Life through a lockdown lens
LIKE MANY OF US, RENOWNED PHOTOGRAPHER GLENN EDWARDS HAS SPENT THE TIME SINCE MARCH IN LOCKDOWN IN HIS HOUSE. HERE, HE SHOWS US HIS IMAGES OF EVERYDAY LIFE IN OUR CORONOVIRUS WORLD FROM THE WINDOWS OF HIS HOUSE...
WHEN the shutters came down in March, we were all thinking: “What next?” But, as photographers, many of us were thinking: “What now?”
This most important, horrendous story in our history was unfolding in front of our eyes, but we couldn’t see it, only the consequence of it, but somehow we had to record and capture the story for future generations, for history... but how?
Even though my instincts were to be out there, I felt the news elements were being covered extensively by the media. Agencies had photographers covering every news angle, but one story they couldn’t cover was my own.
So much of past personal work had been taken abroad, but now, locked in my own home, how could I capture a story so personal, yet similar to others, that was literally on my doorstep?
I started to look at things differently. The reflection of Donald Trump in my glass of wine as I watched the news, the mounting number of baked bean tins and the growth of my beard became interesting to me. They were images that I would never have noticed in a visual way before, but here I was, recording them.
Other than my beard, I started to watch the trees grow through my window, people walking past, the refuse collectors, postmen and home delivery drivers. Before, they were moments that meant nothing to me, taken for granted, but all of a sudden they became important.
The 8pm applause on a Thursday night became a symbol of people’s unity toward the NHS. Will people’s attitude to all of these people, especially governments, but also us, the general public, change for evermore towards them?
I watched runners and homeowners doing jobs, ticking off their lists of things to do that they may never have thought about but for the boredom of staying home.
Even my regular coffee with my best friend, my daughter, became different, an online occasion, and friends started to call for a chat, but through the window. It was becoming obvious how worried people were becoming in keeping the two-metre rule, though my friends took that to the extreme.
The window pictures grew in number, but I wanted to expand the story and started portrait sessions beneath the window of isolation – of the passing public wearing masks. There could be no greater symbol than the mask to show how people are worried about these times.
Most are people I didn’t know, people I still don’t know but for a polite hello when we meet again.
■ The pictures continue to grow and will form the contents of a zine/book in the future. A selection will feature in a coronavirus exhibition in Aberystwyth when the arts centre opens again. If you are interested in pre-ordering, contact Glenn at glenn.photo@gmail.com