Behind the Lens
Street photographer and cofounder of the Covid St project
Covid Street co-founder Tanya Nagar tells all about the fundraising project
Covid Street was founded by Tanya, DigitalCamera contributor Adam Juniper and photographer Tom Clabots. The project invites street photographers from around the world to share images produced within lockdown restrictions to an Instagram feed; a book of images will be published later this year, with the proceeds going to charitable causes.
Was there a particular moment that moved you and the co-founders to take action and launch the project?
With the world changing so drastically almost overnight, we collectively came to a speedy conclusion that creating a platform showcasing the wonderful images from around the world would be not just purposeful for us, but also to all the people submitting images.
We’ve had photographers tell us it’s given them a reason to continue being creative, which has warmed our hearts. Over the last few months it’s been inspiring seeing the evolution of photographs, too, from complete lockdown and desertion in some areas, to crowds of courageous protesters supporting Black Lives Matter.
The goal of turning the images into something tangible like a book to give back to the community prompted us to move forward with the idea as quickly as we possibly could.
How impressed have you been by the work that’s been shared so far?
We’ve been blown away! Some photographers were in complete lockdown, in places like Italy, and having to shoot solely from their windows, but still managed to work creatively with light and capture beautiful images. We’ve had impactful and inspiring images of front-line workers, and it has been a treat curating the feed.
The submissions are incredible, and offer so many different perspectives. Covid-19 might have brought the world to a standstill, but it certainly hasn’t hindered talent shining through.
How is the book taking shape?
We now have enough material to prepare the first draft of the book, which we’re working on now. This doesn’t mean it’s too late to be included, though – if you want to get your name, and perhaps your work, in the book, we’re now able to take pre-orders via our website.
Since we’re operating on a shoestring budget, early orders really help us, so we’ll be rewarding everyone who helps us by buying the book early with a launch edition, an exclusive invite to what’s likely to be a virtual launch, and a say in which charities we support.
Where will post-lockdown conditions will take street photography?
On top of social distancing, with face masks becoming the norm, candid street portraits are likely to look very different to how they did before. For a street photographer, smiling has always been an important cue to gauge if someone is willing to be photographed; now we’ll have to rely more on eye contact alone, which is going to take some getting used to. I’m certainly going to embrace the new norm, and will be learning as I go along.
What’s next for your own practice?
For now I’m focusing on the Covid Street project, which will be ongoing for the next few months. Then I’m looking forward to switching back to film – my work during the pandemic has all been on digital – and continuing to capture the streets of London and beyond in our evolving world.
I enjoy collaborative projects and am always on the lookout for the next thing to work on, so I have no doubt that a few things will crop up soon.