accompanying text.

• People hunger for creativity and still yearn to express themselves during this time, even if it is just for a moment.

• Kids are still just kids. The weight of what is going on in the world is nothing compared to the innocence of genuine excitement from children seeing someone new after months of quarantine. The parents I've encountered have done an amazing job of teaching their children to maintain a safe distance while still laughing and having fun.

• While the virus's impact varies widely, the moments I looked through my lens and into the subjects' eyes made me feel as if we truly are all in this together, surviving uncertainty, enduring struggles, making adjustments to this "new normal," navigating fears, and embracing hope.

Many of my subjects have said this experience was exciting. A simple, quick photoshoot outside their home became something much more. It is a way to be a part of something bigger, a way to show the world who we are.

The Masked Project has been a creative outlet, a way to document this time, and a means not only to briefly interact with those who were ultimately distilled into these 100 images, but to really see them-to take time out of my day, pause, and see them. It has been an inspiring experience.

This is not about a virus.

This is about us.