In May 2020, amidst the Coronavirus pandemic I saw, what I believed to be, a national news story breaking 25 minutes from my house. I reached out to the owners of the Atilis Gym Bellmawr as an independent photojournalist. Ian and Frank were about to re-open their gym, defying Gov. Murphy's Executive Order for non-essential businesses to close. I did NOT know them prior to the story. I used my portfolio to show Ian that all I wanted to do was tell their story from the inside and that I was not trying to take advantage of them. Somehow, amazingly, he invited me in.

I can’t tell you how many people messaged me. Whether it was in opposition or in support of me covering the story. I couldn’t believe how many people asked me how the story would be different by shooting it the way I did. ESPECIALLY working journalists.

Access is something every journalist craves. To be given access to someone’s life and to tell their story without a veil-as an ethical professional; is the ultimate in story telling. They were/are willing to risk jail, fines, losing their business, and unpopular opinion for a reason and I wanted to show the world their passion, emotions, and struggles as they went through it.

For those that asked how it’d be different. I captured the look of wonder as the people that volunteered to help, listened to chants as they grew outside the locked door throughout the night leading up to the opening. After hearing rumors of a possible police raid, the look of wonder was also one of the unknown. I captured the intensity that swelled as Frank removed the chain from the door that had been locking us in and officials out. I captured the repeated embrace between Ian and Frank, as they too wondered what awaited on the other side of the brown paper lined door. I captured the raw moments of shouting as things started to not go their way, and celebration when they did.

My images tell the story on their own. Without the possibility of bias created by the written word.