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