Lock Down Dreams
Photographs in Quarantine
An Online Group Photography Exhibition
Artists from all over the world submitted the photographs they have taken while in quarantine during the COVID-19 pandemic. Here are the chosen entries.
Untitled Quarantine Self Portrait by Carrie Schreck
Los Angeles, USA
“I contracted COVID19 early at work and it hit me hard. I fainted, lost vision in my right eye a few times, it finally turned in to pneumonia. The office closed soon after I was sent home and I spent 4 weeks recovering, When I finally left my apartment in downtown again, everything was quiet. The world was different. I needed to take pictures of something so I'd leave my house at night to shoot the empty streets and then some self-portraits. Luckily I had darkroom chemicals and scanner so I'm still home-processing. Medium format black and white double exposure, March, 2020.”
Artist Bio: Carrie Schreck is a documentary filmmaker and photographer, her primary focus is documenting the lives or ordinary and extraordinary people. She lives and works in Los Angeles where she enjoys writing in the third person.
Breath Of Fresh Air By Bryan Shaw
Singapore, Republic of Singapore
“With Lockdown, staying inside all day is pretty suffocating when you live in one of the most densely populated cities in the world (Singapore). Took this whilst on a FaceTime call with a friend who wanted a breath of air on his rooftop.”
Artist Bio: I’m Bryan Shaw, I am a freelance videographer and I have a passion for shooting fashion films capturing the vibes of different people and settings.
Pool by Ryan Gitonga
Baltimore, Maryland
“I was walking around the park and was thinking about how beautiful of a day it was and how it was the perfect weather for a swim. The empty and quiet pool was kind of a stark reminder of how much has changed during lockdown. It also gives me something to look forward to. Seeing it full and with lots of kids running around.”
Silla Vacía by Sabina Menayo Moreno
Madrid, Spain
“This photograph captures the idea of an empty chair as a representation of this empty town I'm currently in because of the Covid-19. The silent streets, the loneliness and at the same time the greatness of the natural landscape magnified by the situation. The chair is almost part of the landscape, as if it had been born from another blade of the grass, representing also the concept of finding ourselves in an era of introspection and many reflections that can lead us to a new "birth".
Artist Bio: Sabina Menayo Moreno is an artist born in a small town in the community of Madrid, Spain, who is currently studying Fine Arts at the Complutense University of Madrid. Her work focuses mainly on the photographic medium with which she tries to capture the rural landscapes and the essence of the scenes. She also tries to play with metaphor, emptiness and the symbolic charge of the objects portrayed.
Self-portrait in quarantine. April 2020 by Marilena Vlachopoulou
Glasgow, Scotland
“Reflecting on the void presented by current circumstances, I wanted to create a portrait of myself in darkness. Illuminated by a single match in order to emphasize that our presence as individuals and as members of our community is still dominant in this temporary state of overwhelming nothingness where we are imprisoned.”
Artist Bio: Marilena Vlachopoulou is a portrait and documentary photographer from Athens based in Glasgow. After graduating from college, her practice has mainly been involved with photographing Glasgow’s music scene on film. Following the cancellation of big gatherings, she is currently documenting moments of daily life in isolation.
Quarantine Diary 4 by Mitch Epeneter
Long Beach, California, USA
“When the stay at home orders hit, my usual photo subject matters were no longer an option (music, concerts, travel), so I decided to collaborate with a friend on the other side of the country and do a weekly photo project. With the help of my girlfriend, I made a series of self portraits with my newly purchased (but very old) Yashica A. The camera is completely mechanical and manual, but that's what I like about it - it really forces you to slow down and consider your shot. Anyways, I really enjoyed how much this project has kept me creating, connecting with friends and collaborating.”
Artsit Bio: Mitch Epeneter is a photographer, musician and outdoor enthusiast based in Long Beach, California. He's both lived and traveled across the world and his work strives to highlight the unexpected beauty around us, while reminding us to not take things too seriously.
ONE LIGHT SET UP BY ALEXANDER ROSE
London, united kingdom
“Being stuck in an apartment in quarantine can take its toll, it was important for me to keep busy and try and learn new things. This is my first time experimenting with one light setups. I used a simple soft-box lighting the left side of my face and hung a black sheet on the right hand side so it would give me a half shadow and a slight Rembrandt lighting on the cheek. I used a canon 700D with a tamron 24 to 70 mm MM F 2.8”
Artist Bio: My name is Alexander rose. I am a self-taught photographer. I have been practicing photography for 3 years my main photography style is portrait. Two of my favorite photographers are Peter McKinnon and Brandon Woelfel. I love playing with natural lighting but I'm slowly moving into studio lighting as well. One of my big aspirations is to become a fashion photographer.
THAT'S MY LOCK DOWN DREAMS (or nightmare, point of view) By Mary Bregni
Rome, Italy
“Quarantine it's so breathless. Not only in a physic way, but psychological too.
I have many mask, but I need air, I need to breath, I need everything I loved of my old boring, stupid and mad world.
I need back my gory memories too.
Self-potraits: photo sequence is all done in automatic shutter release.”
Artist Bio: I'm Marianna and I'm 20 years old. I'm a videomaker and photographer from Rome. I'm studying cinematography at RUFA (Rome University of Fine Arts) and I'm addicted to each form of art.
April Fools Day by Anna Rochelle
Phoenix, Arizona
“The subject of this photo played an integral role in my life over the past year. We ended up quarantined together for several weeks. I wanted to document this time, but also get out and be creative. This image was taken in a backyard through an overgrown weed as the wind blew and the sun lowered. It feels like a good visual representation of several facts-beauty can be made in chaos; things are often not crystal clear; and in this human experience, truly, "we're all just walking each other home".
Artist Bio: From a young age, I have always felt most at home when I am expressing myself creatively and exploring the world full of color and design. From documentary to product photography to complex composites - I have done a little of everything. My favorite images tell a story of a "moment in-between". It's a moment I could not have planned or scripted.
Vernal Blur by Fiestaban Photography
Los Angeles, USA
“Vernal Blur” is part of the fourth installment in a series called “Elementals”, which I shot with my friend Melody Para [www.instagram.com/melodyismagic] over the past year. Melody is a yoga instructor, Reiki and water healer, and all-around goddess, so I wanted to do four distinct shoots every three months and explore each season’s affinities for either earth, fire, air and water, with her being the central Gaia figure. The Antelope Valley is known for its annual poppy bloom in late March, so in an effort to socially distance ourselves from others, as well as mitigate any damage done to the wildflowers, we set up on a remote hillside a few miles away from the Lancaster Poppy Preserve and shot this during a cold windy light rain. The previous shoots were a pairing of Summer/Water, Autumn/Earth and Winter/Fire, however this “Spring/Air” look focused on themes of impermanence, ephemerality and introspection with the Southern Californian high desert wind being a central character. The Air element is typically associated with both language, liberation and life, as well as dreams, disorder and disorientation.
Artist Bio: Fiestaban Photography [www.fiestabanphoto.com] is the alter-ego of Esteban Allard-Valdivieso. He is an L.A. native and has been shooting professionally since 2013. He is currently a celebrity, lifestyle, events, music and wedding photographer who enjoys destination shoots, lush colors and loves capturing people doing what they love. His instagram handle is @fiestabanphoto
“Esta Luz” by Edgar Aguirre
Los Angeles, USA
“Surrounded at work by negative energy, death, and the overbearing nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, my boyfriend and I took a trip to mountains for his birthday. While drinking and dancing, this scene reminded me to always look at the brighter side of things.”
Artist Bio: Edgar Aguirre is a creative living in Los Angeles, California. In his spare time, he likes to garden and medal with taxidermy,
Quarantined With these Legs By Megan P. Neary
Denver, USA
“Lately, whenever I think of this quarantine, I think of the beginning when we were just discovering the impacts that would change our daily lives. I'm reminded how important it is to continue to appreciate and partake in the parts of life that help us relax, decompress and let go of what our preconceived notions of our own realities are. I love the sunsets from our west-facing balcony in our first apartment together. This photo in particular reminds me of how strong our love is and even through the challenges we will find time to be inspired and find joy.”
Artist Bio: Currently residing in Denver, Megan captures domestic life, the neighborhoods diverse foliage in Capitol Hill and landscapes. She is a lover of the beach and escapes to her home state of California whenever possible.
Homeless man shaving on Venice Beach Boardwalk, April, 5, 2020 By Briana Mutlu
Southern California
“April 5, 2020. 17 days into the lockdown in California, a homeless man shaves on the Venice Beach Boardwalk. The man stares at his image reflected in a small mirror that is duct-taped above the caution-taped sinks. He does not reply or look my way when I speak to him. Instead, he continues to carefully lather himself in shaving cream and removes the grey bristles from his leathery skin. The boardwalk is almost completely deserted except for a few passersby getting their exercise and some homeless people who chose not to check into one of the 13 new shelters in the area providing Coronavirus resources. Gently and orderly, he finishes his routine as the sun creeps under the horizon. Another day passes where we learn the creases of our faces and the nature of ourselves more than that of others.”
Artist bio: Briana Mutlu is a 20 year old photographer and writer from Southern California.
Safe Word By Ryan Torres
Brooklyn, New York
“Because of quarantine I’ve been forced to deal with my inner demons on a daily basis without having the distractions that came along with having a full time job and social life. During this time in isolation I often sit and dive deep into my memory, scouring my mind and forcing myself to revisit dark times that I never really got over. One night during the early days of the lockdown I suffered a meltdown from all the stress and woke up covered in bruises, including this one on my wrist that I took a photo of to reveal to myself that I have the potential to be my own worst enemy. Safe word.”
Artist Bio: Ryan Torres is a New York City based photographer who specializes in candid street photography. Born in Brooklyn and majoring in Film, Ryan’s main concern has been the exploration and investigation of his own cultural environment through the lens of a storyteller
Untitled By Lion Laperre
Kortrijk, Belgium
“So for me this picture really represents that feeling when you leave a pre party to go to the city to turn it upside down for the night. Knowing the whole night is still in front of you and everything can happen, everything is possible. This moment for me is always kind of a metaphor for life because at 20 years old, I love to think how my whole life is still in front of me and everything is still possible. Also if you get to fucked up at pre party, doesn’t mean you’r not gonna have a good night out; I like to think this way about life to in a sense that the past doesn’t have to define your future.
I think it suits the « lockdown dreams » pre well because apart from everyone being safe and healthy again, this is one of the things I look most forward to; To go back to this state of mind where nothing matters and you can just be whoever you want to be: young, free and reckless.”
Artist Bio: I would describe myself as a photographer and visual artist obsessed with finding the beauty in real life situations. Through these « moments of life » as I tend to call them, I just try to tell the story of a 20 year old dude living in Brussels, sharing my vision of this world we live in.
Wyatt owner of Lozer Lounge By Roberto Badillo
Pompano Beach, Florida
“The story about this pic is I’m doing a series of musicians and club owners called 6 Feet From the Stage. Wyatt is the owner of Lozer Lounge in Pompano Beach, Fl and has been struggling to stay afloat during the quarantine. He’s selling off motorcycle parts and having small fund raisers to get through. He’s hoping he can hang on till they open the bars. His place plays an important in our music scene. His shows here showcase the talent we have down here. “
Artist Bio: I’ve been a photographer for some time now. I’ve been shooting bands for almost 2 years. I love the scene down here and hope to continue to expose and help the great crop of talent we have. I also have a biannual photo show called Punx n Pix.
Penance; Self-Portrait in Quarantine, April 2020 By Jessie Lee Bledsoe
Southern California
Artist Bio: Jessie Lee Bledsoe - Trash culture, portrait, and concert photographer out of Southern California. Notably a bi-curious, balloon-animal enthusiast, and bassist of punk band Black Rails.
Untitled By Sarah Boada
Bogota, Colombia
“Our fridge stopped working during quarantine. As we were taking all the food out, and emptying it, my brother Juan, a down syndrome kid started playing inside of it. Our house dog photobombed the picture, which turned into a beautiful mistake.”
Artist Bio: Sarah Boada was born in Bogotá (Colombia) March 6th, 1999. Despite being a student, her work couldn't be more professional. She has implemented her knowledge of music to compose for films, participating in several short films that have screened internationally. Director of the animated short, In the City Of Oblivion(2018) premiered in India, Recuerdos de un Amor (2019) premiered in Ireland and Thylamine (2019) premiered in Thailand. She was later a juror for the Bogota International Film Festival. After discovering her passion for visual arts, she began using the camera for capturing candid moments in the streets. She was winner of the category Young in the ASPAwards in Italy. Recently won an honorable mention at the IPA awards in the category Street Photography.
Red Fields By Zach M Anderson
Buffalo, USA
“As someone who has lived with mental illness for many years, it's been a challenge navigating the sheer upheaval in my life due to the pandemic. Waves of anxiety keep hitting me, while a constant barrage of bad news triggers my stress, and worsens my depression. I often feel helpless, floating aimlessly like a ghost through a strange, uninhabitable world. Despite this, I've found that turning the camera lens onto myself, externalizing my internal disorders, has helped me process my problems, and in turn keep my creative juices flowing. This photograph symbolizes the sensation of feeling disconnected from yourself, from others, and your environment, in a world that's suddenly unfamiliar. This is "the new normal," and who knows if there's a chance of going back to how things were.”
Artist Bio: My name is Zach M Anderson. I'm a music/portrait photographer based in Buffalo, NY. I've been shooting bands, both local and touring, since early 2015 when I started bringing my first "real" camera––a Canon EOS Rebel T3––to my friends' gigs. Since then, I've built up a sizable portfolio, upgraded my gear, made a ton of friends in the Buffalo music scene, and formed connections with local publications (buffaBLOG, Floated Magazine) that have given me opportunities to shoot bigger shows. Since the pandemic has halted the momentum of my photo career, I've been using this time to reflect inward, focusing my creative energies on more artful self-portraiture work.
Life in Quarantine By Amy Turriff
Glasgow, Scotland
“I've started reading on the floor of my bedroom during the day as the sun lands in the perfect spot. I live in a tenement flat in Glasgow, so don't have a garden to lie in outside. I was 'sunbathing' on my floor one day and noticed the light and shadows and set my camera up to capture a moment of my experience alone in quarantine.”
Artist Bio: I have been interested in photography since my early 20s and have spent a lot of time in Africa taking photographs of wildlife and in more recent years, portraits of family and friends back in the UK. I usually use my film camera but recently, due to Covid- 19 and the lack of affordable printing services available, I have ventured back into using my DSLR. Life in quarantine alone has given me the chance to learn how to enjoy my own company again and get creative to keep myself mentally stimulated. With a lack of my usual subjects, I have pushed myself out of my comfort zone and in front of the camera, experimenting with self portraits. I've fallen back in love with digital photography and its instant results and have spent many days in isolation getting lost for hours taking photos, constantly trying to push myself creatively.
Untitled By Héctor Collazos
Bogota, Colombia
“In this self-portrait what you see is the reflection of me, looking back to a trip I made two years ago”
Artist Bio: I am Héctor Collazos a photographer from Bogotá , Colombia. Im 35 years old and I own my own production company working for advertisement.
“VACÍO”, 2020 By Amelia Pinillos
Madrid, Spain
“A person who means a lot to me ceased to be present in my life in the same way as before shortly before the quarantine began. The emptiness that this caused in me, an intense pain accentuated by the solitude that accompanied me in this extreme situation is represented by that unmade bed; with no sheets and that intense red light.”
Artist Bio: Amelia Pinillos is a 21 year old Fine Arts student at the Universidad Complutense of Madrid. Photography has always been present in her life and she always tries to give a special touch to all her photographic work (sometimes resorting to collage); either with atypical still lifes made up from everyday objects or with portraits that step out of the ordinary.
My Landlord By Daleya Marohn
London, United Kingdom
“I find myself pointing the camera on my landlord with whom i share the house, even more so during the Lockdown. He is a fascinating, strong character, though we find ourself arguing a lot mostly because he always whinges about technology and millennials. It's then when i manage to capture his moody side yet so fragile.”
Artist Bio: Daleya Marohn is an Ethiopian German artist-photographer. She is based in London and works with analogue photography.
Untitled By Sarah Roberts
Brooklyn, New York
“During the pandemic, I haven't been able to travel far. Honestly, I've been walking the same street back and forth for the last 3 months to get groceries and other essentials. However, it has enabled me to really see my own neighborhood and how its reacting to these changes. This photo in particular shows two youths nonchalantly at their phones surrounded by the warnings and new protocol for existing in a public space outside of a local market. I think this image speaks to how resilient and strong our youth can be in a crisis, not allowing change to affect their daily needs for communication and connection.”
Artist Bio: Sarah Roberts (@sarah.ruthlessphoto) takes to heart the concept of the "decisive moment" through work with instant photography platforms. Whether an image is captured with a point and shoot film camera or Polaroid, Roberts takes aim at the singularity of the moment. Specifically with her Polaroid film work, she loves the instant nostalgia developed in a one of a kind frame that can be shared as it's being manifested before whoever has experienced the moment with their own eyes. Those frames are held sacred as they can only be fully enjoyed by though apart of the experience and knowing that there will never be something else captured quite like it.
Field by Jemima Yong
London, United Kingdom
“During the Covid-19 lockdown, I have been photographing the neighbourhood green from my bedroom window; witnessing how the public space is being shared, the physical impact of social distancing and the variety of activities that now take place outside. Whilst these images are being made at a very specific historical moment, I’m interested in imbuing a sense of poeticism in the imagery. What is here is not presented as fact even though everything in the image is physically there. It is a fleeting moment, a split second, black and white abstraction.
As the weeks go by, I’ve tried not to predict the changes on the green based on media reports about other public spaces or based on the communication coming from the government. Instead, I try to stay open to what I will see. In early April, I noticed a shift in the photos I was making. I became drawn to ones that also resonated with how I was feeling. This particular picture of the child and the dog is quiet and dreamlike. It speaks gently to my imagination about the feeling of freeness, a yearning for companionship and the tender hauntings of memory.”
Artist Bio: Jemima Yong is a performance maker and photographer. She is Malaysian, born in Singapore and is based in London, UK. Collaboration, experimentation and time are central to her processes. Typically she photographs artists and performance; outside of the theatre that way of seeing is projected onto performativity in everyday life. Her recent work includes Marathon with JAMS (Oxford Samuel Beckett Theatre Trust Award 2018): a performance about fiction, memory and the hysteria of crowds, and ROOM: an improvised storytelling experience that takes place in the imagination of the audience. She is a member of Documentation Action Research Collective and an associate of Forest Fringe.
Dreamlike By Nathalie Kagan
Southwest France
"Behind in the middle of the waves has a dreamlike side. Terror and ecstasy, threatening to overwhelm the dreamer." - W. Finnegan - Barbarian days
Artist Bio: Our ambiguous look creates a border between the real and the unreal. Doubt becomes part of the picture, allowing everyone to find their own perspective. Time is suspended, so is the body...Photography and surfing are not only practiced, they must be experienced.
I live in the southwest of France, I work in an art school and share my life with a surfer. In my practice of photography, I explore the way in which I filter, modify, distort, to link in order to achieve an intuitive synthesis.
