Current Photo Friday theme: Pandemic
On the Photo Friday site, when they gave the theme, they asked these questions: What subjects captivated your attention? Did the pandemic influence your photography?
Below is why I chose a current “selfie” as my photo.
The pandemic made my world smaller. Prior to the shutdown, I had a career that kept me busy 10 to 14 hours a day. Part of my volunteer work for that organization involved shooting photos of rescued dogs, cats, the occasional pig, and a few other surprising creatures, three times a week. I had plans to transition out of my volunteer photography for them so I could travel more in 2020. But early in the year, the organization laid off a majority of the staff, including me, because of the pandemic. Like many others, I quarantined. I didn’t travel. I adjusted to life without the income from the paying part of my job and without the coworkers who inspired me. My world became what was around me, so that’s what I photographed: my home, family who lives on the same property, and our dogs. I found ways to photograph my hobbies (collecting dolls, listening to music, reading, journaling, painting, homemaking, blogging), and my passion: writing fiction.
When the pandemic shifted in 2021 and the world began opening up, other than seeing more friends, not a lot changed because I decided to retire. I still don’t travel. I haven’t been bothered by the slow march of lines up and down and across my face. I didn’t care when my hair, that for twenty years had its roots colored brunette, and later to strands of brunette and blonde, became gray and white during the pandemic. I’m grateful to be here and for all that I have. I try to adapt to and deal with the challenges. I still mostly photograph what’s around me.
Hi Becky, just wanted to drop by and tell you I enjoy your photos on PhotoFriday. Incidentally, my mom was a Cochrane! I live in the Boston area (probably obvious from my photos) – I’m in the burbs and my boyfriend of 15 years has a tiny apartment in a great part of the city, so I’m there a lot. It offers a rich supply of things to photograph.
Re: the pandemic, he and I just caught our first Covid cases so we made it through almost 4 years! Neither of us has been very sick, and we’re both up to date with our vaccines. We don’t go out much, but went to visit friends in Vermont and so…
Enjoy your blog! I had a blog from 2003 to around 2007 (with occasional posts up to 2016), back before Facebook stole most of my blogging friends away. I went to work full time medical writing in 2006 which fried the writing part of my brain so I focused on taking photos for my creative outlet after that. Currently working from home – in fact, they closed our local office. Maybe when I retire I’ll write again. 🙂
Hi, Leslee–Thanks for commenting. I always enjoy your Friday photos. I write a fictional character who’s from the Boston area. I’ve only driven by the city late at night, so all my knowledge of it has come from research and reading. So much history there, but it’s one of the cities I’m drawn to, so your shots always catch my attention.
We dodged Covid until ’22, but fortunately also had mild cases. Still staying vaccinated here, too. Writing has kept me balanced and occupied through all of this. I hope you get back to your own writing when you can! I miss people who blog so much, but the fast gratification of social media made us dinosaurs. I appreciate the readers who’ve stayed with me here.