Quarantine Stories with Gilmar Smith

Words and Photos by Gilmar Smith

In my house, we have a wheel that I make my kids spin every time they say they are bored. Right when quarantine started, I asked in my social media channels for ideas of activities I could add to it, and people didn't disappoint! My kids have had lots of fun with it, but last week, given a recurrent offense, I had to add a not very enjoyable activity to the wheel: "Unclog the toilet."

Yes, gross. I know I am not the only parent who is tired of doing so; I know this is a very relatable topic nobody wants to talk about. I usually turn these experiences into pictures to add a little bit of humor to the situation. 

We spun the wheel, and whoever got "Unclog the toilet" had to also pose for a picture with the plunger. Oh how fun!

To make this shot happen, I grabbed my Platypod Max, Platyball, and my camera and set them on my coffee table. I arranged my plants (that I am happy and surprised I haven't killed yet) and arranged them close to the lens, so they served as foreground elements. I used an Elinchrom ELC-500 pointed to the ceiling to light the living room evenly and let the kids do their thing!

I know in a few years it's going to be weird to look back at these images and remember the crazy times we are living in!