What photographic challenges you’re facing with pandemic?

[Andrew O'Neill]

I have not been to the gym in over a year. I used to go three to five days a week.

When we were in full on lockdown last Spring, I couldn't go to the gym. I've been going since they reopened in June. But...it's challenging exercising with a mask on, so I don't really do much.

 

[Cholentpot]

Last February we were in Oahu and noticed that the Asians were all wearing masks. We looked at the news and decided to self isolate when we got back. So we have been self isolating and wearing masks since mid February, a month before everyone else in the US. One grandson was born during the pandemic and Anne gets called over almost every day to help out. I do not get to see him as often. Two other grandchildren as across the city so we see them every month or two. Another pair of grand children are across the country so we have not seen them in over a year, but we Zoom. I stopped taking photographing except for the newest grandson or to test a new camera. I spend time here and learning to play two instruments. Occasionally developing a roll of film.

We had to cancel five planned trips including one to Wales.

We are on fixed incomes, so financially there has been no impact for us, although we worry about the 40+% whose jobs will never return and those who are financially damaged to the point they will never be where they were before.

Oddly enough the only lasting damage I've seen first person from the pandemic is job loss. My job will come back at some point but my clients may not.

I know many have lost loved ones, not to lessen that, but the comparisons to 1917-18 Spanish flu is preposterous.

 

[Cholentpot]

What a truly sad comparison this is.
The "Spanish" flu was met with the medical knowledge and resources of 1918.
More than 100 years later, the capabilities of medicine are immeasurably greater, as is the access to medical care.
My Dad was born in 1921, and my grandmother gave birth to him in their kitchen, because my grandparents had no ability to access a hospital at the time. My Dad was essentially stillborn, but was rescued by my great-grandmother at the time, because she knew as much or more as the midwife (having had ten children herself).
My Dad lived to 94.
You are trying to draw comparisons with the realities of that time, and now????

Or maybe in the end we're still humans and we're at the whims of nature. We had a nice run from post Polio until Covid where we thought we were invincible and had conquered nature.

We need some humility and acceptance. Humility in human fragility and acceptance that there are things we can't control.

 

[MattKing]

I was born with cerebral palsy.
If I had been born even 5-10 years later, when medicine had started to recognize the correlation between difficult labor and cerebral palsy, and how Cesarean delivery can prevent a high percentage of incidence of cerebral palsy, I probably would have a fully functional right side.
I clearly have a different perspective on the "whims of nature", "human fragility" and the importance of actually paying attention to what the experts have learned.

 

[removed account4]

I have not been to the gym in over a year. I used to go three to five days a week.

I've had a "total gym" that chuck and christie sold me back in IDK 1996? use it most days it works great. not very expensive ( costs well less than a gym membership) takes very little effort and does the trick.

 

[R.Gould]

\living in a small Island, just 45 sq miles, there are only so many places to go o photograph, and from easter to early Autumn a lot of my photography is of various small and large events, and various herit5age sites and events, plus classic cars, my other big love, My last events were January 2020, Battle of Jersey celebrations and Heritage Wassial, then in march everything stopped, my old Mercedes has spent 90% of it's life siting in the garage, no shows and no classic car photos, no events, all stopped, no heritage at all, I have been to everywhere in Jersey countless times, I have caught up with printing ,life is currently very boring, ah well, 1/2 of our population should have had the vaccine by early march, so maybe things will start to get back to some sort of normality later this year, might even be able to go out for a safe meal or 2, and maybe start photographing slightly more interesting and different things again

 

[Fenlander]

Although I've found the general 'life' stuff hard - not being able to meet friends and family etc, it's been good photographically. I've tidied up my darkroom and been able to spend a bit of time improving my printing techniques and learning new skills. Apart from a brief window in the restriction in October, when we were able to get to see family in Scotland for a week, I've deliberately restricted myself to five miles from home. As a result I've discovered a vast amount of photographic subject matter that I've passed by on the way to more exotic places! Things were compounded for me in August when I had a serious heart attack which effectively grounded me. It inevitably led to a lot of soul searching and evaluation of life and the place of photography within it. I'm recovering well, and back out cycling (albeit with an electric-assisted bike). I can honestly say that the photographs I've taken and printed over the last few months have been some of my best (IMO anyway!).

 

[Cholentpot]

I was born with cerebral palsy.
If I had been born even 5-10 years later, when medicine had started to recognize the correlation between difficult labor and cerebral palsy, and how Cesarean delivery can prevent a high percentage of incidence of cerebral palsy, I probably would have a fully functional right side.
I clearly have a different perspective on the "whims of nature", "human fragility" and the importance of actually paying attention to what the experts have learned.

And yet humanity as a whole really has no good way to combat a pandemic. Locking people up for a few years and telling people to wear face masks hasn't done much.

Sure, 'ifeverybodyjustlistenedandfollowedtherules'

But people don't listen nor do they follow the rules. So this plan of attack so far has not worked for the general population. However, with what we know now after a year we could move forward pretty quickly. We know who's at higher risk. Telling a bunch of youngsters to stay home at this point is useless. If you are or risk or even feel at risk you can very well take the prerogative and stay home. The rest of the population can move on and gain herd immunity alongside the vaccine.

 

[MattKing]

And yet humanity as a whole really has no good way to combat a pandemic. Locking people up for a few years and telling people to wear face masks hasn't done much.

Sure, 'ifeverybodyjustlistenedandfollowedtherules'

But people don't listen nor do they follow the rules. So this plan of attack so far has not worked for the general population. However, with what we know now after a year we could move forward pretty quickly. We know who's at higher risk. Telling a bunch of youngsters to stay home at this point is useless. If you are or risk or even feel at risk you can very well take the prerogative and stay home. The rest of the population can move on and gain herd immunity alongside the vaccine.

Its working reasonably well here. In BC, with a population of about 5.1 million, we have had 68,000 total cases, and a total of 1,200 deaths due to Covid. There are currently 289 people in hospital, of which 79 are in intensive care.
Not perfect, by any means, but with prudent rules, and the majority of people following and believing in them, our death rate is not zero, but not horrendously tragic.
Most businesses are up and running. They have lower capacity, and are subject to restrictions that challenge profitability but they are assisted by some important government programmes that help them keep people employed.
Our schools are mostly open, although there is a fair amount of distance learning mixed in.
Government supports have been put in place so that many people have either been able to maintain employment or still have sufficient money to
The problem isn't humanity as a whole. It is with leadership and politics and communities where arrogance and selfishness and lack of care for fellow humankind are paramount.

 

[Cholentpot]

Its working reasonably well here. In BC, with a population of about 5.1 million, we have had 68,000 total cases, and a total of 1,200 deaths due to Covid. There are currently 289 people in hospital, of which 79 are in intensive care.
Not perfect, by any means, but with prudent rules, and the majority of people following and believing in them, our death rate is not zero, but not horrendously tragic.
Most businesses are up and running. They have lower capacity, and are subject to restrictions that challenge profitability but they are assisted by some important government programmes that help them keep people employed.
Our schools are mostly open, although there is a fair amount of distance learning mixed in.
Government supports have been put in place so that many people have either been able to maintain employment or still have sufficient money to
The problem isn't humanity as a whole. It is with leadership and politics and communities where arrogance and selfishness and lack of care for fellow humankind are paramount.

The largest city in BC is mid sized at best. BC is pretty sparsely populated. These things matter.

 

[MattKing]

The largest city in BC is mid sized at best. BC is pretty sparsely populated. These things matter.

The metro Vancouver area has a population just over 2.5 million.
South Dakota has a population less than 1 million, 108,000 Covid 19 cases and 1,800 deaths.

 

[Cholentpot]

The metro Vancouver area has a population just over 2.5 million.
South Dakota has a population less than 1 million, 108,000 Covid 19 cases and 1,800 deaths.

I guess SD is winning then.

 

[peter k.]

I guess SD is winning then.

SD is winning with more deaths with less population?
Vrs Vancouver,, a city with more congested living space, and over twice the population of the whole state of South Dakota, which has had 1800 deaths, ... compared to Vancouver that has had 1200 deaths.
Your confusing me.

 

[MattKing]

Actually, the entire province of BC (5 million people) has had 1200 deaths.
Now I'm going to report myself for allowing myself to be drawn into a political discussion in a photographic thread.

 

[Cholentpot]

SD is winning with more deaths with less population?
Vrs Vancouver,, a city with more congested living space, and over twice the population of the whole state of South Dakota, which has had 1800 deaths, ... compared to Vancouver that has had 1200 deaths.
Your confusing me.

I was being sarcastic.

 

[Cholentpot]

Actually, the entire province of BC (5 million people) has had 1200 deaths.
Now I'm going to report myself for allowing myself to be drawn into a political discussion in a photographic thread.

You're right. I don't have the energy to go 'round with this on a photography forum. I know many that have had Covid that weren't counted in official numbers, I know some people that have died of other causes that were counted in the Covid death count. I'm wary of statistical numbers but in the end I just want my job back.

 

[peter k.]

I was being sarcastic.

Ah yes, understand now. Grew up four miles from the GW bridge (George Washington Bridge) in NeuGersey.

Yep.. Ha, ha yes, my NueYark sarcasm these last couple of years, after 36 years with a native Arizona mountain girl, has left me in shock! Out of the blue, she nails me for an attitude with a dedicated statement, that is a very well delivered comment, of this stlye, .. right back at me. Guess it relates to all the training that we have given her, over the years.

 

[Cholentpot]

Ah yes, understand now. Grew up four miles from the GW bridge (George Washington Bridge) in NeuGersey.

Yep.. Ha, ha yes, my NueYark sarcasm these last couple of years, after 36 years with a native Arizona mountain girl, has left me in shock! Out of the blue, she nails me for an attitude with a dedicated statement, that is a very well delivered comment, of this stlye, .. right back at me. Guess it relates to all the training that we have given her, over the years.

I was raised on sarcasm. It molded me. Reaching adulthood a little while back did teach me to wield it instead of wallow in it.

 

[JBrunner]

This thread has a clear topic in the title, and it's not a bad topic. Please stick to it. I won't butcher it further, just note that when you wander, the trolls come home to roost. For the few who insist on dragging boorish ideological drivel into photo threads, there is already a Covid19 thread down in the cesspool. Please avail yourself there to your heart's content.

 

[Cholentpot]

This thread has a clear topic in the title, and it's not a bad topic. Please stick to it. I won't butcher it further, just note that when you wander, the trolls come home to roost. For the few who insist on dragging boorish ideological drivel into photo threads, there is already a Covid19 thread down in the cesspool. Please avail yourself there to your heart's content.

You're right.

My photographic challenge of 2020-21 is getting work to support my hobby, and to put bread on my table.

Thank you.

Otherwise aside from work I have a target rich environment to document. It's great. This is historical and I'm documenting the whole thing.

 

[wiltw]

Photo challenge of 2020...trying to shoot street candids (what some call 'portraiture')...and the faces are so often obsured with a mask.

 

[Wallendo]

Photo challenge of 2020...trying to shoot street candids (what some call 'portraiture')...and the faces are so often obsured with a mask.

A lot of people look better with a mask on.

And there are cultures where women wear masks all the time when in public.

The challenge is working the masks into the esthetic you seek.

 

[wiltw]

It is very obvious when masks are culturally appropriate.
I hardly consider a White Anglo-Saxon with a mask appropropriate, unless they are a healthcare worker in a medical setting, or a bank robber, or a trade needing a mask to prevent breathing dust...it is out of place for a street person usually.

 

[Mainecoonmaniac]

It is very obvious when masks are culturally appropriate.
I hardly consider a White Anglo-Saxon with a mask appropropriate, unless they are a healthcare worker in a medical setting, or a bank robber, or a trade needing a mask to prevent breathing dust...it is out of place for a street person usually.

In Asia and Asian culture, the mask is more about protecting others. If the mask says something about the wearer in Asia, it more of consideration of the group than the individual. Not to say that it's purely altruistic because there's shame to a sick individual that's not wearing a mask. Some posters see masked faces as a creative obstacle for photography. I wonder if anyone responding to this thread thinks it's really an opportunity? This is a once in a lifetime opportunity or creative black hole. It's a choice in perception I guess. It's sure hard to see beyond this pandemic.

 

[wiltw]

In Asia and Asian culture, the mask is more about protecting others. If the mask says something about the wearer in Asia, it more of consideration of the group than the individual. Not to say that it's purely altruistic because there's shame to a sick individual that's not wearing a mask. Some posters see masked faces as a creative obstacle for photography. I wonder if anyone responding to this thread thinks it's really an opportunity? This is a once in a lifetime opportunity or creative black hole. It's a choice in perception I guess. It's sure hard to see beyond this pandemic.

Well aware, after decades of trips to Japan and a number of other countries in Asia. That is why I find it so hard to understand the "I will not wear a mask" attitude found in the US during COVID...not only a lack of consideratiion for onesself, but also lack of consideration for others.

Creatviely, show a street scene in Japan, with the sick wearing masks while the well walk about without mask does illustrate the culture within Japan (or other Asian countries) in the contrast of those with vs. without. Just like in Middle East, the contrast of culture for men vs. for women...women's faces covered in stifling heat.