Photographers stuck inside have snapped

Here is another story about a wedding photographer spending his 'free' time shooting photo scenes created out of LEGOs:

Wedding Photographer Shoots a LEGO Wedding to Stay Creative During the Coronavirus Lockdown

Hmmm. I like the photographer who came up with the idea to shoot Lego "people" in wedding settings. That's creative thinking at a time like this. Generally, I don't feel too badly for everyone in this, however. Yes we are all in this "together", that is, everyone is in the same mode of sheltering in place. It is a very odd time in our lives, unprecedented really. But the idea of being too dramatic about it all seems a bit over done by now. I may be fortunate in living in a location that's not too expensive- I really feel for working class folks in places like NYC or other large and VERY expensive cities. Those people have reason to worry! Unemployment compensation being pretty meager compared to "real world" earnings, doesn't begin to cover rent alone in a super expensive city, much less all other bills coming in! That said, nothing is made any better by fretting over something that cannot be controlled by any of us. File it under the 90/10 rule, under which there are 90% of things we cannot control and 10% of things we can control. And deal with this covid-19 "thing" accordingly.

Now let me issue a caveat by saying I'm not trying to appear heartless. Stress seeks its own level in people and there's no "right or wrong" in how folks deal with things. Maybe I'm just more pragmatic about things: I know this, too, shall pass.

Meanwhile back at the proverbial ranch, anyone with a digital camera and a computer of any sort can still be shooting, uploading, post processing anything they find in their home, in their yard, or along their path if they take a daily or occasional walk around the block. Analog shooters who are able to process their own film may well do the same even if they are developing film in their kitchen sink and hanging negatives to dry in their bath tub or shower! I've shot some film and have sent it out to the lab I usually use- who stated on their website that they are working away up there. I have some new (to me) extension tubes for close-up work with my vintage medium format camera so I plan to shoot some stuff around the house. Flowers are blooming outside, so out to the yard I'll go. I'll be mere inches away from whatever I can find, Maybe I'll shoot extreme close-ups of my motorcycles! It's a whole new world!

As many are also finding, now is a great time to comb the "archives" and revisit earlier work. What photographer doesn't have an entire lifetime of photo files or negatives or photo books to pore over for hours each day?

So it's not like life doesn't go on, a little bit- even if photographers who do weddings can't shoot weddings or people who shoot whatever for whomever can't make money doing their typical bit. None of us who do anything (whatever it is we do for living) also cannot do our bit to earn our livings, so welcome to the club! OK maybe I'm being harsh? I hope not, I just feel like this is beyond our control and we just have deal with it.

Anyone else? I'd love to hear other folks' perspectives.

There was an article yesterday about police having to enforce nudists wearing face masks. (LINK)

Not sure if they were photographers.

Now let me issue a caveat by saying I'm not trying to appear heartless. Stress seeks its own level in people and there's no "right or wrong" in how folks deal with things. Maybe I'm just more pragmatic about things: I know this, too, shall pass.

I won't say you appear heartless, but in your full posting you appear to me to be a bit naive and taking this matter too lightly. You say "this too shall pass" and I hope and pray you are right, but for now I can't help but take a more "glass half empty" view. I don't see how we will ever go back to what we (the developed world) had as we rang in the new year back on Jan 1.

But I too continue to look for things to photograph, including photographing myself in these strange times thanks to the self-timer. It's probably tacky to have links to one's own website in these threads but here are two self-portraits from last week: 1 and 2.

"taking this matter too lightly".. well as an entertainment worker who's entire year has been cancelled.... considering the industry forecast is for zero large gatherings in 2020, NO concerts, shows, events etc- I'm not taking this too lightly. Nor am I naive about the consequences of ignoring the reality of a deadly disease that has swept the world.

I AM absolutely a glass half full person, generally speaking. I agree this may well permanently change things- in what way, I'm not willing to try to predict. I am indeed taking this pretty seriously, as seriously as I ever took anything all my life. As an entertainment worker, I happen to be looking at not working this entire year. Pretty serious stuff right there.

BUT

I'm not a crybaby. I don't get overly wound up about stuff that's beyond anyone's control.

One can be happy about life and all one's blessings, or one can be miserable and waste a lot of energy on sweating things that cannot be fixed or changed.

Coming from this perspective, what I'm saying in response to the internet whiners is this:

Suck it up buttercup. Get yer big kid panties on and deal with it.

OK I'm a heartless b@st@rd after all. :)

PS:

@movingfinger I like your self-portraits.

as an entertainment worker who's entire year has been cancelled

Clearly my adjective of 'naive' was off the mark. You are much more heavily invested in some return to normalcy than I as a retiree am. I admire your spirit and confidence - we desperately need this.

I agree 100% with your final comment:

what I'm saying in response to the internet whiners is this:

Suck it up buttercup. Get yer big kid panties on and deal with it.

Clearly my adjective of 'naive' was off the mark. You are much more heavily invested in some return to normalcy than I as a retiree am. I admire your spirit and confidence - we desperately need this.

 

I agree 100% with your final comment:

Thanks. At 63, I'm not too far from retirement myself. I've contemplated the option of beginning to take my social security (U.S. citizen) early, but have been holding off thinking I'd work a few more years to maximize my monthly take. Depending on how this ends up, I may go out early after all.

It's happy hour, I'm out. Have a nice evening.

Cheers!

To begin with I am far from being a Professional Photographer but I have been doing this photo thing for over 50 years. I love landscape photography so being stuck home kind of makes that problematic, my house plants are planning to revolt soon.

I spend a lot of time learning Lightroom...finally, and listening to music. One song in particular that struck a chord with me as to how it was "before" but also encompasses "now" and what will return to be is this:

I will be 70 in July and retired on Dec. 31st hoping to finally devote much more time to photography but will just have to stay healthy and wait it out. Sucks but that's life!

There was an article yesterday about police having to enforce nudists wearing face masks. (LINK)

Does a face mask count as clothing? Can one be a 'nudist' with a face mask? I guess that's a question better asked in the Philosophy category ;-)

I guess that's a question better asked in the Philosophy category ;-)

I believe so -- it's definitely zen-y:

Does a face mask count as clothing? Can one be a 'nudist' with a face mask?

Truly a kōan (公案)

Hmmm. I like the photographer who came up with the idea to shoot Lego "people" in wedding settings. That's creative thinking at a time like this. Generally, I don't feel too badly for everyone in this, however. Yes we are all in this "together", that is, everyone is in the same mode of sheltering in place. It is a very odd time in our lives, unprecedented really. But the idea of being too dramatic about it all seems a bit over done by now. I may be fortunate in living in a location that's not too expensive- I really feel for working class folks in places like NYC or other large and VERY expensive cities. Those people have reason to worry! Unemployment compensation being pretty meager compared to "real world" earnings, doesn't begin to cover rent alone in a super expensive city, much less all other bills coming in! That said, nothing is made any better by fretting over something that cannot be controlled by any of us. File it under the 90/10 rule, under which there are 90% of things we cannot control and 10% of things we can control. And deal with this covid-19 "thing" accordingly.

 

Now let me issue a caveat by saying I'm not trying to appear heartless. Stress seeks its own level in people and there's no "right or wrong" in how folks deal with things. Maybe I'm just more pragmatic about things: I know this, too, shall pass.

 

Meanwhile back at the proverbial ranch, anyone with a digital camera and a computer of any sort can still be shooting, uploading, post processing anything they find in their home, in their yard, or along their path if they take a daily or occasional walk around the block. Analog shooters who are able to process their own film may well do the same even if they are developing film in their kitchen sink and hanging negatives to dry in their bath tub or shower! I've shot some film and have sent it out to the lab I usually use- who stated on their website that they are working away up there. I have some new (to me) extension tubes for close-up work with my vintage medium format camera so I plan to shoot some stuff around the house. Flowers are blooming outside, so out to the yard I'll go. I'll be mere inches away from whatever I can find, Maybe I'll shoot extreme close-ups of my motorcycles! It's a whole new world!

 

As many are also finding, now is a great time to comb the "archives" and revisit earlier work. What photographer doesn't have an entire lifetime of photo files or negatives or photo books to pore over for hours each day?

 

So it's not like life doesn't go on, a little bit- even if photographers who do weddings can't shoot weddings or people who shoot whatever for whomever can't make money doing their typical bit. None of us who do anything (whatever it is we do for living) also cannot do our bit to earn our livings, so welcome to the club! OK maybe I'm being harsh? I hope not, I just feel like this is beyond our control and we just have deal with it.

 

Anyone else? I'd love to hear other folks' perspectives.

I got to admit there are a lot of opportunities for photos these days especially if you are a Landscape, Urban, Documentary, Architectural, even Travel photographer, because sorry to say there are not many people and cars to get in the way of your pictures. I use to get up early Sunday morning to avoid the crowds who tend to stand directly in the path of some picture I wanted to take, but now I can do it any day of the week. This is all fine and dandy and it does relieve the stress somewhat, but if you are not sitting on a big pile of dollar bills, then that relief is only temporary.

Another thing is, people become wary or suspicious about some dude with a camera seemingly having fun while everybody else is in a dire situation. I also think "this soon shall pass", but the word "soon" means how long ? Even if they do find a vaccine in the near future(which I think they will) it might take several years for things to get back to normal. Some people can hang in there until that happens, but unfortunately many (many) people wont be able to, or will come out much worse off than before all of this started.

We’re not the first photographers who’ve faced some degree of isolation. It’s happened to others throughout history for any number of reasons. I’ve long been inspired by Andrè Kertèsz and Josef Sudek, both of whom spent long periods photographing in their living quarters or studios due to life circumstances. Never has the creativity of their inward turn and visionary eye been more apparent than right now. Both were able to make poetry with household objects, now void of the humans that were such a key part of their other work. Working with light, perspective, relationships, and discovering beauty in what might otherwise seem ordinary or commonplace are hallmarks of these self-reliant, unstoppable artists.

“From My Window”: The Late Work of Andrè Kertèsz and Josef Sudek

There was an article yesterday about police having to enforce nudists wearing face masks. (LINK)

 

Not sure if they were photographers.

If they refused and were arrested, did the cops pat them down?

In Memphis the wise mayor has decreed that you have to wear a mask in a restaurant unless you are eating there.....

Sounds like he's ready to run for governor.

This really isn't that hard, folks. Restaurant workers are in a precarious position, dealing with the public in an indoor setting (even outdoors, in close quarters). For their protection, patrons are asked, when not eating, to wear masks, particularly when closely interacting with the staff. I know the thought of not eating in a restaurant makes for good sarcastic fodder, but it's the case that, when you're ordering, you're generally not eating and that would be a good time to do your server a favor and put on a damn mask, if it's not too much trouble for ya. It requires thinking of others, which unfortunately eliminates a noticeable portion of the American population.

https://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/news/2020/06/25/city-of-memphis-mask-ordinance-gos-into-effect.html

The ordinance does not require a mask when ordering.

The whole mask thing is, in the context of use by the uninformed, ill equipped, ill practiced public, primarily a sneeze/cough filter at best.

I simply do not eat out anymore.

Problem solved.

But I am not stuck inside and am still using my cameras.

EDIT: This isn’t aimed at anyone here, more a general rant and a chance to display a photo I took about a month ago!

I’m so sick of people disputing the few certain things we can all do to slow this thing down. Like it’s so huge an inconvenience to simply wear a mask that a person’s individual and personal rights take precedent over every other person’s rights, and health and safety?

Shut UP and WEAR THE DOGGONE MASK already.

I saw a great thing on the f@c3b00k: it said,

“Scientists have discovered something that can help reduce the spread of covid 19 by as much as 70% and it’s just a piece of cloth you wear over your dumb f_ _ _ ing face”.

WEAR THE DARN MASK

In Memphis the wise mayor has decreed that you have to wear a mask in a restaurant unless you are eating there.....

You really couldn’t make this stuff up!

Meanwhile.....

UK swingers' sex festival cancelled over impact of social distancing on orgies

I saw this and all I could say was,

“well f_ _ _ me!”

...or words to that effect. :D

My guess is that the current impact of Corona on photographers depends a lot on the country/state/county in which they live and work, what kind of photography they do, how much they need to travel, what their local governor's/mayor's views are on 're--opening' and where their locality is on the 'corona curve'.

Many European countries which had some degree of 'lockdown' from early March have gradually relaxed corona restrictions from about June 1 onward. Not all restrictions, but some. In NL, 'events' of up to 100 people inside and 250 outside are again permitted from July 1, provided social distancing is maintained. Even more under certain conditions. So no large-scale pop concerts, etc. but some business and social events, weddings, theater shows, etc. are again possible.

For amateur photographers, photographing while 'walking around' locally (while exercising) has never been restricted.."Unnecessary travel" was discouraged until June 1 when public transport opened up at full capacity again. Pretty soon, travel restrictions between many European countries will be lifted. So - if I wanted to - I could travel to other countries to take Landscape/Travel photos.

It saddens me that many of the corona measures that Europe (and NY/NJ) have successfully taken have been politicized (or have become part of the 'culture/media war') in some states and in some media. Keeping this on topic, I'm sure that the rising corona cases in some states will have a negative impact on photographers there.

OT: Interestingly, most of the corona discussion in the US seems to be about whether or not to wear masks. In NL and the UK, the anti-corona measures have mainly focused on avoiding crowds, 'social distancing' (6 feet) and regular hand-washing/sanitizing. Masks were advised in social situations (stores, public transport) where this was not always possible. This seems to be Dr. Fauci's advice too, though (unfortunately) not always taken. In NL, very few people had ever worn masks until Jhey became mandatory on public transport on June 1 when public transport was ramped back up to full capacity and travel restrictions were withdrawn.

well f_ _ _ me!

Safest if done virtually ...

You really couldn’t make this stuff up!

Except ... he did.