Archiver
Veteran
Please feel free to post your images taken during the pandemic of 2020-2021, along with the stories of each image. I'm confident that all of us are avid documentarians, and captured much of what happened in our areas.
The first reported case of coronavirus in Australia was in Melbourne, on January 25, 2020. News reports had begun to spread about a new virus that originated in China, and none of us were prepared for what was to come.
Only a week later, Melbourne celebrated Lunar New Year with its traditional parade. On the first of February, one day before the parade, the Australian government did not allow mainland Chinese who were not citizens or residents to enter Australia.
M9 - Flags 2020 by Archiver, on Flickr
My Mum asked me whether it was wise to go out, even at such an early stage. But out I went, and captured what would be the last Chinese New Year parade for a while.
M9 - We Are Ready by Archiver, on Flickr
The Lion Dance teams in Melbourne come from about four or five 'schools', including the Dai Loong group, the Chinese Masonic Society, Hung Gar Yau Shu, the Chinse Youth Society of Melbourne, and I think one other. In the image above is an Australian fellow who lives in Bendigo, who has been involved with lion dancing for many years, mentoring young people who join the group. There weren't as many people out to see the parade as usual, but there was a decent turn out.
In March, there was a rapid escalation of cancellations and countermeasures. All sporting events were cancelled, including the upcoming football season. A state of national emergency was declared, and we were given 'stay at home' orders. Everyone remembers the panic buying of toilet rolls, baby formula and baking supplies. It's funny that I shot this on March 15 2020, and uploaded it on March 11 2025, almost exactly five years on.
M9 - The Empty Expanse by Archiver, on Flickr
More to come.
The first reported case of coronavirus in Australia was in Melbourne, on January 25, 2020. News reports had begun to spread about a new virus that originated in China, and none of us were prepared for what was to come.
Only a week later, Melbourne celebrated Lunar New Year with its traditional parade. On the first of February, one day before the parade, the Australian government did not allow mainland Chinese who were not citizens or residents to enter Australia.
M9 - Flags 2020 by Archiver, on FlickrMy Mum asked me whether it was wise to go out, even at such an early stage. But out I went, and captured what would be the last Chinese New Year parade for a while.
M9 - We Are Ready by Archiver, on FlickrThe Lion Dance teams in Melbourne come from about four or five 'schools', including the Dai Loong group, the Chinese Masonic Society, Hung Gar Yau Shu, the Chinse Youth Society of Melbourne, and I think one other. In the image above is an Australian fellow who lives in Bendigo, who has been involved with lion dancing for many years, mentoring young people who join the group. There weren't as many people out to see the parade as usual, but there was a decent turn out.
In March, there was a rapid escalation of cancellations and countermeasures. All sporting events were cancelled, including the upcoming football season. A state of national emergency was declared, and we were given 'stay at home' orders. Everyone remembers the panic buying of toilet rolls, baby formula and baking supplies. It's funny that I shot this on March 15 2020, and uploaded it on March 11 2025, almost exactly five years on.
M9 - The Empty Expanse by Archiver, on FlickrMore to come.
lynnb
Veteran
Keep them coming! So many memories of this time..
In Sydney the lockdown allowed leaving the house for the purpose of exercising. Masks were mandatory. Sitting was not permitted, and benches at the beach and parks were taped off. No groups allowed and social distancing was enforced. Uniformed police patrolled beaches and parks, stopping and questioning anyone who didn’t appear to be following the rules.
Dee Why beach, Sydney, spring 2021
Leica CL Voigtlander 35mm / F 2.0 Ultron Aspherical Vintage Line
Ilford Pan F 50 in Ilfotec HC 1+31
Council rangers also got in on the act, ensuring lockdown rules were strictly enforced in public spaces
New World #222
A Council COVID compliance inspector on patrol at Dee Why beach, winter 2021.
Camera: Nikon F
Lens: Nikkor 50mm f/2 (9 blade aperture)
Film: Ilford HP5+
Developer: Ilfotec HC dilution 1+31
Scan: Epson V700
Beaches were closed. It seemed like bureaucratic overreach to suggest that COVID-19 could be caught from an onshore sea breeze off the Pacific ocean. Authorities didn’t want people congregating and infecting each other in the fresh ocean air.
COVID days. Shelly beach and Manly beach, Sydney #627. Uploaded 09Aug2021.
Rollei 35S Sonnar 40mm f/2.8
HP5+ in Ilfotec HC 1+31
Yellow filter
In Sydney the lockdown allowed leaving the house for the purpose of exercising. Masks were mandatory. Sitting was not permitted, and benches at the beach and parks were taped off. No groups allowed and social distancing was enforced. Uniformed police patrolled beaches and parks, stopping and questioning anyone who didn’t appear to be following the rules.
Dee Why beach, Sydney, spring 2021
Leica CL Voigtlander 35mm / F 2.0 Ultron Aspherical Vintage Line
Ilford Pan F 50 in Ilfotec HC 1+31
Council rangers also got in on the act, ensuring lockdown rules were strictly enforced in public spaces
New World #222
A Council COVID compliance inspector on patrol at Dee Why beach, winter 2021.
Camera: Nikon F
Lens: Nikkor 50mm f/2 (9 blade aperture)
Film: Ilford HP5+
Developer: Ilfotec HC dilution 1+31
Scan: Epson V700
Beaches were closed. It seemed like bureaucratic overreach to suggest that COVID-19 could be caught from an onshore sea breeze off the Pacific ocean. Authorities didn’t want people congregating and infecting each other in the fresh ocean air.
COVID days. Shelly beach and Manly beach, Sydney #627. Uploaded 09Aug2021.
Rollei 35S Sonnar 40mm f/2.8
HP5+ in Ilfotec HC 1+31
Yellow filter
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lynnb
Veteran
Even the seagulls practiced social distancing. Families (immediate family residing in the same household) were allowed out together. North Steyne beach, Sydney, winter 2021. #615 uploaded 08Aug2021
Rollei 35S Sonnar 40mm f/2.8
HP5+ in Ilfotec HC 1+31
Yellow filter
Rollei 35S Sonnar 40mm f/2.8
HP5+ in Ilfotec HC 1+31
Yellow filter
Archiver
Veteran
@lynnb How incredibly cool that you captured that time on film!
As the pandemic progressed (as one might call it), I felt it important to gather some footage of the empty streets in the early part of lockdown. I drove to Docklands in the city, armed with my Panasonic GX85 and Leica M9. Paranoia had begun to set in, and I shot footage of much of the area, along with images of the emptiness. As I stood by the water, a lone jogger swept by, coughing and sniffing. Immediately and irrationally fearful, I stepped back, and thought better of this whole venture. Legged it back to the car and off I went, but not before taking a photo of the coughing jogger taking his disease into the distance.
M9 - The Bare Expanse by Archiver, on Flickr
Leica M9
Leica Elmarit-M 28mm f2.8 asph
Docklands, Melbourne
As the pandemic progressed (as one might call it), I felt it important to gather some footage of the empty streets in the early part of lockdown. I drove to Docklands in the city, armed with my Panasonic GX85 and Leica M9. Paranoia had begun to set in, and I shot footage of much of the area, along with images of the emptiness. As I stood by the water, a lone jogger swept by, coughing and sniffing. Immediately and irrationally fearful, I stepped back, and thought better of this whole venture. Legged it back to the car and off I went, but not before taking a photo of the coughing jogger taking his disease into the distance.
M9 - The Bare Expanse by Archiver, on FlickrLeica M9
Leica Elmarit-M 28mm f2.8 asph
Docklands, Melbourne
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Harry the K
Well-known
October ´21: On the ferry from Patras/Greece to Venice/Italy.
Doesn´t look like a pandemic, does it?
I was going back from a bike travel in the Peloponnese. They would not even let me buy a ferry ticket without proof of vaccination.
Doesn´t look like a pandemic, does it?
I was going back from a bike travel in the Peloponnese. They would not even let me buy a ferry ticket without proof of vaccination.
Archiver
Veteran
@Harry the K Exactly the kind of context/story that makes this a pandemic photo! Thank you 🙏
Harry the K
Well-known
In March, there was a rapid escalation of cancellations and countermeasures. All sporting events were cancelled, including the upcoming football season. A state of national emergency was declared, and we were given 'stay at home' orders. Everyone remembers the panic buying of toilet rolls, baby formula and baking supplies. It's funny that I shot this on March 15 2020, and uploaded it on March 11 2025, almost exactly five years on.
This, the hoarding of toilet rolls, caused me the biggest worries. In case of a "real" big desaster there would be no solidarity among us, no mutual help, but only brutal egoism, I thought (and still think).
Dogman
Veteran
Stores closed. Some never reopened.
We had a storm. Insult to injury.
We changed shopping habits. Buying liquor online and picking up in the parking lot with mobile scanning of IDs.
When we did go inside stores, everyone covered up...kinda.
Then the vaccines began. It was sometimes a long wait to get them. We received the shots at drive-thru locations such as sports stadium parking lots.
And, while the vaccines proved to save lives, some proclaimed them to be dangerous, deadly and unnecessary. This particular vaccine giver ridiculed those negative remarks with a sinister look as she gave me my first shot.
Eventually the crisis ended. People were finally able to mingle again. We could finally go out to a restaurant.
But some--many--did not survive.
..........................................
We had a storm. Insult to injury.
We changed shopping habits. Buying liquor online and picking up in the parking lot with mobile scanning of IDs.
When we did go inside stores, everyone covered up...kinda.
Then the vaccines began. It was sometimes a long wait to get them. We received the shots at drive-thru locations such as sports stadium parking lots.
And, while the vaccines proved to save lives, some proclaimed them to be dangerous, deadly and unnecessary. This particular vaccine giver ridiculed those negative remarks with a sinister look as she gave me my first shot.
Eventually the crisis ended. People were finally able to mingle again. We could finally go out to a restaurant.
But some--many--did not survive.
..........................................
mapgraphs
Established
JeffS7444
Well-known
One of my fonder memories of the era was in the earlier part of the lockdown, when there seemed to be more of a "In this together" spirit, and you'd see YT videos of opera singers giving performances off their balconies, and the Berlin Philharmonic's streaming video service was free for a time.
JeffS7444
Well-known
And the skies were amazingly blue.
JeffS7444
Well-known
For some, house plants became a big thing.
JeffS7444
Well-known
But yes, there were queues outside of stores, and toilet tissue, pasta sauce, bread yeast and beans were sometimes nowhere to be found.
JeffS7444
Well-known
Some areas were closed to automobile traffic, which I kind of liked. Some of the outdoor seating remains, though.
JeffS7444
Well-known
For a time, warm and fuzzy vibes were in demand.
dourbalistar
Buy more film
Bereft of normal photographic opportunities, I turned to photo experiments that I could try while sheltering in place. Here an unironic subject, using some inexpensive close-up filters that I bought from the classifieds of another forum. The shipping cost more than the set of close-up filters.
Nikon FM2n, AI Nikkor 50mm f/1.8S, Hoya Close-Up +4, Ultrafine eXtreme 400, developed in LegacyPro L110 at 1:31 for 5.5 minutes.
2020.04.15 Roll #242-04622-positive.jpg by dourbalistar, on Flickr
Nikon FM2n, AI Nikkor 50mm f/1.8S, Hoya Close-Up +4, Ultrafine eXtreme 400, developed in LegacyPro L110 at 1:31 for 5.5 minutes.
2020.04.15 Roll #242-04622-positive.jpg by dourbalistar, on Flickr
Retro-Grouch
Veteran
I think we would see both the solidarity and the brutal egoism. We humans are capable of such beauty and such ugliness!
Harry the K
Well-known
Working on infected pushbikes also was difficult.
agentlossing
Well-known
These are fantastic, especially the portrait/close-up people shots!
dourbalistar
Buy more film
Looks like you have the appropriate headset for working on the headset. 😂