Amanda Legge, a teacher at Ooltewah Elementary School, poses for a portrait in her home in Ooltewah, Tenn. Teachers like Legge have had to adjust to teaching remotely after the novel coronavirus COVID-19 forced the closure of classrooms across the country.

For Ooltewah Elementary School teachers Amanda Legge and Jana Binns, the spring’s mad rush to remote teaching as the COVID-19 pandemic began brought complex new challenges. Adapting to unfamiliar technology, enduring disrupted routines, and engaging with students learning from home has put strain on teachers at school systems in Chattanooga and nationwide. Photographed for Education Week in the early months of the pandemic.

Jana Binns, a fourth grade math and science teacher at Ooltewah Elementary School, poses for a portrait in her home in Ooltewah, Tenn.

Jana cradles a mug of coffee with the message “Teach Your Heart Out.”

Jana makes a heart sign with her hands as she signs off with her students.

Amanda connects remotely with her students and reviews their weekly schedule.

Amanda gives a thumbs up to her students during a video chat.

Chattanooga demonstrators joined the nationwide movement protesting police violence against the Black community in the summer of 2020. Ignited by the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police, the protests swelled on a wave of anti-police outrage. The Tennessee National Guard was called in on one of the first nights of protests after Hamilton County Sheriff’s Department deputies used teargas on demonstrators outside of the Hamilton County Courthouse.

A person surveys a tornado damaged Advance Auto Parts location in East Brainerd in Chattanooga, Tenn. An overnight tornado destroyed homes and businesses in the Chattanooga region as severe storms killed at least 19 across the Southeast late Easter Sunday.

Tornados struck Chattanooga, Tennessee, late Easter Sunday and early the following morning, leveling homes and damaging businesses across the region. More than 30 people were killed by the natural disaster across the Southeast, which caused an estimated $300 million in damage in Chattanooga alone, according to the Times Free Press. Two Hamilton County residents were killed, and at least 20 were hospitalized.

A person photographs a home damaged by a tornado in an East Brainerd neighborhood in Chattanooga.

A painting sits in the window of a tornado damaged home in an East Brainerd neighborhood.

The storm tore the roof from East Brainerd Elementary school and devastated the nearby Holly Hills neighborhood, where residents spent the following morning salvaging the remnants of their homes. 

Amazon seller Matt Colvin poses for a portrait with a stock of cleaning and sanitizing supplies outside his garage in Chattanooga, Tenn. Colvin purchased hand sanitizer, masks and cleaning supplies to resell at a markup on Amazon, but he’s now unable to sell them on the marketplace as the online retailer cracks down on price gouging amid COVID-19 concerns.

When the COVID-19 pandemic was in its early states, Matt Colvin saw opportunity. Using his experience predicting consumer purchasing trends, the Amazon.com seller and his brother road-tripped across the Southeast, buying out stocks of hand sanitizer, cleaning supplies and N-95 masks from Wal Marts, grocery stores, and pharmacies to resell online for a profit. When online sales outlets like Amazon and eBay began to crack down on sellers price-gouging for what were deemed essential supplies, Colvin was suddenly left with a stockpile of pandemic safety goods and nowhere to sell them.  Photographed for the New York Times.

Democratic presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg speaks at a campaign event at the Bessie Smith Cultural Center in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Democratic presidential primary candidate and former New York City mayor Mike Bloomberg campaigned in Chattanooga, Tennessee, as his campaign targeted centrists and undecided voters in red states to win his party’s nomination.

On assignment for Reuters.

A woman is removed from the venue after she took the stage and shouted into the microphone during Bloomberg’s rally in Chattanooga, Tenn.

Supporters cheer as Bloomberg speaks during his rally in Chattanooga, Tenn.

Hamilton County Schools Superintendent Bryan Johnson poses for a portrait in the hydroponics greenhouse at Hixson High School in Chattanooga, Tenn. The greenhouse is part of the Future Ready Institutes program at the high school.

Hamilton County Schools Superintendent Bryan Johnson is one of Education Week Magazine’s 2020 leaders to learn from. Johnson was recognized in part for his creation of Future Ready Institutes to prepare his school system’s students for the careers of the future in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). These schools-within-a-school include education in fields such as healthcare, hydroponics, and aviation. These specialized programs were made possible through partnerships with Chattanooga area businesses like CHI Memorial Hospital and Volkswagen.

Photographed for Education Week.

Superintendent Johnson speaks to a class about leadership at East Hamilton High School in Chattanooga, Tenn.

Superintendent Johnson talks with senior Madison Butler, 18, senior Leah Gray, 18, and senior Erik Trujillo, 17, in a nursing education classroom during a future ready partnership event at Hixson High School in Chattanooga, Tenn.

Superintendent Johnson asks 5th graders Gage Rosen, right, 11, and Aiden Clark, left, 11, what leadership means to them during an assembly at Wolftever Creek Elementary School in Chattanooga, Tenn.

Superintendent Johnson jokes with 1st grader Jourdyn Drake, 7, outside of Brown Middle School as he arrives to have a sit-down chat with teachers in Chattanooga, Tenn.

Superintendent Johnson picks up his son, Bryan Johnson Jr., from after-school care at Westside Elementary School.

The Erlanger Children’s Kennedy Outpatient Center, designed by HKS Architects, Inc. in Chattanooga, Tenn.

Some long exposure photography, lovely evening light, and a bit of post-production stacking led to this cool-toned image of the Erlanger Children’s Kennedy Outpatient Center on East 3rd Street in Chattanooga, designed by HKS Architects.

Emma Wagner poses for a portrait in her daughter Sophie’s room in Chattanooga, Tenn. Wagner, who initially declined to vaccinate her daughter after her birth, now supports childhood vaccinations.

Like most mothers, Emma Wagner just wanted what was best for her daughter Sophie. After connecting with a Savannah, Ga. pediatrician who was lenient about her daughter’s vaccination schedule and later relying on a support network of other mothers who discouraged it altogether, she chose not to vaccinate Sophie out of fear.

Wagner, who now lives in Chattanooga, has since changed her mind after learning more about vaccines from scientifically valid resources. Sophie has caught up on her vaccination schedule, but nationwide, the anti-vaccine movement maintains a foothold, with most states housing at least one anti-vax organization and MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccination rates among kindergartners dropping to 94.3 percent nationally, which is below the optimum rate of 95 percent required for herd immunity.

Photographed for the New York Times.

Silverdale football player Jordan Sanders is photographed for the Chattanooga Times Free Press Dynamite Dozen in Chattanooga, Tenn. The Dynamite Dozen represent the area’s top 12 high school senior college football prospects.

Every year, the Chattanooga Times Free Press releases its list of the Chattanooga area’s twelve best high school senior football prospects. It’s an opportunity to get creative photographing in the studio and come up with some fun portrait ideas to highlight the talent, athleticism, and passion of these college football prospects.

Baylor football player Noah Martin.

Dalton football player Jaymyr Gibbs.

Tyner football player Jeremiah Batiste.

McCallie football player Jay Hardy.

Ringgold football player Reid Williams.

Heritage football player Sam Randolph.

Ooltewah football player Christian Benoit.

Meigs County football player Aaron Swafford.

McCallie football player DeAngelo Hardy.

Chattooga football player Luis Medina.

Heritage football player Sam Randolph.

A pork shank osso bucco, white cheddar mashed potatoes, burgundy mushroom and port jus at Bridgeman’s Chophouse in Chattanooga, Tenn.

Bridgeman’s Chophouse has undergone a fine dining revival with chef Dao Le at the helm. As Chattanooga’s West Village development has grown, so has the Read House restaurant, with chef Le offering prime cuts of beef and staples like pork shank osso bucco. Photographed for Chatter Magazine.

Roasted brussels sprouts, winter squash, candy pecans and bacon at Bridgeman’s Chophouse in Chattanooga, Tenn.

Rosted winter squash, toasted pumpkin seeds and shaved manchego cheese at Bridgeman’s Chophouse in Chattanooga, Tenn.