Photographic impression of the UK's coronavirus lockdown

'Key Workers'

"Not all heroes wear capes!" points out photographer George Coppock. His portraits celebrate the people from the Leeds area who kept the community functioning during the lockdown: the NHS medical staff, postal and supermarket workers, police teachers, farmers, officers and community volunteers. Portrayed above is Natalie, a maternity ward nurse.

Photographic impression of the UK's coronavirus lockdown

'Covered to D I S C O N N E C T'

In her series, photographer Flora Luna explores the idea that "There was already a filter between people and this world that now is so strong and so much thicker." The pandemic has not only added new physical filters in our interactions with others — such as computer screens, face masks or plexiglass separators — but has also reinforced boundaries with the real world, says the photographer.

Photographic impression of the UK's coronavirus lockdown

'There's No Place Like Home'

Many families had to combine work and school from home amid the uncertainty of an unprecedented crisis: a nightmare. Claire Armitage's feeling of failure was intensified through social media posts featuring the "amazing projects" that enthusiastic parents were doing with their children. Through this series, the photographer found a way to develop a humorous bond with her teens during the lockdown.

Photographic impression of the UK's coronavirus lockdown

'Under Pressure'

When the virus outbreak put a stop to the work of landscape photographer Scott Stevens, he decided to work on photos from his own house, transmitting visually his "emotive response to the current crisis." The series "Under Pressure" combines a daily photo of a barometer with the sky as seen from Stevens' home.

Photographic impression of the UK's coronavirus lockdown

'Fake Street Photography'

During lockdown, street photographer Chris Silk decided to experiment with recreating the cityscape in his home, using figures from his father's model railway collection and various household objects set in strong shafts of natural light. "I don't think there's any such thing as a boring place to photograph," he said of the unusual working circumstances.

Photographic impression of the UK's coronavirus lockdown

'Lockdown wildlife'

Similarly, award-winning urban wildlife photographer Ian Wade decided to photograph his two-year-old daughter's favorite miniature plastic animals as if they were real-life subjects. He admits he "got many strange looks from people" while lying down on his stomach in a stream to achieve this shot of a toy tiger in the water.

Photographic impression of the UK's coronavirus lockdown

'People I Met on a Walk One Day During Lockdown'

Documentary photographer Justine Desmond got in touch with complete strangers during a period otherwise associated with isolation: "One sunny day during the lockdown I went for a walk with my camera and approached people who caught my eye, and asked them if I could take their portrait and hear about their lockdown experiences," she explained of her series of photos taken from a two-meter distance.

Photographic impression of the UK's coronavirus lockdown

'Letters to the Loved Ones'

"As much as we are scared of what the virus will bring, we are craving for connection and missing someone more than ever," believes documentary photographer Akiko DuPont. This inspired her to ask people within walking distance of her home in South London to write a letter to someone they've been thinking of during the COVID-19 lockdown. Seven-year-old Sofia wrote to her grandmother in Canada.

Photographic impression of the UK's coronavirus lockdown

'Lockdown Ballet'

Photographer Gemma Griffith's 11-year-old son is a ballet dancer. His training was halted by the lockdown, so he had to practice from home with his "gorgeous long hair flying around," she wrote. Griffith decided she should capture his sessions, "to remember this strange time and to show the stunning beauty of his movements in the ordinary setting of a family home."

Photographic impression of the UK's coronavirus lockdown

'Project HOPE: Dancers in Lockdown'

Also inspired by ballet, Senem Peace photographed different dancers in lockdown. "We all found ourselves in this unusually hard situation that we couldn't have imagined. 'Fear' suddenly became the main actor in our lives," Peace wrote. She felt that the dancers were a fitting depiction of how "There is always hope. There is always a joy in life."

Author: Elizabeth Grenier