38 | AUGUST 20 • 2020
T
he month of March held the
promise of career opportunities
for Zachary Oshinsky, but the
pandemic forced a change of plans.
Canceled was a temporary move
to Los Angeles, where he would be
searching for full-time work as a pho-
tographer. The move was to follow an
assignment as a one-time roadie for
Yoshi Flower and his band. He was
asked to drive their van, generally help
out and take pictures of the musicians
on stage and off. The tour was also
canceled because of the pandemic.
Although Oshinsky had earned a
bachelor’
s degree in sports psychology
at Olivet College, his interests had
turned to photography, and he began
using the professional name Sidd
Finch, derived from a fictitious charac-
ter portrayed in a sports magazine.
“I was about to leave for the airport
when I got the call that the tour was
canceled,
” said Oshinsky, 24, of Sylvan
Lake. “Soon, it was out of a despera-
tion to create that I figured out what
was next.
”
He started taking pictures of friends
in the Metro Detroit creative commu-
nity, whether in music, art or entre-
preneurial initiatives. People he knew
passed along names of people they
knew, and he wound up with subjects
in 80 locations, individuals and small
groups caught up in their change of
plans.
“I thought I could use this project
simply as a way to create a portfolio,
”
the photographer said. “The people
mostly were on their porches because
of social distancing.
”
As those close to Oshinsky viewed
the pictures, they offered encourage-
ment and suggestions to forge the
images into a book and art exhibit,
both entitled Change of Plans. Friend
Zach Hagy, who self-published some
of his own work, took on the photo
book project. The gallery Playground
Detroit agreed to showcase 183 imag-
es enlarged by Unfolding Creative in
Ferndale.
As he was putting the book and the
exhibit together, Oshinsky worked with
his personal partner, Anna Orletski,
who introduced him to photography.
She added pages of illustrations that
can be colored by readers, and she col-
Arts&Life
photography
Change
of Plans
Pandemic spurred book featuring
Metro Detroit artists.
SUZANNE CHESSLER CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Sam Silverstein
Jonah Grey
SIDD FINCH