N.J. photographer captures photos of cardinals for every life lost to COVID-19

In early May, wildlife photographer Rick Fichter uploaded 308 photographs of Northern Cardinals to his Facebook page.

Otherwise, an inordinate amount of photos to share with your Facebook friends, this small-batch pales in comparison to his album of more than 8,000. That album represents one photo for every life lost to COVID-19 in the state of New Jersey.


As the artist behind 168 Tattoo shop in Pennsauken, Fichter had to temporarily close his doors in reaction to the pandemic.
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"Outside of my kids and my family, that is my family," he said.

With the extra time, he found himself sitting in the understory of his verdant front lawn with a camera in hand.

Their inquisitive behavior, coupled with urban legends surrounding rebirth, make Cardinals a subject of deep emotional connection. Fichter says they are even a highly-demanded model for tattoos.


Thinking everyone has a "cardinal story," he decided to rebrand his Facebook page as "Cardinals for Coronavirus." There, he posts a batch with hundreds of photographs each day to reflect New Jersey's updated Coronavirus death toll.
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He hopes that more people will visit his page and take a break from negativity. Once they enjoy his detailed photographs, he wants them to leave with a new perspective on the value of each individual life. And of course, he urges everyone to stay home.

As the photo library inevitably expands, Fichter wishes his project becomes a more formal institution to memorialize each life lost to the virus. That could come in the form of mailing a photograph to each affected family, or creating a physical gallery that assigns each individual to a specific photograph.