I was going to post a PhotoPlus Expo wrap up last week, but I, like many other New Yorkers lost power for nearly five days (and we know so many others STILL don’t have power).  So it makes no sense now.  What I would like to talk about it how to keep going when things seem bleak.

We all lost whatever momentum we had prior to the storm, and in dealing with basic survival needs it was easy to feel as if the rest of what we usually care about didn’t matter.  Many photographers began documenting the storm damage, both during and afterwards (and are still doing that).  Many have volunteered, or are volunteering.  Some people started raising money through selling prints.  But I’m sure some people are overwhelmed and aren’t sure how to right themselves.

I think it’s important to be moving forward in whatever direction you can at this point.  Whether that means reconnecting with others, posting your photos, or just putting one foot in front of the other, pushing yourself will always be beneficial.

There have been some incredible photos taken in the past week.  There are more that have yet to be taken.  But before this becomes just one more thing in the past, I want to bring up some important points.

There are still photo galleries weeks away from reopening, photographers who have lost not only equipment (and therefore work), but in one case I heard of, everything they had.

For those of us who were without power for so long, we were cut off from feeling at all connected.  And yet, with social media I am supposed to be connected to thousands of people.  How is this dichotomy possible?  I am not ready to just start going to lectures, or openings as if things are back to normal.  Am I alone in this?  Am I the only one still feeling isolated from the big community I am supposedly a part of?

Is there a way that we can connect better, so that if something like this happens again (and we all know it will), we can mobilize to help each other?  Or join together to help others?  There was a post on FB I saw at some point that asked photographers to consider going to the hard hit areas and taking photos for homeowners who needed proof for their insurance companies.  Did it happen?

Perhaps all of you are fine, and I am a lone voice in the wilderness on this.  But I have the sense that there are others that feel displaced for one reason or another, and I just want to put it out there for people to think about.