AUSTRALIA / BRAZIL / CALIFORNIA / CANADA / CHINA / COLOMBIA / FLORIDA / GERMANY / HAWAII / INDIA / IRAN / ITALY / JAPAN / LONDON / MEXICO / NORTH CAROLINA / NETHERLANDS / NEW YORK / NIGERIA /PALESTINE /PUERTO RICO / RUSSIA / SINGAPORE / SOUTH DAKOTA / SPAIN / TEXAS / U.K. / WASHINGTON / WISCONSIN
This is a time of extreme dissonance. We’ve all been affected by this pandemic, but we’re also all experiencing it differently. We asked 29 photographers around the world to tell us what their experience amid the pandemic looks like at a specific time of day — 3 p.m. — and their answers offered a revealing glimpse into the changing lives of artists.
This is a time of extreme dissonance. We’ve all been affected by this pandemic, but we’re also all experiencing it differently. We asked 29 photographers around the world to tell us what their experience amid the pandemic looks like at a specific time of day — 3 p.m. — and their answers offered a revealing glimpse into the changing lives of artists.
AUSTRALIA / BRAZIL / CALIFORNIA / CANADA / CHINA / COLOMBIA / FLORIDA / GERMANY / HAWAII / INDIA / IRAN / ITALY / JAPAN / LONDON / MEXICO / NORTH CAROLINA / NETHERLANDS / NEW YORK / NIGERIA /PALESTINE /PUERTO RICO / RUSSIA / SINGAPORE / SOUTH DAKOTA / SPAIN / TEXAS / U.K. / WASHINGTON / WISCONSIN
Note: Continents are not to scale
North America
South America
Europe
Asia
Africa
Australia
Bailey Rebecca Roberts,
I am very fortunate to be quarantined at home with my family. I was supposed to move into a new apartment in L.A. on April 1, but all my jobs have been canceled. My mother has been my support. She is my purest example of unconditional and selfless love. I feel as though these circumstances can be very revealing of people's priorities and demonstrative of the true colors of relationships. My mother has been the definition of this for me, she meets me with patience, understanding, and compassion. She has provided for me an example of how to be better.
Almost every day I walk up my road, the same road I grew up on. It is a long, winding country road that slowly ascends the hillside of Haleakala. I walk past the pig farm, the wild black-raspberry brambles, the stables. The road gives way to a dirt drive, then to overgrown grass with indentations of tire tracks. It goes up a few miles, lined by peach trees and wild lilikoi. The haze clears a bit and I feel like I'm returning to myself. I'm remembering who I was before the world got its hands on me.
Michelle Groskopf,
I’ve always been a bit of a recluse, so staying home and not being overly social doesn’t feel overly stressful for me. However, I tend to work and travel a lot and that has slowed down. I also can’t participate in the intimate style of street photography I usually enjoy. My partner Sasha has been my rock and makes every day fun and vibrant even when I feel scared or down. My gym Crossfit Hollywood is the best community. They have been doing daily Zoom classes with routines I can do at home. Love them. What I’ve learned from all this: We are all more connected than we think and it’s all more precious than we know.
Amanda Ringstad,
Aside from obsessively disinfecting everything around me, cutting way back on hikes, and having my groceries delivered, my life is unusually similar to the way it was before. I live and run my photography studio out of the same space. My family and close friends have been a steady source of support. Everyone is checking in on each other, very present and happy to interact when we do. A friend dropped off cookie dough the other day.
Andrea Villalón,
Even before the crisis, I didn't leave my house much, so my daily routine hasn't changed a lot — although my circadian rhythm is a mess and, naturally, I'm getting anxious and depressed about the future. I’ve gone through a lot of phases, from stocking up on groceries and supplies, to feeling extremely depressed/anxious/claustrophobic...to watching The Lord of the Rings trilogy in one night. After a couple of weeks of feeling numb and apathetic, I recently woke up feeling super-motivated and hopeful. It's a roller coaster.
Painting is what motivates me each day — although sometimes it's not actually painting, but just staring at the canvas for hours while listening to music and procrastinating by taking extra, perhaps unnecessary, care of my plants and cats.
Rockie Nolan,
Frankly, I’m not coping the best. I’m anxious by nature, and the uncertainty of this crisis has exacerbated that. My greatest fear is my immunocompromised mom catching it. I’m finding it impossible to fall asleep before 6 a.m. now. Once I finally wake up in the afternoon, I drink my coffee, chat with my mom, and have a moment outside. I run an online vintage clothing shop, @shopwesthexes, and I’m still slowly shooting and running things solo for that. Not seeing my boyfriend and friends, having photo shoots canceled, and not being able to gather at local businesses has changed what I normally do.
At the end of the day, we’re all collectively experiencing personal and communal grief and uncertainty. My hope is that if something good can come from this, it will be a newfound sense of compassion for one another and a renewed appreciation for all that brings us comfort and joy.
Dawn E. (Dawnee) LeBeau,
Initially I thought I would shoot this assignment in my home, but I had to stop on my way home and see my mom, who is an essential worker for our tribal nation, the Cheyenne River Lakota Nation. So I asked her if I could photograph her while on break and we would honor physical distancing and wear our protective gear, and thankfully she agreed. I set my camera up on the road by our vehicles, then set the timer and snapped a few images.
Peyton Fulford,
I am trying my best not to let my anxiety get the best of me. There is so much negative energy in the world right now, so I am working every day to remain positive by meditating and going on walks.
Rose Marie Cromwell,
I’m lucky to have a very supportive family. Every day, I look forward to feeding and playing with my baby. My husband and I have a 3-month-old, which has helped deal with the stay-home order greatly. I also enjoy watering my plants and watching the birds at my bird feeder on my small porch. We try to stay physically fit as well, going on walks or jogs and doing yoga. I’ve been lucky to get on the paddleboard a few times as well. I’m really learning to appreciate the small things. But I’m looking forward to traveling again.
Kennedi Carter,
I am typically on the go nonstop, so having no choice but to be still has been quite frustrating. Not just for me, but for my sister as well. She's worked very hard as a senior to accomplish the things she's been wanting to do. Having to come to terms with the idea that her prom and graduation are canceled has been difficult for her. But I think one thing that has not changed is the support of my family.
I think everyone is affected. My mother works long hours since she's an essential worker. My friends and I were laid off. Even in terms of the big picture, people are dying and no one is truly taking it seriously enough. It's scary to watch and appears almost dystopian.
Yael Malka,
What’s keeping me inspired: my friends, walks around my neighborhood, flowers blooming, sunshine, my partner, a really delicious meal, looking at books on my bookshelf, movies, and honestly MasterClass (I caved!). I also look forward to my 305 Fitness dance class every day. Once this crisis has passed, I look forward to: hugging my friends, BBQs, hanging in the park, going to the beach, dancing at parties, traveling, eating at my favorite restaurants, walking down the street eating ice cream, going to movies and shows, visiting museums, and going to lectures.
I have several friends who have contracted the virus but luckily all are in great health and had very mild symptoms. I have friends of friends or friends of family who have unfortunately lost their lives due to the disease. My parents, who are also self-employed, have no money coming in and are needing to dip into their retirement funds to pay bills.
Laurence Philomene,
My work over the last few years has revolved a lot around homemaking, and the idea of creating a safe space for myself and re-learning to care for myself as a trans person. The current stay-home orders are really putting these themes in the forefront for a large majority of people, so it’s been interesting to see how the work I was already making is becoming more relevant than ever now. I’m inspired by boredom, domesticity, and mundane moments.
This image is a self-portrait I shot in my favourite alleyway in my neighbourhood. Montreal is the Canadian epicentre of the virus, and we are currently under stay-home orders, although we are allowed to go out for daily walks (respecting social distancing guidelines). Spring here is a very slow process and it’s snowing today as I am writing this, but grass is finally visible on the ground, and plants are starting to sprout. This alleyway is my go-to spot for a quiet walk in my area — it’s entirely covered in grass, and cars aren’t allowed to drive through it unlike in other alleys here. In this image, I am wearing my winter coat, and using my scarf as a makeshift face covering.
Gabriella Báez,
The whole situation took such a quick turn. One moment I was going about my day meeting, hugging, kissing my loved ones, working, and getting ready for graduation, and suddenly I’m stuck at home with barely any work, no access to the outdoors, and I’m cutting my own bangs?
I’m trying to challenge myself to create one image a day and collaborating with artists to keep the creative juices flowing. Women and nonbinary photographers around the globe telling stories about their intimacy and what daily life now looks like has inspired me, especially the ongoing project WP the Journal of womxn documenting COVID–19.
Tonje Thilesen,
A lot of things are different as I am stuck abroad in Medellin, and unable to return to New York for the foreseeable future. Almost all of my friends have lost their jobs or main source of income, myself included — which is particularly hard when you’re an immigrant or a visa holder as we don’t qualify for unemployment. On the bright side, the house I am staying in with my friend and his family is located on the outskirts of the city, so it basically feels like we’re in the countryside, with plenty of nature to explore. But the rules for shelter-in-place are much stricter than in the U.S. — only one person from the household can leave the property at a time, and only on specific days, otherwise you get fined.
I am quarantined with four elderly people. A few of them have pre-existing heart conditions — so keeping things positive and fun while taking extra precautions has been very helpful for everyone’s mental health. There are drag race dress-ups, silly photo shoots while disinfecting groceries, cocktails, and game nights. But there is also a lot of tension, grief, and anxiety.
Caroline Lima,
The plant in my hand is a part of the Afro-Brazilian culture. It means protection. Many people have it at home. For me, this is my connection with my ancestral spirituality.
Once this crisis has passed, I look forward to people really looking inside, seeing who we are and what we are doing here in this dimension. I hope that a new outlook on nature will prevail and we will finally learn to see that we belong to it, and with that, new life formats can come, and other values will have more relevance. It is very clear that this crisis is about us as human beings.
Kristin Vicari,
We only moved into our home three days before the lockdown was enforced, so we have a huge to-do list that has been keeping me creatively active. The whole house was gutted and we are now putting it back together. There have been days of painting and building which couldn't have happened at a better time!
My 3-year-old being home every day is the biggest change for me. It can be a real challenge trying to work with him under my feet all day; he is a total mama’s boy and never leaves me. But it’s also kind of great being forced to spend so much time together. He helped me out with the shoot today. My other steady source of support has been my boyfriend Nicolas — he’s a rock and a never-ending source of bad jokes to make me smile. I love going on our daily walks to the beach at the end of our road. There’s something about having liberties taken away that really makes you take advantage of the smaller things in life.
Ana Cuba,
My cat Pickle, who is oblivious to everything, has been a steady source of support, as have my family and best friends. I have reconnected with my best friend from school back in my hometown, and we are doing exercise routines every morning. It's my way to start the day and feel connected with the outside world.
I take a walk every day between 6 and 7 p.m., when the sun is really low, and I take my film camera with me. But I'm running out of parks that are a walkable distance from my flat. I keep going to the same spots and getting to know the light well. For instance, when I get to the park, the sun is gone from this beautiful, huge lavender plant, so I’m going to leave earlier today to try to get a nice photograph of it. Kind of makes me happy to have a tiny purpose like that.
Emilie Hallard,
I have been CODIV-19 positive, with light-moderate symptoms, so I was on sick leave for three weeks (with 10 days in bed). Now I am coping pretty well because I am going through this in a very privileged way. I have a part-time job that I am doing remotely, so I still have an income. In Europe, our healthcare system is pretty good and free, I was paid during my sick leave, I live in a very sunny and lovely flat, with tons of plants, and I received a lot of attention from my friends and family. But I do have some acquaintances who have lost one of their parents; they are undergoing a painful mourning process, as they could not bid farewell to their beloved ones.
For this assignment, I created a still life, in the Spanish tradition, of my coronavirus experience — playing with the concept of the typical white hospital bed and adding my home plants, and all the items I used during my sick leave.
Hajar Benjida,
Once this crisis has passed, I most look forward to shooting again. I shoot mostly people, so this crisis really hit me hard. I look forward to developing and scanning my film, traveling, and visiting my friends in other countries. My fellow freelancers and artists have been really affected by the crisis; not all of us can work from home when we lack resources, material, equipment, and money.
Lucia Buricelli,
In my personal work, I love taking long walks and taking pictures in the streets. This is definitely something I miss. I can’t wait to go back to photographing outside. I am really interested in documenting how life will have changed in the streets after this situation. For now, I think photographers should try to challenge ourselves and do something we are not used to. Even if we are confined and limited in our spaces and contact with other people, we can always find a way to produce something cool.
Julia Lee Goodwin,
I’ve been working as a fashion photographer for the past four years. Before the lockdown, I had an interest in food photography but I didn’t act on it. Now, with no access to a team, I threw myself into shooting food, trying to translate my eye for fashion photography into still-life shooting. With this project, I created a typology as a study to see the way your eye is drawn to subjects depending on light, coloring, and layering.
Before quarantine my morning routine, when I wasn’t rushing to get somewhere, was to open a book while having my coffee before leaving the house. I have kept this up, although now morning reading has taken up most of the day. I’m lucky enough that where I am we're able to go outside to exercise and the area is full of mountains and hiking trails. So I’ve swapped my meetings and events for hiking and biking.
Olya Ivanova,
I moved from an apartment in the city center to a house in the forest recently. My young daughter was crying all day long, so I was on the verge of madness. But one day, I received a message that a beautiful house was waiting for us to rent. It was unbelievable luck! Now, I spend all my time resolving household problems. How to find delivery of food and water if nobody goes to my forest? How to fix the dishwasher by myself? How to cook dinner from one cabbage? But at the same time I can walk outside, finally! The nature outside of my windows is keeping me inspired. I live in such a beautiful place, so I feel happy every minute I look at the forest around me.
Tanya Habjouqa,
There is already the stress that this time should be productive in some way. For documentary photographers, there is also this innate guilt. To stay at home goes against our very DNA. But this is time that I would never have, in my infinite stressed schedule as a freelance photographer. I have finished a massive proposal, become a Zoom maestro, figured out how to use that medium to bond with my colleagues and students — and feel closer to many of them than I ever have because, frankly, the answer is always “I am at home. I have time. Let's speak.”
I have not spent so much time with the kids since they began kindergarten. We are laughing, bonding, exploring topics like karma, and truly experiencing each other on a deeper level. When this is done, I will curate and create a piece with my children. Probably not for public consumption…but for us. This is something I would never have done. I am one of those photographers who rarely turns the camera on myself or my family.
Forough Alaei,
Introverting through my thoughts is really inspiring these days. In isolation, I’ve found how dependent I am on my friends, family, and even strangers on the streets that I used to ignore. My husband who is beside me in these gloomy days has been a steady source of support. Once the crisis has passed, I wish for a long walk on the populated streets of Tehran to feel the city and its people.
Samyukta Lakshmi,
The light around my house in the morning and evening inspires me to take photos. I have also been taking photos of my surroundings and family. Also, my short morning walk to feed the street dogs on my lane gets me out of bed early. We had a few food stalls on our street and these dogs were constantly getting fed by people who visited them or by their owners. Due to the crisis, the stalls were shut and the dogs were a little lost in the beginning. My family and I feed them twice a day now.
Lenne Chai,
For context of the photo: My dad's diet consists mostly of bananas for medical reasons, but he got admitted into hospital recently (for non-COVID reasons), so we're left with lots of bananas that my mother and I are desperately eating before they go bad.
Something surprising that I’ve learned about myself during isolation is how comfortable I am with instability and uncertainty...and how much I relate to that dog-in-burning-house meme.
Luo Yang,
I was initially drawn to this model’s scar. As wearing masks outside has become the new routine, it's interesting to record such an ordinary yet unusual moment.
I think this moment is an opportunity to slow down a little and reflect on my life. Take a rest and make plans for the future. Also, to be able to enjoy the present and seize every moment. Currently things in China are just happening so fast.
Lindsay Arakawa,
Tbh, I've felt pretty uninspired these days. There are days when I feel like I should use this time at home to be more creative, but I find it most helpful to zone out to movies on Netflix or try to master making tamagoyaki [a type of omelette]. Sometimes I feel like I'm living in a weird, bad dream. I've also been playing so much Animal Crossing, which keeps me pretty occupied throughout the day lol. Maybe too occupied. I’m trying to give myself actual tasks each day to stay productive. I'm turning 30 later this year, and I've been waiting for this birthday ever since I watched 13 Going On 30. I hope I get to spend my birthday with friends.
Rahima Gambo,
Before the lockdown in Abuja, I used to drive down to my studio which is about 20 minutes away on the other side of town every weekday. Now that I’m at home, I enjoy having the time to go back to things I have been putting off, like reading books that have been sitting on my shelf.
Bec Lorrimer,
I feel like I have put a lot of pressure on myself to “make the most” of this time and try to work on creative projects. However, I’ve realised that in such a tumultuous time, we need to step back and absorb what’s happening before we can begin to interpret and make sense of the new normal.
All creatives are affected by the crisis. As freelancers, we rely upon our regular clients to commission us to create work for them, which is very restricted or impossible right now. I’m lucky to be in Australia at the moment where the virus isn’t so widespread. However, my second home of New York City is suffering terribly, and I feel for everyone who has been affected. No one will come away untouched by this. This crisis will truly change the world as we know it.