Documenting Isolation: How Lomographers Cope With Confinement, Pt. 5

Adjusting to new situations is never easy. While some countries are gently easing into the new normal, others are still keeping distance for general safety. We asked Lomographers theskintmillennial, barcapechova, and lomotmot to share their quarantine stories from their respective sides of the world.

Theskintmillennial, United Kingdom

Name: Theskintmillennial
LomoHome: theskintmillennial

Please tell us a bit about this photo series taken during quarantine?

London is a giant city, and when I tell my friends who live overseas that I live in what is considered the metropolitan area of London but it takes me sometimes an hour to get to work they think I am mad for living so far away from the center. We were told not to use public transport, and I don't have a bike. So my street photography of Zone 1 London went out the door. I started taking photos of my neighbourhood and the evident changes that were immediately made to cope with the pandemic with the same mindset I have when taking street photography in a busy area. The way I see it, I want my photos to be an accurate representation of the world it is today for future generations to see. Like the photos we saw in history textbooks at school.

How does the current crisis affect your creative process, your daily routine?

I am currently unemployed so going out taking photos sometimes becomes the only reason to leave the house besides getting groceries. I try my best to stay to government advice, unlike some members of the British government... (cough cough Cummings) And primarily only shoot outdoors. I also vowed to myself to only take photos on my Praktica and only film. So my Canon 5d Mark II is currently on a well deserved holiday.

How do you keep inspired despite the limitations?

I have joined a photography Whatsapp group. We share our DIY projects, photos obviously and ideas for shoots. I have also scrapbooked some moodboards from magazines, like the olden ways of doing moodboards for future test shoots with models. I really want some washi tape and watercolour pens but maybe when I get a job. I also started a project called The Quarantine Diaries with a uni friend and her boyfriend. Here is our website -http://www.thequarantinediariess.wordpress.com. If you want to participate, just drop me a message :) And I have started volunteering as a gardener on Tuesdays in my neighbourhood graveyard as well.

As a photographer/creative, are there any lessons or realizations that you picked up from the current situation?

I have learnt to slow down and be critical of my photos now I am doing them on film. I also try my best to read up on how to use my camera and film for different situations. Like I have now got the hang of double exposures by really understanding how the mechanical parts of my camera work. When I do digital photos, I just mess with the settings to get what I want whilst now I have to do the calculation in my head to make sure I don't over/underexpose the film (also cause my light meter is broken on my camera).

Any advice for Lomographers from all over the world?

Stay positive. This is a good time to test out new ideas and conceptualize new ideas to try once the lockdown is over. I keep seeing photos of hot air balloons going over parts of Myanmar, thinking, "Wow, I want to go there and shoot that on medium format" And that ain't gonna be possible for a while. But it doesn't mean you can practice taking photos in medium format in your local forest to get the hang of it. Also, plane tickets will be cheap when we can travel again... Silver Linings :)

Visit her LomoHome to see more photos!

Barbora Pěchová, Czech Republic

Name: Barbora Pěchová
LomoHome: barcapechova

Please tell us a bit about this photo series taken during quarantine?

Before the quarantine, I was used to taking my camera with me mostly while traveling or to some sort of party or interesting events. Just a few days before the quarantine started in the Czech Republic, we went on holiday to Canary Islands and I forgot my camera home. I was really sad about it because I could shoot all the exciting new places only with my phone, which I don't really enjoy. But I kept saying to myself that it is okay and I will have many more opportunities to shoot on all our other planned trips.

Well, guess what - we got home and two days later the whole country was quarantined. We had to stay home, get out only to go shopping, or to go for a walk without meeting with people. I realized that if I want to keep shooting, I have to shoot everything that is around me - so I started to take the camera with me for walks through the town and nature or to family visits (once that became possible). Here I also have to point out that some of the photos are actually taken by my nephews (2,5 and 3 years old) with my assistance (trying to keep the object of the photo at least somehow in the view). They were very excited to take the photos but were kind of disappointed when they found out that the camera does not have any display to look at the pictures instantly :).

How does the current crisis affect your creative process, your daily routine?

Being stuck at home actually pushed me to get more into photography, because suddenly I had much more free time and felt the need to use it for some good and interesting purpose. I started to look differently at my surroundings and tried to find some interesting views on things that are around me. Even the most mundane things that you are used to looking at your whole life can become interesting from the right angle!

As for my daily routine, during the morning and afternoon, I do my corporate home office work, so once this is over I am happy to get out in the sun with my boyfriend and my camera. Sometimes I don't even take any picture, but the simple fact of having it with me forces me to focus more on my surroundings and keep looking for something fun to take pictures of. Also, I have finally found some time to learn how to use my other camera, old Czech made Flexaret from my grandpa, so I will be happy to share the results on Lomography soon.

How do you keep inspired despite the limitations?

My boyfriend is a big inspiration for me. Not only he was the one who got me the camera, but he does all sorts of interesting things that are fun to shoot. Recently he started skateboarding again, so I am experimenting with taking some photos of him "in action". He is also a musician so I am really looking forward to being able to shoot some of his band's gigs once it is possible, I have some ideas in mind already. What also really inspires me is browsing through all the photographers here at Lomography. Every day I find some great photographs with interesting techniques and ideas that I have to try myself too!

As a photographer/creative, are there any lessons or realizations that you picked up from the current situation?

Being limited in any way can sometimes bring very interesting results. Even once this whole situation is hopefully over, we should not forget that the fun is not only in foreign countries and exotic holidays - inspiration can be found anywhere.

Any advice for Lomographers from all over the world?

Shoot as much as you can, shoot everything. Even though it is not cheap, even though you may find just one good photo amongst 35 disastrous ones (or black ones, if you often forget to take off the lens cover like me :D), it is totally worth it.

Check out Barbora's LomoHome to see more photos!

Morgane, France

Name: Morgane
LomoHome: lomotmot

Please tell us a bit about this photo series taken during quarantine?

I guess I had the same idea as any photographer during those kinds of times, which is documenting/cataloging important things that are happening around us. Photography isn't just about art and creation, I really enjoy archive photographs and the imprints it leaves behind. So when this pandemic arrived in my country and things began to change in town, I decided to go out and shoot a roll, (it was also the perfect excuse to try the Lomochrome Metropolis I just bought). These pictures have all been taken before lockdown, that's why there is still a lot of people around town, but you can feel the quarantine coming, the shops are getting empty, people are starting to wear scarves around their faces, hydroalcoholic gel is missing from every store... etc.

How does the current crisis affect your creative process, your daily routine?

I believe like a lot of people, that I feel more motivated when something is changing around me, the routine can kill the creative flow, and change is always a bringer of new perspectives and ideas. Being at home unemployed still, I have been taking a lot of photographs from my windows and balcony, a thing I wouldn't really have thought about doing a few months back, you think you know the view from your balcony... but you don't really until you actually spend 2 months on it! haha

How do you keep inspired despite the limitations?

birds... lots of birds... and just observing what is going on around me in general. I've always been observing a lot, but lately more than ever.

As a photographer/creative, are there any lessons or realizations that you picked up from the current situation?

Well like said, times like this remind us we have to document our life and our era;

- Creativity comes in changes and experiences,
- Just because you have seen something a hundred times before, doesn't mean it is going to be the same the next time you look.
- Birds are really amazing creatures...

Any advice for Lomographers from all over the world?

Maybe to younger or debutant photographers, this passion can be quite expensive, but if you think too hard about it it might spoil the fun, take pictures for every reason you have, none is bad, shoot when you think it's good, don't overthink the number of pictures you have left, don't be scared or limit yourself, art is about freedom and it's never about perfection.

Visit Morgane's LomoHome to see more photos!

We would like to thank the Lomographers who shared their photo stories with us. If you want to read more stories, here are parts 1, 2, 3, and 4. Stay healthy, Lomographers, and wash your hands!

2020-06-09