Lindsay Kreighbaum Humanizes Essential Workers with Photography

Philip presses round pink stickers on brown paper bags in Punch Catering's backroom, each one crinkling as he works. He carefully adheres stickers of the business's logo to the top and center of the bags, smoothing them out with strong hands adorned with black rings on both of his fourth fingers, his inner right forearm decorated with a black-and-white tattoo.

Philip is the owner of Punch Catering, a business that caters to weddings and other events. Today he's being photographed by Lindsay Kreighbaum, a food and commercial photographer based in San Diego and Southern California who is documenting restaurants during the Coronavirus outbreak in the United States.

Amid racks of diverse wines and empty vessels, Lindsay snaps shots of Philip prepping orders. He fits stickers on each plastic to-go bottle and jots down the product's expiration date in black permanent marker. Along with beverages and ice, an encouraging note for patrons is placed in every bag.

Remote Work in Foodservice

Masks and gloves are just as essential for Philip working from home as they are at his business. Alcohols, fruits, and tools line his kitchen countertop. From Japanese-style jiggers and bar spoons to Boston shaker sets and Hawthorne strainers, Philip is fully prepared to power through the pandemic's hodgepodge of shifting rules and expectations.

A beige cat with a coffee brown-streaked face and pastel pink inner ears enters the room as he works, peering deeply into the camera lens with sky-colored eyes. Philip pours a thick, pink concoction from measuring cup to to-go bottle – one of the bottles he prepared earlier – and seals the lid closed before moving onto the next one.

A Call to Action

Once the pandemic happened, small business owners like Philip had to change their entire operation, often within 48 hours of warning. This inspired Lindsay to contact her regular clients, gauging interest in her documenting their business models' adaptations during COVID-19. After posting the concept on social media, several businesses reached out to express interest.

"It just kind of turned into this really awesome thing," Lindsay said. "It's so amazing. Seventy-five percent of the places I ended up documenting had their biggest sales days through the pandemic because people want to help and they want small businesses to survive. Yeah, the businesses are nervous about other stuff, but they're being supported way more than they thought they would be. And it's really, really awesome."

Since initiating the project, Lindsay has received various emails and social media messages thanking her for humanizing the foodservice industry.

"A lot of people don't think about the people that are behind their service," Lindsay said. "They want their comfort food, but they don't see foodservice professionals wearing their masks, struggling for 12 straight hours like the people working in emergency rooms."

Lindsay's goal is to continue her humanization of the industry by showing essential workers that they are supported. She seeks to remind people that we're all human, but the project also carries a personal note for Lindsay because she worked in restaurants for 10 years before becoming a freelance photographer.

"That's how I got into what I'm doing now," Lindsay said. "It's important to expose this stuff to people who've never worked in restaurants and have no clue about it, to show that foodservice professionals are essential workers. They're working hard. They've done amazing things to keep their business and passion alive."

During her COVID-19 documentation, Lindsay has noted an increase in camaraderie among foodservice staff, moments of sweetness persisting through daily worries and uncertainty.

"Working in the restaurant industry, your coworkers become your family pretty much immediately because there's so much currently at stake that they have an even stronger bond between them," Lindsay said. "They all have the same end goal. They all want the same thing, and with them all working so hard, it creates this bonding experience. It's so sweet. I love seeing it."

Snapshots of Renewed Hope

Although it's a sensitive time, all small businesses Lindsay has worked with have remained positive due to the amount of support they've received from their communities. Many of them are thriving during the pandemic, and much of the stress and worry that ensued at COVID-19's beginning has since evolved into steady optimism.

"Restaurants provide a sense of normalcy and comfort that people really want in a time like this," Lindsay said. "They bring so many different types of cuisine and talent and experiences into one setting. They bring people together."

You can contact Lindsay on lindsaykphoto.com or follow her work on Instagram @cravedanddiffused. The photos featured here are some of the businesses she documented for her project, which include: