A Photographer’s Journey Through the Pandemic
As the clock struck midnight on December 31, 2019, I found myself amidst a sea of revelers in Portugal, the air thick with anticipation and the sky ablaze with fireworks. Little did we know, the world was on the brink of a seismic shift that would redefine our lives and my journey as a photographer.
Fast forward to mid-January, my wife and I returned to Canada, only to be struck down by an illness that bore an uncanny resemblance to the flu. It was different, though, and we couldn’t shake off the feeling. Two months later, the world was introduced to COVID-19, and we couldn’t help but wonder if we had been early guests at the virus’ debut party.
As the pandemic tightened its grip, the world around us transformed. The once bustling streets of Toronto were now eerily silent, devoid of the usual hum of life. It was surreal, like stepping into a dystopian novel. Yet, amidst this desolation, I found an opportunity to capture the city’s architecture and streets in a way I never had before. The city, stripped of its inhabitants, revealed a different kind of beauty that was both haunting and captivating.
The pandemic’s impact was far-reaching, and the photography world was not spared. The eventual lock-downs led to the cancellation of all travel plans, which were supposed to be the primary source of new photos for the year. More importantly, the photography industry was hit hard, with many photographers reporting a loss of business due to lock-downs and social distancing measures. According to some estimates, 20% of photographers were considering giving up on their business due to the impact of the pandemic. The wider commercial art scene in Canada was significantly impacted, with observers at the time predicting a 72% decline in art-dealer revenues worldwide.
Yet, every setback conceals an opportunity. The pandemic, while disruptive, forced me to view the world through a different lens – quite literally. By mid-year, I was shooting almost exclusively with vintage Minolta lenses donated by my father. This change in equipment offered a different perspective and methodology (all lenses required manual focus) for my photography. It was a different experience, even though I was shooting in the same nearby locations, and the results also differed from pre-pandemic sessions.
I also ventured into new genres of photography, particularly macro photography. This allowed me to photograph a whole new range of subjects and learn new skills without leaving my neighborhood. It was a journey of discovery, of finding beauty in the mundane and the overlooked. It was about finding a whole new world in a droplet of water or the veins of a leaf.
Finally, the pandemic provided an opportunity to work on the Ghost Acolyte brand. I expanded to new social media platforms and commissioned a new logo.
In the end, the pandemic harshly reminded us that life is a series of unexpected events, and it’s how we respond to these events that define us. As photographers, we have the unique ability to capture these moments, tell stories, and inspire others. And that’s what I intend to keep doing, pandemic or not.