Photojournalism
Artist's Statement
By: Kylee Bernard
I chose photojournalism to convey what it is like to live through COVID-19. There were many approaches I could have taken towards this project, but I was inspired by the stunning pictures representing immigrants as ‘they want to be seen’ article linked for the class. I tried to follow a similar concept during this project with my photographs. I wouldn’t say that there is truly a ‘good’ way to portray the pandemic that is going on. Still from another perspective, I think we can learn from this. The U.S hasn’t seen anything to the severity of COVID-19 in years. Covid-19 will go down in history along with the Spanish flu of 1918 and all the other deadly diseases that killed millions worldwide. I believe the best way to learn from this epidemic is to simply to remember it. Specifically, remember through data and photographs. The first place I thought of to take pictures of was outside.
Since schools were shut down on March 14th life as we know it has changed drastically. We went from seeing our friends daily to the only contact we have with them being through electronics. We have to wear a mask every time we go outside and now we have to learn virtually. Above all, we live in constant fear of ourselves or one of our loved ones catching the virus. The reality of COVID-19 is all around us. The other day my mother and I drove around Cambridge capturing what life is like now with our cell phones. We drove all through Fresh Pond to see the lines of people that ran outside of the stores and walked by parks and fields to see them all chained off. My favorite pictures were the ones of the statues by the baseball field on Rindge Ave. Someone went outside and put masks on the statues that read: ‘hope’ and ‘serenity’. It was nice to see some positive messages considering the seriousness of what we are living through. Besides going to the grocery store and going on runs I hadn't gone out into the city, so it was eye-opening to see all that has changed. Besides the streets being mostly filled which was worrisome the fields and parks were empty which at two o’clock in the afternoon in a city is not typical. I chose to go with a black and white Polaroid theme because when I first went to take the pictures with all the blooming trees and bright colors of spring in the background it didn’t represent how I felt or how I think others feel about the circumstances. It may be beautiful outside but the world feels very dark and sad right now rather than happy and bright.
Artist's Statement
By: Lucy Taylor
As soon as this project and the options were presented I knew that I wanted to do the photo one. I took photography the first semester of this year and have really always loved taking photos. I also knew that I wanted to go to Harvard, this seemed like the perfect place that could show such a change because of Covid-19. Not only is it empty but all the stores and restaurants have interesting signs with the correct rules to follow to keep everyone safe. I really thought before driving to Harvard Square that it was going to be completely empty. I just didn't understand what people would be doing in Harvard Square. But, I soon realized more people were out then I had thought. It wasn't close to what it had been months ago but people were definitely still outside shopping. The photos I took just really show all the things in Cambridge that have changed because of Corona. Some photos show people wearing face masks. Other photos show stores and signs. The photos are just really all the things I ran into while looking around the city. I wish I had like before pictures to show the exact things that changed. I feel like before and after photos would have been cool as well, but that just was not an option because I didn't have before pictures. I’m overall happy with how the pictures turned out, they don't look the best quality because I just used an Iphone but it's a lot harder to upload pictures to drive with a camera.
Artist's Statement
By: Sayde Daniliuk
For the pandemic creative project, I used photojournalism to show my message. The pictures that I chose were families spending time together. Some were watching a movie, or playing board games. I wanted to show something you can do with your family during quarantine to keep busy. I think that spending time and doing fun things with your family is very important during this time to have some positivity.
As I was looking on social media and interviewing people, I realized that everyone's quarantine experiences are very different. For me, I have a few things I need to do throughout the day, but after those are done, I have nothing to do and get very bored. For my mom, she is working almost the whole day, she is constantly being challenged, and doesn't have that much free time. For my grandmother, she is working and has some free time, but she is also worried about her, and our family’s safety. So during the process, I learned that not everyone is very bored, like me during quarantine, but I also learned that everyone can find something positive during all of this negativity.
Artist's Statement
By: Ella Coffey
For my creative project that shows what life during a pandemic is like, I chose to create a photo journal. I love photography and I want to become better at it, so I thought, why not take this as a chance to use my new camera and portray the effects of a pandemic on my community at the same time? My vision was to take photos around my community that depicted what life is like during a quarantine . I went on a “photo walk” and basically took pictures of anything I thought connected to this confounding time we’re living in. I really like how the pictures turned out, they’re very real and raw. I then put all my pictures into a folder titled “Quarantine PhotoJournal.” I hope you enjoy my artistic vision (but if you don’t, it doesn’t really matter because that’s not the point)!
Artist's Statement
By: Kai Alm
Explanation of art: They are to show the empty space or other stuff related to the coronavirus.
Artistic process: I woke up at around 12 because the day before I had been awake playing Kerbal Space Program. I am not very artistic so I just chose to take photos of things. It seemed easy. I found my camera and decided to head outside for the first time since school shut down. The camera battery needed to charge. I waited for about an hour and a half. I then went outside to Davis Square to see what it was like. I basically just took pictures of whatever stood out to me first about the lockdown since I hadn’t been outside before. I soon realized I could not take pictures through the windows because of glare. Due to this, I came back a few hours later. This is why I have 2 different albums. I thought the photos turned out pretty well.