Accessibility links

Breaking News

She Knows Faces


((PKG)) FRONT STEPS PHOTOGRAPHER
((Banner: Portraits in Time))
((Reporter/Camera: Matt Dibble))
((Adapted by: Zdenko Novacki))
((Map: Oakland, California))
((Main characters: 1 female))
((NATS))
((Belinda Agamaite, Volunteer Photographer))
My name is Belinda. I am volunteering my time to
photograph and document families during the pandemic.
((NATS:
Belinda: And how long have you guys lived here?
Man, woman: Twenty-eight years.
Belinda: Wow.))
((Stills Courtesy: Belinda Agamaite))
((NATS))
((Belinda Agamaite, Volunteer Photographer))
Kind of new to this but loving it so far and meeting a lot of
fabulous people. I’m a dental hygienist by day. The dental
field is shut down with the limitations to only emergency. It
gave me purpose, spread kindness and I can do something
that I love to do.
((NATS:
Belinda: Look here. Whoo! She’s like, “You're crazy.
You’re crazy.” Right there. Ready? Ready? What are you
doing?))
((Belinda Agamaite, Volunteer Photographer))
They've been just in their own little bubble. And so, to have
somebody come outside and just interact with them and then
bring them out.
((Stills Courtesy: Belinda Agamaite))
((NATS:
Belinda: Oh, my goodness. Did you see him go like that?))
((Belinda Agamaite, Volunteer Photographer))
My day job as a hygienist requires me to read people and to
kind of be flexible in going with what makes them most
comfortable.
((NATS:
Woman: Come here, sweetie pie.
Belinda: Oh, my God. Are you kidding me right now?
Oh, my God.))
((Stills Courtesy: Belinda Agamaite))
((Belinda Agamaite, Volunteer Photographer))
Everyone brings something unique with every photo, which I
find really fascinating. I find people fascinating.
((Stills Courtesy: Belinda Agamaite))
((NATS))
((Belinda Agamaite, Volunteer Photographer))
I think the important part of this also is the documentation for
their family. Children will go back. “Look at my great
grandma. This was during the pandemic of 2020. Look
what they did.”
((NATS:
Belinda: What do you want to do?
Child: The rainbow.
Belinda: OK. Silly face. Silly face.))
((Stills Courtesy: Belinda Agamaite))
((Belinda Agamaite, Volunteer Photographer))
This pandemic has kind of slowed everyone down. The light
in this whole thing is the reconnecting of the basics of
humanity with each other and that's what I like about it. I’m
meeting all these people that would not meet otherwise and
how kind everyone has been. Oh, my God. So much
kindness and so many interesting people. Big, little, four
legs, two legs.
((Belinda Agamaite, Volunteer Photographer))
I find, you know, what makes people tick? You know, what
brings out the good side, the bad side? I think we're all
good. I think we're all good. We just have bad days and you
got to forgive somebody for those bad days.
((NATS))



XS
SM
MD
LG