Back in early April, when Colorado residents were quarantined to their homes and businesses were deemed either essential or nonessential, real estate agent Coleen Sanders, who was spending all of her time in her Cherry Hills Village château, was looking for collaboration, community and creative outlets—anything to keep from feeling idle and disconnected.
Then, she got wind of a Los Angeles photographer, Saam Gabbay, who had photographed friends and family outside of their homes for his birthday, and had an idea: a photo series that would explore what life looked like during the stay-at-home order, featuring her clients. It would be upbeat. It would be heartening. And it would encapsulate this unique moment in time. Meet the Denver Window Stills series, photographed by Andrew Forino, who captured an intimate look into what Sanders clients’ lives (and homes) looked like in quarantine.
Alongside the photos, which are featured on her Instagram account (@coleensanders_den), Sanders asked subjects to fill out her own edition of Vanity Fair’s Proust Questionnaire for a how-households-are-fairing verbal snapshot. “As a person and a real estate agent, I try to remain authentic and trustworthy,” she says. “So instead of me posting photos of me and my listings,” the series showcased the authenticity of her clients and their lives in quarantine. Sanders continues: “It connected me with other people who loved them.”
And from the Highland neighborhood in Denver to Cherry Hills, what the real estate agent saw were people embracing being homeward bound: “Ultimately, what makes a home is not the size of the house or where you live, but family and friends and people. The common thread was that everyone came back to what’s important in life—to the little things that were maybe taken for granted. … This is an unforgettable experience that we’re going through. My clients couldn’t wait to get the photo, frame it and have it for their homes as a memory.” We, on the other hand, couldn’t wait to catalogue an album.
Washington Park dwellers Chad and Sarah Duffy say cheese with their three children. Sarah, a teacher, has learned “not to take the frustrations parents show towards teachers in all of this personally. Most of the aggravation is technology-related or just due to the whole difficult situation. … I miss my students and being in my classroom—so much creativity and joy comes from being there.” Photo by Andrew Forino, courtesy Coleen Sanders 
Katie Duffy, Chad Duffy’s sister, photographed here on the balcony of her Jefferson Park townhome, is thankful for the unique way she’s been able to continue to foster relationships, which happens to be thanks to her greatest extravagance while staying at home: “I am beyond grateful to CycleBar Denver for renting out their bikes to members. These past few months would have been a lot harder without the bike or that community.” Photo by Andrew Forino, courtesy Coleen Sanders 
Alexis Ward, a Centennial resident, poses with her kids. During quarantine, Ward’s idea of happiness evolved: “This experience has been a lesson in cultivating internal freedom when there is not external freedom.” Photo by Andrew Forino, courtesy Coleen Sanders 
The Webster family’s shot—complete with parents Elaine and Russ and their three daughters—comes with a bit of a backstory. Prior to the photoshoot, the family had just returned home from the hospital (for reasons unrelated to the novel coronavirus). “Elaine’s youngest daughter wanted to stay in her hospital gown and everyone else was in their pajamas,” Sanders says. Photo by Andrew Forino, courtesy Coleen Sanders 
The photographer behind Denver Window Stills, Andrew Forino, steps in front of the lens as well to reflect on what this year has taught him. “This pandemic has made me appreciate the things and people I have in my life way more,” he says. “I’m grateful to still have work during this.” He and his business partner, Tommy Ellis, donated March earnings from their business, At Media Co., LLC, to the Colorado COVID Relief Fund, Bienvenidos Food Bank and the Colorado Artist Relief Fund. Photo by Andrew Forino, courtesy Coleen Sanders