In March, 2020, as Covid was upending our lives, I decided to make at least one good photo every day, for a new project, using my iPhone as camera.

So, I started a modest thread on iMessages of a dozen family members, called it Photo of the Day, and posted a newly made photo most weekdays. 

The idea was minimal text, make the picture speak. 

In the winter, the photo was often made at work, pruning in the orchard.  

Other times the subject was found while doing everyday things.

Soon, family members started to post photos of what they were doing, what was going on in their lives.

Some days lively, witty, funny text conversations flowed.  On other days, little activity.

After a while we all realized we were getting to know one another better and better.  The twelve of us are widely dispersed: we live on both coasts, in Chicago and Denver, and Vermont.  The thread became a highly effective but simple tool of connection.