Epically Masked

Aaron Packard's Epically Masked photos win international award

Shortly after the pandemic hit, photographer Aaron Packard began crafting a way to use his art to positively encourage South Dakotans to wear masks in public in order to slow the spread of COVID-19. He saw a way to use his art to reflect concerns about preserving the health of family, friends,the elderlyand thosewith compromised immune systems.

Packard began his Epically Masked series in July when he put out a call for models in the Vermillion area—and was gratified by the many people and families who were eager to participate. To prioritize the health of his models, Packard shot all his portraits outside and wore a mask himself during the photo sessions. To make his subjects heroic, he used artificial lighting in the natural environments. The entire series is available for viewing at www.aaronpackard.com.

“Epically Masked XV ” by Aaron Packard.

The Vermillion photographer released his images on his social media pages in July, using the hashtag #epicallymasked in order to share his positive portrayal of South Dakotans wearing their masks. In November and December, Packard teamed up with the Vermillion Area Arts Council to invite the community to participate in the series by taking masked selfies and posting them online with the #epicallymasked tag.

“Epically Masked is an attempt to inspire everyone to wear face coverings by depicting the epic heroic nature of everyday people,” Packard said. “We’re currently inviting people worldwide to join the movement by sharing their own Epically Masked photographs.”

Packard’s inspired photographic concept caught the attention of international photo judges, as Epically Masked earned Honorable Mention from the International Photography Awards in the Fine Art: Portrait category. The annual International Photography Awards (IPA) receives work from photographers in 120 countries, with 13,000 entries submitted to the 2020 contest. This is Packard’s second IPA Honorable Mention award. In 2015, he won Honorable Mention for a tintype series of western South Dakota landscapes he created for Black Hills Ammunition in the Professional: Advertising category.

Packard’s “Epically Masked VI.”

With his studio in Vermillion, Packard has a long and adventurous history as a photographer. Beginning his career over 25 years ago in San Francisco during the age of film, Polaroid and chemistry, he now uses digital photography as well as traditional techniques for his commercial work and his fine art. Packard’s images have been displayed regionally at the Hopkins Center for the Arts in Hopkins, MN; the Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts in Omaha, NE, and the Washington Pavilion in Sioux Falls.

Aaron C. Packard in his studio