CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A Charlotte photographer is staying busy during the coronavirus pandemic, capturing what life is like for residents and business owners.

What You Need To Know


  • Kevin Hooper is a Charlotte photographer that has worked in the industry for years

  • Once the coronavirus pandemic hit Charlotte, he started taking pictures of friends and sharing their stories

  • He has now created the "Six Feet From Me" portrait series, and is getting national attention on social media

Kevin Hooper, a Charlotte native, has spent years perfecting his craft as a photographer.

“When I started doing photography, I definitely could tell that I had some kind of an eye for it,” he says. “I’ve done freelance photography, commercial photography, I’ve worked in the TV and film industry.”

Before the coronavirus pandemic, Hooper was also working at Haberdish, a restaurant in NoDa. When the service industry came to a halt, it gave him time to get behind the camera.

“If you give me a bunch of free time and you give me a weird set of circumstances, I think it was kind of natural for me to want to do something creative,” Hooper says.

The creative spark came when Hooper saw the shutdowns, and people constantly wearing masks.

“I had a feeling [the mask] was going to become a more regular part of just the appearance for human beings, and I wanted to play with that aesthetic a little bit,” he says.

Hooper started by photographing and interviewing friends, and it grew into sharing their stories on social media. He calls the series "Six Feet From Me."

“I wanted it to be something personal, I wanted it to be something people can relate to, and find a sense of unity in, no matter what they believe about how the world should go,” he says.

Hooper hopes to put together some sort of gallery or installation as part of the project. To see more of the portrait series, you can follow Hooper on Instagram.