One Human Family--Masked! by Liz Acar

LUCY BURDETTE: The pandemic has certainly spawned a certain amount of creativity, from sewing masks to writing about the lockdown to taking photographs. I noticed that a friend from our Key West church, Liz Acar, was doing a photography project involving masked residents. I thought you all would be interested to see some of her lovely photos and hear how her project evolved. Welcome Liz! Tell us a little about why you turned to photography as a creative outlet. 

LIZ ACAR: When the pandemic hit, it was unprecedented and very unsettling. So many unknowns were out there. People were anxious, fearful, worried. I wanted to do my part to help provide a moment of peace, hope, and connection. So I turned to photography. Mallory Square’s Sunset Celebration was closed down on March 17th. I decided I wanted to help keep it alive virtually by doing FB Live Sunset Celebrations until they reopened. My desire was to provide a space for others from around the world to connect and to share a moment of peace and hope. I did 28 straight days of FB Live Sunset Celebrations before being shut down by the Key West Police. I was told photography was not allowed under our “safer at home” orders. We could only be out to exercise or walk a dog. 

photo by Liz Acar

Photography and creative expression helps me to stay grounded and also provides a way from me to help support others. Since we were allowed to be outside to exercise, once my FB Lives were shut down, I decided to take pictures while out biking. When I would see a good photo opp, I would take a quick ’rest’ break and capture the shot. During sunset, I would occasionally get chased off by the police. Each day I did my best to capture shots and share them on social media. My desire was to continue to help bring about a moment of peace, connection, and hope to others. 

Lucy: Tell us how you came to this idea of the mask photography project.

Liz: One day while I was out biking and taking pictures of our city during the lockdown, I caught an interesting shot of someone on a bike with a mask on. It felt like a powerful photo capturing the essence of the times. About a week later, my mask project idea got sparked based on that photo. The vision wasn’t clear at that moment, but a seed was planted. 

photo by Liz Acar

Lucy: How did you decide to use the black-and-white photographs with only the masks in color, and how were you envisioning the project?

Liz: On April 28th I took the bike rider image and converted it to black and white and colorized the mask just to see what it would look like. It really highlighted the mask and created some interesting contrast. And then the idea came to mind. What would it be like to capture a moment in history in a unique way. I could take photos of people with masks on, convert them to black and white and colorize the mask. I thought it might be cool to go for a vintage feel. Like looking back on history. I decided it might make for an interesting art project. So I posted a call on FB that day. 

photo by Liz Acar

I honestly didn’t know what the response would be and what the end result would be. I just felt nudged to do it. I got a lot of positive responses from my post. For my pictures, I scheduled appointments and I also headed out on my bike rides looking for interesting shots. If I saw an interesting shot, I would let the person know about my project and ask if I could take their picture.

During this time, I would talk on the phone daily with my dad about the project. He was always so excited to hear how it was progressing. As I kept moving forward with taking pictures, my mask project vision was gaining more clarity. My dad and I talked about how cool it would be if it became an art exhibit at a gallery showing one day. It was nice to have something to dream about during such a challenging time, even though I still didn’t know what the end result was going to be. 

 I was also having fun with converting the pictures to black and white and colorizing the masks. I would send the copy to the person as a thank you for allowing me to take the pic. I would typically get a response of “I love it” and I started seeing several people post their picture as their profile picture. It felt good to see people enjoying their pictures. 

I finally decided I wanted to create a collage out of the pictures I had taken and then take a photo of the collage. I could make prints or canvasses out of the collage photo. Now that I had a plan, I had almost completed my project when my dad fell ill suddenly and was hospitalized on May 10th. His health went downhill quickly. He went from independent living to looking like he have to be discharged into hospice. Stress from his illness impacted my creative focus and I took a break from the project. But on the morning of the 25th, something inside nudged me to pick it back up and finish the project. It become important for me to finish it while he was still alive. It’s hard to explain the feeling, but I felt driven to finish it that day. Amazingly, somehow even amidst all the stress, I was able to pull it all together and get the file off to a printer. I picked up my first printed canvas that evening. It looked great! That first canvass became even more special to me because dad unexpectedly passed away that night. I’m so grateful that I completed it before he passed. It feels like a part of his energy is in that first canvas.

Lucy: tell us a bit more about the final project now that it’s completed.

Liz: Each picture in the collage is a photo I took, turned into black and white and added the mask color back in. Then I printed each photo on regular printer paper, hand tore the edges, and interwove them together on a poster board. It captures an unprecedented moment in our history. My goal was for it to look vintage, as if you were looking back on history. Hence the black and white choice and the torn edges. The canvas is a picture of the collage I laid out on a poster board. I did my best to capture a collection of the diversity of people and activities on our island. I laid it out in a way that highlights the interdependence and interconnectedness of all of us during this time. I call the finished project, ‘Namaske; One Human Family, Masked’.

Mayor Teri Johnston with Liz's collage

Thank you Liz for sharing your photos and project with us. Reds, Liz will be stopping in to answer any questions today!

About Liz: In 2016 Liz moved to Key West, Florida for a healing sabbatical from a significant illness. She has recovered and is still living in Key West. Over the past three years, Liz has conducted over 500 training and speaking engagements on mind/body/spirit wellness. She is also the author and photographer for the International Bestseller, In Joy; A Guide to Designing a Joy-Filled Life, and the co-author and photographer for the Bestseller, You Are Loved; An Inspired, Meditative Visual Journey. 

As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Multi-Certified International Coach, Inspirational Speaker, Photographer, and Author, Liz’s work over the past 25 years has focused on supporting others in living a healthier, more peaceful, and joy-filled life. Liz loves combining her passion for photography, coaching, speaking, and writing to help inspire and support others on their journey. 

Visit FB @Liz Acar, Instagram @liz.acar, or www.LizAcar.com to check out her services, photography, and positive vibes.