Yesterday marked the beginning of week three of shelter-in-place here in San Francisco. I am living with my parents in their new-is apartment, having moved out of the suburbs into the city this past summer. My sister and her boyfriend live a few blocks so they are also a part of our quarantine pod. These photos come from many walks throughout the neighborhood with my family, trips to the grocery store, as well as lots of time within the apartment.

The transition has been challenging, as it has been for all of us in different ways. The balance of feelings of normalcy and absurdity tip back in forth for me in the day, in subtle and sometimes not so subtle ways. These photos embody moments of my life right now. Upon first glance they do not seem all that absurd; they are not photos that scream “there is a global pandemic going on!” However, the context with which they were taken, whether it is the actual setting (waiting in line to enter the grocery store at 6 foot markers) or simply just the fact that we are living in shelter-in-place, I believe shades these images with a range of different emotions for me.

Shelter in Place – Chicago

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Today marks two weeks since I have been home. I found myself under stress as my original spring break plans had taken a turn and I realized I had to return to Brunswick and collect my belongings. The reality seemed surreal, I was waiting for the spring air in Maine, the highlighting moments of our Bowdoin careers with my friends and so much more.

However, during this uncertain time I am thankful that I am able to be at home with my family. I have described the scene back home in the city as an extended winter. As we transition into spring, the days are still gloomy, temperatures are chilly and the only regular scene as I look out my window are dogs and their owners out for a stroll – because of worries of the virus. Only essential personnel are allowed to carryout their normal workdays. I worry because two of my family members, my dad and one of my sisters, are both essential workers.

I have tried to capture some of the moments with family and the stillness in the city I continue to notice since the governor and mayor announced the shelter in place order two weeks ago.

I have an opportunity to reflect when I am out in the neighborhood walking Clinton. There are signs spring is on the way. I hear the birds chirping, the squirrels wrestling, the trees bulbing and earthworms wiggling. All these remind me to keep a positive attitude and with time, as the flowers will bloom, we will also get through this pandemic.

 

 

For the past two weeks I have been living in my apartment in Brunswick with contact limited to those within my house. On Tuesday I spent time exploring near Lisbon falls with some of my housemates. The first half of the photographs were shot in an abandoned, what seems to be, manufacturing building near Lisbon falls and the second half were shot a few yards away on the Androscoggin river. I was fascinated by the grime of the built environment and the twisted metal that lies purposeless– even what appears to be bushes around the tree is a mess of rusted wires. For the most part I think these photos feel emptied out and listless, which is a common emotional state I’ve been returning to in between the highs and lows of these uncertain times.

Collin Tardio – The Paths of Palmetto Bluff

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While my life has changed dramatically due to the presence of COVID-19, my surroundings have changed little, because the stay home order was only issued today for South Carolina. It will be interesting to see how this impacts my surroundings more in the next few days and weeks. The only noticeable difference has been restaurants converting to take-out and very little interaction with people other than my family.

This makes it somewhat interesting when approaching the change with photography. For my project, I wanted to capture my surroundings and what I’ve been doing to get outside and remain active. I still have the privilege of being able to go for walks and bike rides and I wanted to take photographs of most of the trails I have been going on. The trails are always quiet and I rarely see people which makes them a great way to get out of the house and stay socially distant.

 

 

 

Blythe- pictures that matter now

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Hey everyone! I’m at home with my family in Omaha, Nebraska and found time this week to stop and take a few simple iPhone pictures to show what my life has been like since being back. I decided to quickly capture a few moments of the past two weeks and post them unfiltered to share with you all. I often find it hard to express creativity through my phone camera without using filters and other edits to hide the perhaps “boring” raw image underneath. However, this week I enjoyed not thinking much about how my pictures looked and instead focusing on highlighting objects (and lots of animals) that remind me of home. I hope to spend these extra weeks at home taking time to be fortunate for the family, friends, pets, neighborhood, music, and kindness that surrounds me even in such weird times. So here are some of the things that keep me happy. I hope everyone is safe and healthy at home as well. I will miss film a lot but I look forward to seeing how everyone continues with digital photography the rest of the semester!

Ray Tarango – Pictures That Matter Now

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I hope everyone is doing well! The last two weeks have been a lot. I was in Puerto Rico co-leading an Alternative Spring Break when I found out that Bowdoin was moving to remote learning. It was difficult to have to lead a group of mostly First-Years and Sophomores while also dealing with my emotions and challenges. I am now in my home in Houston trying to make the most out of a difficult situation. It has been a week since Houston started its shelter in place order, and I have noticed that small businesses in my community have been negatively impacted as well as people who are a part of the informal economy. My sister works at a middle school, and I have seen how her school is preparing to start online classes. This has made me think about how children are impacted by the schools shutting down. To help me cope with everything, I have been biking around my neighborhood and journaling. This has allowed me to stop and observe the things around me and given me time to think about how I am doing.