By Al Benson
Donnell Collins of Aurora has been on a mission.
The Aurora professional photographer’s mission is to shoot outdoor portraits of individuals, or groups, from his van’s window, and post a photo daily on Facebook until stay-at-home orders are lifted. He calls the mission his Driveby Photo Shoot Project.
Collins, 64, of Aurora said, “This is just an idea I came up with and acted April 11.
“As a result of the studio being closed, and most photo work that I was involved with being on hold, I wanted to say something about stay-at-home orders and social distancing.
“The Driveby Photo Shoot Project’s first photo was posted on Facebook that evening. The plan is to shoot and post one photo each day until the stay-at-home order/social distancing is lifted.”
Usually accompanied by his wife, Pamela, Collins takes photographs of someone who is asked to write a small blurb about how to dealing with stay at home/social distancing.
According to Collins, “Some of our subjects call us to participate. Others we reach out to and ask if they would like to be a part of this project. The theme comes from a play on words, pushing shutter buttons instead of triggers. With few exceptions, the photo has to be shot from my car.”
Although his service is free, some subjects have donated cash or other gifts.
Collins, a graduate of East Aurora High School, where he coaches boys’ and girls’ tennis teams, and Northern Illinois University, has been a photojournalist for 25 years, working for newspapers and magazines including The Chicago Sun Times, The Chicago Tribune, and ESPN The Magazine.
He was inspired by a chance meeting of world renown photographer Gordon Parks Sr., while serving in the U.S. Army in 1977. After an honorable discharge, Collins landed an internship at The Beacon News in Aurora and has been shooting since.
He owns Donnell Collins Photography at 67 S. Stolp Avenue in Aurora where he shoots portraits and teaches DSLR photography classes. Collins formerly taught photography classes at Sugar Grove-based Waubonsee Community College.
Collins said, “Environmental portraiture is the medium I enjoy working in most. I use composition and light to capture the soul of an individual in a visually compelling, pleasing and interesting way.”
To participate in his driveby project, call 630-638-0444 or send to donnellcollins@Gmail.com.