Lockdown Polaroids
Christopher and his wife Liz spent “Lockdown” in Dubai. At the peak period, they spent almost 3 weeks in their Villa, only being able to leave with a Police permit. These were only issued for supermarket visits every 3 days, or for urgent medical visits.
This was an intensely productive period. Christopher spent hours in the darkroom printing work from “Crazy Street” and “So, what do Kiwi’s eat for breakfast” for later exhibition.
He also created two bodies of work in response to the pandemic.
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Do you have a lockdown routine? Liz and I start each morning sitting on the front porch looking out across our little garden. Flies, phones, and Facbook are the byline to our experience. -
Lockdown continues and dog walking is now banned. “Black dog” sits patiently at the front door dreaming of a 15 minute walk around the block. I’ve now run out of Polaroid Spectra film and have taken the last 3 packs of Fuji FP100C instant film out of the freezer. I’d forgotten how good this stuff is! -
Does Lockdown = slowdown for you? It does for us. Lots of coffee, reading & reflecting time… Shot on my last pack of Spectra film left, and my father’s Polaroid camera. When this runs out I’m going to have to think of another way to carry on with this project. -
Do you find yourself curling up on your favourite place on the sofa during lockdown? Kicking back & watching mindless TV? Glaring at people who disturb you with a camera? Our cat Mia does. -
So, we are in lockdown. I have 1 pack of Polaroid Spectra film left, and my father’s camera. In this shot Liz is editing a Polaroid related article for SilvergrainClassics magazine. -
What does lockdown really feel like? Moments of activity interspersed with periods of sitting down not really doing much? That certainly seems to be the case in our household. -
So, we are in lockdown. And lets not forget that this affects animals as well as humans. “Black dog”, who is literally the dog with no name, contemplates another day inside… -
So, life goes on despite being locked down. My wife Liz has always enjoyed pottering around in the garden. And despite the global spread of a virus, plants need watering, gardens weeding and it is our limited opportunity to be out in the sun. -
We all understand that there are very good reasons for lockdown. But equally, we all feel a twinge of regret over things that we have lost. I may not have the best bike in the world, but I really miss cycling around the neighbourhood a couple of times a week. Taken on a Mamiya RB67 with some of my last packs of Fuji FP100C instant film. -
Is the key to “Lockdown” security? Not distance from the virus, but a mental state of serentity and well being? -
Are you bored yet? My wife Liz is. She says that she is sick of being on the sofa, wants to get her hair done, and wants to go out! The novelty of binge watching Netflix is over. More Polaroid Spectra images from our Lockdown Bubble -
Because, we all need a friend in these uncertain times. Lockdown Teddy and Mia the cat enjoy each others company in the late afternoon sun. -
Have you been overeating of late? The kitchen has become the centre of our existance. And our waistlines are proof that this is true. More Polaroid Spectra images from our Lockdown Bubble thanks to Poras (@bakedwithlight) who found a supply of Spectra instant film that was so cleverly hidden that it was nearly a retail secret!
Lockdown Polaroids
One of the byproducts of Lockdown was a disconnection from family. Tools like Skype and Zoom became the only way to stay connected.
It just seemed appropriate to use my Father’s Spectra Polaroid camera to capture the experience. I used the last of the film (Polaroid have discontinued this film type), and then I used the last of the Fuji FP100C on my Mamiya. It wasn’t as though the end of the world was coming, but this did seem to match a huge change in the world.
I wanted to capture the mundane aspects of lockdown in both images and in the text which was written at the time.
Six of these images were selected for display in Silvergrain Classic’s Docupan exhibition (see https://silvergrainclassics.com/en/2020/05/the-docupan-project/).