petapixel (unofficial)Study Finds Photographers Believe the Industry is Returning to Normal
#industry #news #coronaviruspandemic #covid19 #covid19experience #covidpandemic #format #report #study #wedding #weddingphotography #weddings #zenfolio
Getty Details its Remote 2022 Winter Olympics Photo Editing Team
#culture #features #travel #2022olympics #2022winterolympics #beijingolympics #covid19experience #covid19pandemic #editing #feature #getty #gettyimages #olympicphotographers #olympics #remote #workflow
‘Nike’s World’ Photo Series Tells Pop Culture Stories Through Sneakers
Photographer Aldo Chacon has recently completed a personal project that showcases different Nike shoes in various environments with the goal of linking cultural iconography with footwear to tell a story.
Mostly a sports, portraiture, and fashion photographer, Chacon says that he wanted to make a set of unusual or "funky" sets for a portraiture project, but found his original idea difficult to accomplish due to a lack of resources, delayed materials, and the issues brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.
"I thought about how could I still shoot something without getting the least amount of people involved," he tells PetaPixel.
Thus, his "Nike's World" series was born and was inspired by different periods of time in human history, technological advancements, global warming, various subjects in nature, and social and political issues.
"The idea behind the project was to tell stories through materials and objects," Chacon explains. "The reasoning for using Nike shoes as the main subject for the photo series was to include a sense of iconography and pop culture to draw people's attention to specific ideas and have that as a hook for exploration."
Chacon says that he has always been a fan of Nike shoes because of the designs of the company's clothes and shoes and how it mixes fashion, streetwear, and sports.
Space | Inspired by space, the cold war era, the technological advancements that have take place since the Moon's landing as well as a glimpse of what future life could look like and the current “space race” between corporations.
"I wanted to use sneakers as a way to tell a story and transport a viewer to a world without the pre-judgement of seeing a person as the main subject," he explains. "I decided to go with Nike shoes because of iconography; I wanted to use an icon that everyone knows and that has been used in pop culture to bring attention to the different subjects and make it more of an homage to the swoosh. I really love how the swoosh looks in different types of shoes and how there are many different styles and colors but they are all united by that simple icon.
"I the idea of showcasing different moments in history through sneakers, like the Moon landing or the fall of the Berlin Wall, so I went back to that idea and mixed it with the 'funky' set vision I had."
Greenhouse | Inspired by global warming and the idea behind nature and natural disasters as the strongest "species" in the planet. The idea was to combine some industrial materials to give us a sense of a post-apocalyptic greenhouse where the Earth has regenerated and nature has take over our man-made landscapes.
He started researching Nike's website for different sneakers that would fit his vision, and found that many of the shoes spoke to him in different ways.
Art | Created with a time period in New York City in mind but also with the idea of combining elements that reflect things that we enjoy in life, like music, art, food, culture and of course photography.
"I started imagining those moments in history and sort of thinking what sneakers would the people involved in those events wear. Some styles seemed more retro, some more modern, or futuristic, some spoke to me more in a material or texture way, some in color palette, and some more on an ideology," he says.
"It was hard to choose because there are hundreds of styles, I could have made 100 more sets!"
Revolution | Inspired by revolutionary movements and ideas. Social revolutions, the student movements across the world in 1968, the fall of the Berlin wall in 1989, the 2020 protests, and the current and constant fights for a more equal and free society.
Chacon says that the set design was one of the most important aspect of the project since it was going to be what told the story around the shoe.
"I worked with my creative partner Sal Chacon on this. I had the original vision and the materials I wanted to use for each set, I wanted to use a lot of found objects or things that could be found in our daily lives, and I also wanted to have each set with a color palette that was unique to each shoe," he says.
Sports | Inspired by sports and competition. The idea was to create a "locker room" inspired set where we could also add trophies to imply that this was a place where champions live/rest, as well as a chamber for inspiration for future sports generations. Sports dictate so much of my life and the world’s evolution that an homage to athletes made sense.
"We ended up renting some props and sourcing materials from hardware stores, toy stores, and some junkyards. We built, styled, and decorated the sets between the two of us in my backyard. The sets were lit with a combination of Leko lights and strobe lights depending on the vibe of each photo. I also used a fog machine to add some texture to the images. The shoot was produced and funded in partnership with Wild Goats Creative in Los Angeles and retouched by Ahue.Huete in Mexico City."
Earth | Created thinking about the juxtaposition of nature vs industrial, the path that corporations are taking to use more "eco-friendly" materials as well as the connection between those materials and nature and the impact it will have in our future world.
Chacon says that each photo has an overarching idea behind it, such as the 80s style shoot which was inspired by his birth year of 1986. The "Red Luxury" set was inspired by social media and the intense social pressure to have more, be richer, and be more materialistic.
"Luxury" | Inspired by social media and the intense social pressure to have more, be richer and be more materialistic. The idea was to create a set that at a first glance showcases a world of luxury and glam but as you dive deeper you can tell the quality of the materials is not real, it's plastic, it's just appearances and it is all fake. 80s | 80s. Inspired by my birth yer 1986, the essence of the 80s, pop culture, the analog world, mixtapes and vibrant retro colors of the time, creating an homage to an iconic era.
For more from Aldo Chacon, make sure to check out his website.
Image credits: Photos by Aldo Chacon.
#culture #spotlight #aldochacon #commercialphotography #covid19experience #nike #productphotography #products #shoes #stilllife
‘Timelapse Photo’ Made of 4,882 Images Shows Human Toll of COVID-19
National Geographic has published a photo from photographer Stephen Wilkes that captures the human toll of COVID-19 in one photo. The more than 670,000 white flags represent the American lives lost to the virus.
Wilkes is known for his photographs (such as his work from the 2021 inauguration and a watering hole in Tanzania) that are made with what he calls his Day to Night Technique. The images are created from a fixed camera angle over a period of time.
This latest photo is of the In America: Remember exhibition and captures fleeting moments of the public interacting with, observing, and passing through the installation.
As detailed in a story on National Geographic, Wilkes explains that he took the photo on September 18 and 19, starting before sunrise and finishing after sunset. Overall, the finished image is made up of 4,882 photographs captured over the course of 30 hours.
“One of the things I tried to capture was the epic scale of this,” says Wilkes. “It’s almost impossible to take it all in.”
Over the 13 years that @swilkesphoto has embarked on his Day to Night project, he’s photographed many significant events. This one was different, he says, “because this was about a loss of life that’s unprecedented in American history.” https://t.co/8zUcGNVS3m
-- National Geographic (@NatGeo) September 30, 2021
Wilkes spent those 30 hours suspended 45 feet above the ground in a lift, which was high enough for him to get the angle of view seen in his finished photo. He says he positioned the lift with intention beyond the high angle, as he wanted the National Museum of African American History and Culture to be the focal point because, as he says, “so many people of color were dramatically impacted by this virus.”
The photo shows more than 670,000 (now over 690,000) white flags that stand for the number of deaths in the United States due to the virus. Wilkes says that the photo truly showcases the power of beauty -- while the scene is grand and visually stunning, in spite of the beauty the subtext is still the loss of life and sorrow that so many have experienced.
Further details on the photo and how Wilkes executed it can be read on National Geographic. More information on Wilkes can be read on his website.
_Image credits: Photo by Stephen Wilkes and used within publication guidelines. _
#features #news #covid19 #covid19experience #covid19pandemic #daytonight #natgeo #nationalgeographic #stephenwilkes #timelapse #timelapsephoto
Iranian COVID-19 Patient Photo Wins Nikon Photo Contest 2021
Nikon has announced the winners of its Photo Contest 2020-2021, a competition that has been active for over 50 years. This year's winning image depicts a senior citizen in Iran who was admitted to receive treatment for COVID-19.
Nikon says that the winners of its Grand Prize, Excellence Award, and set of Special Encouragement Awards were selected from a total of 65,062 entries submitted from approximately 26,000 people from over 150 countries. As seen above, the recipient of the Grand Prize for the photo competition was a work titled “Radiance”, entered by Amin Nazari (Islamic Republic of Iran) from the Open Category.
The senior citizen pictured above was admitted to Razi Hospital in Ahvaz，Iran, in order to receive treatment for COVID-19.
Due to the coronavirus, the senior citizen was admitted to Razi Hospital in Ahvaz, Iran, for treatment to deal with the virus. The coronavirus spread to humans in December 2019, and entered Iran shortly afterwards. In the peak days of the virus in Iran, about 350 people died every day. The virus has caused serious problems for all social interactions, jobs, universities and schools, etc.
The Excellence Award was given to Ares Jonekson Saragi from Indonesia for his series on the pandemic in his country as seen in his photos below.
During this pandemic time, the funeral officer have buried at least 30-50 remains of suspects or those who were declared positive for Covid-19 in every day. There is no definite information for them on the number of remains that will be buried every day, they were asked to be always standby at the location most of the times and wait for the arrival of the hearses.
The Nikon Photo Contest also awards a short film, which was presented to Rei Kuroda from Japan for the film below titled "Escaping from Karma."
The plot is about trying to break free from the various constrictions of society, while dealing also with issues of feminism, race, and nationality. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced drastic changes in our lives. What we took for granted can no longer be taken for granted, and what we thought were unshakable have become increasingly uncertain. I created this film based on the notion that perhaps there will be liberation if the colossal systems that have been built up are transformed, or if we can escape from them.
The four Special Encouragement Award winners can be seen on the Nikon Photo Contest website.
Image credits: Photos individually credited and provided courtesy of Nikon.
#features #inspiration #news #competition #covid19 #covid19experience #covid19pandemic #nikon #nikonphotocontest #nikonphotocontest2021 #pandemic
Photographing Wildlife with a Large Format Camera and Expired Film
Photographer Markus Hofstätter discovered a family of swans and, over time, gained their trust enough to approach and photograph them. Eventually, he decided to do so with his large-format camera and an expired Kodak Readyload film.
Hofstätter, based in Austria, is primarily a collodion wet plate artist and teacher who focuses on portraiture. During the quiet periods of the pandemic lockdown, Hofstätter began taking long walks to Donauauen, a mixture of forest, swamp, and side streams of the river Danube.
During one of these walks, he discovered a family of swans with five babies, also called cygnets, and began bringing his DSLR with him thereafter. As time went on, the swans allowed Hofstätter to come closer, which led to him finding their hidden nest and also solidified his interest in wildlife photography.
As someone who has been shooting analog photography and has used medium and large format for quite some time, Hofstätter's first thought was to photograph the swans' nest on a collodion wet plate.
"I enjoy the haptics, deceleration, and limitation when shooting film," says Hofstätter. However, the lockdown restrictions at the time wouldn't have permitted that nor did they allow having a shoot assistant, which took collodion wet-plate out of the equation.
Instead, Hofstätter opted for the large format 4×5 Linhof Technika camera and a borrowed 400mm Tele Xenar lens. He also selected an expired Kodak Ektachrome E100S double-sided Readyload film and the rare Fuji FP100C peel-apart film. Due to the expiry date of the film, Hofstätter slightly overexposed the negatives.
Although medium and large format might not be the first natural choice for wildlife photographers -- even though it can create beautiful results -- Hofstätter explained to PetaPixel that it can be a "perfect combination" if you don't shoot fast-moving animals.
Hofstätter has also tried to shoot wildlife with the medium format Mamiya 645 before, but the combination of manual focus while shooting wide open and handheld -- seeing as he doesn't like to use tripods with this particular camera -- made it cumbersome. For that reason, Hofstätter got himself Mamiya AFD II, an autofocus medium format camera. Although he didn't photograph the swan family with this camera on this occasion, it's a camera he has successfully used for wildlife.
Shot using manual focus camera Mamiya 645E with Fuji Superia (2014) Getting focus right with the manual focus Mamiya 645E can be difficult at times
This time, shooting with Linhof Technika, he set up the frame on his ground glass, put the film holder in, and sat beside the camera to wait for the right moment to release the shutter with the cable release.
"It was mostly sitting and waiting and enjoying nature," he recalls.
"On the first day I realized how sensitive these birds are about sounds. They know my voice and all my 'sounds' from a DSLR shutter to zipper and so on," Hofstätter says. "I didn’t think that this silent shutter from the large format lens would surprise them in any way. But after the second picture, it was no longer interesting for them. Just dad came over to me and inspected my big Linhof tripod."
Photographing birds like swans, who can be protective and even aggressive at times, might seem a difficult and intimidating task. Hofstätter recommends approaching them -- and any other animals photographed in nature -- with respect and empathy but at the same time without any fear.
For example, Hofstätter noticed a different swan family and kept a good distance away while taking some photographs with his DSLR. When the time was right, he went to sit down by the water, whilst making himself as small as possible, with the swans approximately 30 meters (98 feet) away. The male noticed him and excitedly approached, while Hofstätter remained calm and softly spoke to him.
The male let out a short hissing sound in front of Hofstätter, proceeded to make a high-pitched sound directed to the female, which she repeated back, and then returned back to his family. A few minutes later, the whole swan family, including cygnets, approached Hofstätter, allowing him to enjoy a moment of closeness. Hofstätter didn't reach for a camera this time, nor did he allow any fear to wash over, which likely could have agitated the birds.
"I never feed them, because they have enough food there from nature. It would be bad for the environment, for them, and also can cause stress if birds are fighting for food," he says. "As a photographer, I don’t want them to swim in my direction when I arrive, because they think I bring food. I want them to ignore me, like I am a tree. That's when I can take authentic images."
When it comes to the technical aspects of using the large format for wildlife photography, Hofstätter makes sure to write a checklist for things to bring -- so he never forgets his dark cloth or other essentials, including drinking water -- and ensures he's wearing appropriate clothing and has plenty of bags to protect his equipment. Photographing wildlife near bodies of water means often partially standing in water or rain, with the tripod also placed in dirt and water.
For photographers who haven't shot a special kind of film for some time, Hofstätter recommends doing a practice run at home to avoid mistakes which can be costly. Although, sometimes errors happen even for the experienced photographers, just like Hofstätter accidentally inserted the film the wrong which can be seen at the end of his YouTube video.
More of Hofstätter's work, including wet plate portraits, can be found on his website, blog, and Instagram page, while his prints can be purchased here.
Image credits: All images by Markus Hofstätter and used with permission.
#educational #features #inspiration #birds #covid19experience #largeformat #largeformatcamera #largeformatphotography #markushofstaetter #markushofstatter #mediumformat #nature #swans #wildlife #wildlifephotographer
The 1934 Chrysler Photo Shoot That Brought Us Out of 2020
It wasn’t that the phone hadn’t rung for an entire year, it was that the shoots were always too risky; my urge to be on set was always overruled by my commitment to ensure that making art did not lead to someone contracting COVID.
Yet once the vaccine began to make things safer, I knew that it would only be a matter of time before I was behind the camera once more, and with that I wanted it to be an automotive photo shoot. In a way, it was like dipping your foot in to test the waters before taking a plunge by putting a celebrity or athlete in front of the camera.
Little did I know that my first job back would have me photographing a 1934 Chrysler Airflow; a car that finds its place in the hearts of the super eclectic. Lucky for me, one of those eclectic few happened to be none other than Jay Leno. This actually presented the right set of variables that would just so happen to work in my favor. First, it was in Burbank, so a short -- albeit miserable -- flight was all that I had to take to get to the location. Second, I have worked for this particular client for nearly 15 years. This made producing the shoot without a client on set (as they weren’t vaccinated yet) entirely feasible for we knew each other’s creative approach quite well.
In the weeks leading up to the shoot, I researched the car as much as I could. However, when dealing with a car as rare as this one, the best information available was actually the YouTube video that Jay had previously made with it. In reviewing his footage, it was obvious that the Airflow’s curves and lines were very appropriate to the period it was created in, making it a rather difficult car to light. Modern cars have sharper creases and folds in the metal that take in lighting in a crisp way that is forgiving to the photographer. Unfortunately, a certain variety of older cars like the Airflow are more rounded due to the machines that were available to the manufacturers at the time. This changes the approach of the photoshoot to higher and larger diffused sources that are complemented by narrow background lights to define the car’s form. This updated approach would end up being the photoshoot I needed to get back in the groove of producing campaigns again, as the challenge of lighting such a unique car proved both exciting and nerve-wracking.
To add fuel to the fire, this would also be the first time that I would be shooting with the Nikon Z 7II. Not only did I need to learn the camera, but with it arriving the night before my flight, I found myself setting it up on the 45-minute plane ride over. It turns out that having worked with so many Nikon bodies before, it was a rather seamless transition to their newest mirrorless system. The leap of faith for me came down to the glass. I am a fiend for shooting 24-70mm lenses, so much so that I packed the f/2.8 S and f/4 for this one. However, in a challenge from the good folks at Nikon, I took both the 14-24mm f/2.8 S and 70-200mm f/2.8 S lenses with me to broaden the options for compression. Having never seen the car in person, this seemed like some additional insurance just in case I needed to present additional options to the client. It turns out that this ended up being a great choice, I was able to utilize all three 2.8 lenses in the piece. The images selected by the client also included options from all three, making this the first series that I’ve done with multiple lenses in many years.
One thing I do have to mention is that during pre-light the day before the shoot, I took a very short Uber to Jay Leno’s Garage as it is just minutes away from Burbank Airport. In the collector car world, Jay’s Garage and the remarkable cars it houses is just as famous as Jay himself. With over 150 cars and 175 bikes, the staggering collection takes a decent amount of time just to walk through.
When arriving at the garage, I was met by the man that manages the day-to-day operations for Jay. Over the next hour, he toured me around every room, each packed to the brim with jaw-dropping cars, motorcycles, and even a full-size steam engine. After we had seen the last car, we discussed the next day’s photo shoot and what time I would be showing up. At that point, I requested an Uber to take me to the hotel so that I could rest up for the long day ahead.
No sooner than I had pressed the “request” button on the app, Jay Leno himself walked up. He asked how I was and what I thought about the collection. To be honest, I was a bit caught off guard by how much he cared to hear my thoughts. I told him that I appreciated the collection, not for any marque or car that was in it, but for the glimpse inside the mind of the man that had collected it.
His response still floors me to this day. He appreciated my view so much that he then asked if he could personally give me a tour. Never have I been so happy to pay an Uber cancellation fee! Over the next few hours, Jay showed me around in what can only be the most hilarious car-related experience I have ever had. I was in tears multiple times by the jokes he was cracking while explaining the ins and outs of individual cars and motorcycles. The man is as brutally funny as he is knowledgeable about automobiles. To a level that is almost Rain Man-esque, he can tell you every nut, bolt, and spec for each of his 150-plus cars.
In sharp contrast, I can barely tell you where windshield wiper fluid goes on my car, so it was quite an overwhelming experience. The passion that Jay has for the cars is one completely grounded in humility about owning them. Not once did he brag about owning a car, but instead was always grateful to have them, and I could tell this was genuine. For a celebrity of his level to be so removed from any ego renewed my faith in humanity.
This photo shoot returned me to the career I love in an environment that restored my confidence in safely returning to set. I feel immediately back at the top of my craft and ready for the next photoshoot and welcome any challenges that may arise.
Little did I know I would return to Jay Leno’s garage two weeks later…
_About the author : Blair Bunting is an advertising photographer based in Phoenix, Arizona. You can see more of his work on his website, blog, Facebook, and Instagram. This story was also published here. _
#editorial #equipment #2020 #2021 #automotive #automotivephotography #automotivephotoshoot #bam #blairandmike #blairbunting #covid19 #covid19experience #jayleno
As a Black and White Photographer, Why Are My Latest Photos in Color?
Some photographers are known for their black and white work (think Ansel Adams, Henrí Cartier-Bresson, Robert Frank, or Sebãstio Salgado) – while others are known for their use of color (think Ernst Haas, Joel Meyerowitz, Martin Paar, or Steve McCurry). Do you have a preference? If so, do you know why?
I’ve been thinking about this as I look back across my own creative output over the past 12 months. I am first and foremost a street photographer -- Joel Meyerowitz once told me that I was a portrait photographer who uses the street as his studio -- but I am also a black and white photographer.
And yet, not completely.
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In my book "Streets of New York" (first published in March, 2020), 53 of the 69 images in it are indeed black and white. I love black and white photography -- but 16 other images I chose to include were in color. Recently, though, that proportion has inverted altogether: 23 of the 35 latest photographs I’ve posted on Instagram have been color.
What’s happening to me? I already know why I love to shoot street, and I know that hasn’t changed.
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Beyond the fact that it is the home of my birth, every single time Claudia and I engage with the denizens of New York City, I am reassured that the world is not a uniformly terrible place. Unlike Bruce Gilden or Mark Cohen, I almost always ask the people I photograph for their permission. Once we get to "yes," a moment of casual intimacy is created in which we both participate: we create an image together.
I think the pandemic has played a significant role in the changing boundary between my black and white and color work. Like so many of us, it has been a blow to my psyche.
Now, however (at least for some of us; for too many of us not yet), it’s as if the world is slowly exiting a period of darkness and entering the light, and I’m responding in kind, at least metaphorically: it’s much harder to see color in the dark. It is a joy to see it now.
I do wonder if evolutionary biology just might play a role, too, perhaps as a faint genetic memory each of us retains of an actual exit from darkness to the light. After all, many mammals evolved from nocturnal to diurnal creatures after the sudden extinction of the dinosaurs: they could finally wander out during daylight without becoming lunch meat for the apex predators of the era. This is why only 6% of our photoreceptors are cones (what we might think of as color vision) while the rest are the biologically older rods (which are much more sensitive in low light and therefore we might think of as our black and white vision).
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As for why black and white photography in the first place? For me, it’s a function first and foremost of the time in which I grew up, which was the mid-20th century. From the photographers I studied to the cost and speed of color film versus the black and white film I chose instead to shoot, develop, and print in my own darkroom, my sensibilities and how I see were set then. I wonder if black and white will reassert its primacy for me in the months ahead, or if instead, this is a more permanent change.
I wonder: am I evolving?
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_About the author: Hugh Brownstone is a photographer, writer, educator, filmmaker, and YouTuber. His book "Streets of New York" was published in 2020. He is the founder and owner of "Three Blind Men and An Elephant Productions" and he and his wife Claudia are the producers of the documentary web series Mariner East and co-lead their Streets of New York workshops. You can learn more about them at here. You can find Hugh on Instagram and YouTube. _
#culture #editorial #blackandwhite #blackandwhitephotography #covid19 #covid19experience #covid19pandemic #hughbrownstone #streetphotography
Photo Series Shows Pandemic Emotions, Starts Mental Health Talks
A U.K.-based photographer has given complete strangers a platform to share their thoughts and emotions regarding the last year with the goal of raising awareness of the pandemic's impact on mental health.
Following a deeply personal loss, Donna Bridgewater, a photographer and lecturer based in Birmingham, United Kingdom, started a local photography project that captures strangers on the street revealing their personal thoughts and feelings on living in a pandemic world.
The project, titled " Getting Through This," intends to "create a conversation about mental health," as strangers hold up a board of messages, both deeply honest and inspiring, to help people compartmentalize their feelings and put them into words.
Looking back to an animal cruelty protest in Coventry Bridgewater and her sister had attended, she recalls a local charity that used a blank board to help the community voice their concerns, thoughts, or simply to share a positive message. Similarly, having worked in a special needs environment, Bridgewater has found that many learners who are non-vocal would use a pen and paper as a form of preferred communication.
Both ideas inspired the structure of the project while the idea for the initiative was born after Bridgewater lost her sister, which further led to her incorporating other people's mental health difficulties during the pandemic, because "every day is a struggle but you find ways to adapt in life."
Although Bridgewater had story-telling project experience under her belt through her past work with the LGBTQ community and others, the forced removal of social everyday interactions during the lockdown made it difficult to go back out and approach the public on the streets.
When the photographer approached people, she shared her own personal experiences of losing her sister, however, the unpleasant weather didn't make it easy to connect with people because strangers would want to quickly pass by to get to their destination quicker.
Nevertheless, her openness and perseverance -- after many people refused to participate -- allowed her to meet people in the local community who were willing to stop, talk, and share their stories. This not only boosted Bridgewater's own confidence but also gave those she connected with an opportunity to feel part of something powerful.
The process also helped the photographer to process the loss of her sister, Leanne, with whom she had lived and shared daily life. She explains, "being open and sharing my own story about Leanne has helped me to build my own confidence when talking about her. Every time I continue the project and hear comments it make me feel happy that the messages could help someone that is struggling."
The project is still ongoing, not just because of the positive feedback received from both participants and the audience, but also because of Bridgewater plans to link it with the mental health charity Mind when pandemic restrictions eventually permit it.
Other institutions have also been eager to participate. For example, Bridgewater has been invited to deliver a talk to The Royal Photographic Society, while others have expressed that the project would work well as an exhibition, displayed in shop windows, or shared on different media sources, like news, TV, and radio.
The messages are so powerful and true and they need to be seen by more and more people worldwide. Ideally in the future I would like to produce a book to raise money for charity. I have struggled with mental health myself and I have a little positive messages book that gives me a boost now and then. It would be a nice little book that you could pick up to give you a little boost in life.
For more, you can join Bridgewater's upcoming online talk on May 17, 2021, or visit her website.
Image credits: All images by Donna Bridgewater and used with permission.
#culture #features #inspiration #awareness #coronavirus #covid #covid19experience #documentary #documentaryproject #longtermproject #mentalhealth #pandemic #personalproject #project
Photo Series Shows Pandemic Emotions, Starts Mental Health Talks
A U.K.-based photographer has given complete strangers a platform to share their thoughts and emotions regarding the last year with the goal of raising awareness of the pandemic's impact on mental health.
Following a deeply personal loss, Donna Bridgewater, a photographer and lecturer based in Birmingham, United Kingdom, started a local photography project that captures strangers on the street revealing their personal thoughts and feelings on living in a pandemic world.
The project, titled " Getting Through This," intends to "create a conversation about mental health," as strangers hold up a board of messages, both deeply honest and inspiring, to help people compartmentalize their feelings and put them into words.
Looking back to an animal cruelty protest in Coventry Bridgewater and her sister had attended, she recalls a local charity that used a blank board to help the community voice their concerns, thoughts, or simply to share a positive message. Similarly, having worked in a special needs environment, Bridgewater has found that many learners who are non-vocal would use a pen and paper as a form of preferred communication.
Both ideas inspired the structure of the project while the idea for the initiative was born after Bridgewater lost her sister, which further led to her incorporating other people's mental health difficulties during the pandemic, because "every day is a struggle but you find ways to adapt in life."
Although Bridgewater had story-telling project experience under her belt through her past work with the LGBTQ community and others, the forced removal of social everyday interactions during the lockdown made it difficult to go back out and approach the public on the streets.
When the photographer approached people, she shared her own personal experiences of losing her sister, however, the unpleasant weather didn't make it easy to connect with people because strangers would want to quickly pass by to get to their destination quicker.
Nevertheless, her openness and perseverance -- after many people refused to participate -- allowed her to meet people in the local community who were willing to stop, talk, and share their stories. This not only boosted Bridgewater's own confidence but also gave those she connected with an opportunity to feel part of something powerful.
The process also helped the photographer to process the loss of her sister, Leanne, with whom she had lived and shared daily life. She explains, "being open and sharing my own story about Leanne has helped me to build my own confidence when talking about her. Every time I continue the project and hear comments it make me feel happy that the messages could help someone that is struggling."
The project is still ongoing, not just because of the positive feedback received from both participants and the audience, but also because of Bridgewater plans to link it with the mental health charity Mind when pandemic restrictions eventually permit it.
Other institutions have also been eager to participate. For example, Bridgewater has been invited to deliver a talk to The Royal Photographic Society, while others have expressed that the project would work well as an exhibition, displayed in shop windows, or shared on different media sources, like news, TV, and radio.
The messages are so powerful and true and they need to be seen by more and more people worldwide. Ideally in the future I would like to produce a book to raise money for charity. I have struggled with mental health myself and I have a little positive messages book that gives me a boost now and then. It would be a nice little book that you could pick up to give you a little boost in life.
For more, you can join Bridgewater's upcoming online talk on May 17, 2021, or visit her website.
Image credits: All images by Donna Bridgewater and used with permission.
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