First Army family member frames perfect response to pandemic

By Warren MarlowJuly 27, 2020

One of 189 families photographed by First Army family member Kelcy Hanson during “Quarantine Captures,” which raised $6,000 for the North Scott Community Enhancement Project.
One of 189 families photographed by First Army family member Kelcy Hanson during “Quarantine Captures,” which raised $6,000 for the North Scott Community Enhancement Project. (Photo Credit: Warren Marlow) VIEW ORIGINAL

ROCK ISLAND ARSENAL, Ill. - One First Army family member used her time and talent to raise money for a charitable cause during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Kelcy Hanson, a commercial photographer for the p¬¬ast 11 years, took portraits of Quad Cities families in exchange for donations that went to the North Scott Community Enhancement Project. According to the Project’s website, its mission is “to support North Scott families and children by creating stronger community bonds, offering youth development opportunities and providing support for schools and other amenities that impact children and families.”

Hanson, the wife of First Army civilian employee Andrew Hanson, coined her project “Quarantine Captures” and the results can be seen at facebook.com/NSQuarantineCapture.

Putting it together required late nights and precise planning.

“I made a North Scott Quarantine Capture Facebook page and would post what days I would be in which neighborhood or which town,” Hanson said. “Then I posted a sign-up link and I made my route so they had an estimated time of when I would show up.”

Hanson and the families maintained social distancing protocols during the shoots.

“I didn’t have to be up close to anybody but I could still be close enough to direct them where to stand so the lighting was best and so on,” she explained. “For the most part it, was quick, easy, and candid. It was fun. It got everybody laughing and smiling and it shed a little bit of light during gloomy days.”

Hanson arranged to meet families at their residence, where she captured them in the dress, demeanor, and poses that the families preferred.

“A lot of families made them really funny or dressed up or had a theme to their picture,” Hanson said. “Some families dressed up in the baseball uniforms they should have been playing in or some families had babies during the quarantine so I was able to take their first family photo. Some just wanted a standard family picture and wanted nice family photos they could hang on the wall. Every family was a little bit different but they all had a purpose as to why they wanted their photos taken.”

In all, she captured 189 families over about 10 nights.

“My biggest night was 52 families,” Hanson recalled. “Someone let me use the tailgate of their truck and they drove me around a whole neighborhood one night and could do it quicker that way.”

Hanson had hoped to raise $500 and ended up bringing in $6,000, all of which will stay in the North Scott community.