Thoughts on Sheltering IN

[Greg Maslak]

i got laid off starting this monday...i want to head downtown and photograph the near empty streets while it's still legal to do so...but i feel kinda selfish going outside...undecided so far...

Sorry to hear about your layoff. I hope UI and finances are OK and both you, and our world return to normal with good health.

As for going out to photograph, I feel the same misgivings and have decided to stay very close to home and isolated. Now, here in the Kootenays, I have the advantage of being rural and away from people, but if I was in a city, I think I would stay away even if just to be respectful of others and solidly behind the "community" effort.

In the meantime, my son and I have taken to re-editing old files and scanning old slides to make new digital "prints". We've even found some of my mom's pictures from NYC circa 1948. We have a plan to build a makeshift lightbox studio and make some Peter McKinnon style product shots. I'm sure you can come up with ideas for some stay at home activities.

Having said all that, I still must leave home today to retrieve our last child coming home from a university. She was a residence advisor and late getting away. I'm meeting her 3hrs away at the only regional airport with incoming flights today. So, even the best efforts are broken. Still. do everything you can to isolate. Stay safe. Be sensible. Be kind.

 

[Brad Bireley]

I'm basically doing what I normally do because I work at home. Except no work because I can't get parts! Watching quite a few youtube videos! So I went out this morning & created a few photographs in the Asaph Wild Area of Tioga County, PA.

 

[David Hughes]

We've extended spring cleaning "for the duration" and have found a lot of things we'd forgotten and have a mountain of stuff to take to the charity shops once we are allowed out.


The old car brochures must be worth a bit...


Regards, David

 

[CharlesDAMorgan]

I've added a diet to my list of things. Nothing serious, but if I'm only going out once a day for exercise (no hardship in the current sunshine) and somewhat bored, better to fight the temptation to stuff myself.

Precisely 100kg this morning!

 

[Yokosuka Mike]

Here we go!

I’d rather die with scotch on my breath
Than live with the thought that
I had to many restrictions and regrets
I’ll probably leave this world in a mess
Whilst I slip away in a dark dirty place
But what’s the point of being too proud
When the rest of the boys died singing…
To loud
And yet to the moment of this despicable
Virus, named after a beer not even,
Her highness
Well, all I can say after all is said, is
Nothing is lost if all are not dead
And, just because I ramble and rattle with
Not so poetic brittle and prattle
At some point it comes to an end
Let us all hope that just for a moment we’ll
All be the light at the end of the tunnel
I’ll drink to that!
The beginning to the end. If we’re not,
very careful

All the best,
Mike

 

[AlexBG]

I'm on furlough pay as my job is in hospitality which is closed in the UK, managed to get three months off paying the mortgage so actaully better off than when I'm working. 2 kids to home school, weather is good so they are in the garden playing, as soon as the weather turns poor again they'll catch up. Want this to be their best ever summer.

We're very slowly painting inside and out as well as summerising the garden, e-learning, dog walks and bike rides. 90% sure we all had the virus a few weeks ago but following all guidelines and shopping once a week at 6am when the local tescos opens.

Made our conservatory into a home gym just before all of this as the wide is doing her personal trainer course, managed to get a full set up before everywhere sold out.

 

[airfrogusmc]

Photographed my last job on March 11 and I have no idea of when I will be working again. Have some money put away for a slow down but never anticipated a full stop. But health is always the most important thing.

I've been going back through years of raw files that I never processed. What I am finding is I did miss a few during the first time processing but not as much as I thought.

Hang in everyone and stay safe and healthy.

 

[Timmyjoe]

My wife is an ER doc, with PPE running low. Covered my last coronavirus story and hung up the cameras a couple weeks ago and wed myself to the sewing machine (brings back the Muppet days). If anyone is interested in making masks, for your local hospital, or for yourself, family, and friends, I've posted a PDF on How-To below:

Mask Making PDF

Stay Safe Everyone.

Best,
-Tim

 

[Joao]

Two poems

Two poems

I’ve been reading a lot . And found two very actual poems written in the last century
http://cavafis.compupress.gr/kave_58.htm
and a more optimistic view
https://www.oshonews.com/2020/03/19/poem-kathleen-omeara/
Hope you like them
Regards
João

 

[BillBingham2]

My wife is an ER doc, with PPE running low. Covered my last coronavirus story and hung up the cameras a couple weeks ago and wed myself to the sewing machine (brings back the Muppet days). If anyone is interested in making masks, for your local hospital, or for yourself, family, and friends, I've posted a PDF on How-To below:

Mask Making PDF

Stay Safe Everyone.

Best,
-Tim

Thanks for the link Tim. We are packing up here and moving, closing on our house Tuesday, and working in the financial industry (essential but NO WHERE near as dangerous as many).

Please pass along a big thank you to your wife and co-workers. I'm hoping that this wake-up call to the future starts our business thinking about BCP vs short term profitability (and even long term profitability frankly).

I'm hoping that production of masks will ramp up enough that we can get them too. While they are not perfect, it would not hurt.

Please stay safe, healthy and thanks again.

B2 (;->

 

[jsrockit]

I have a newborn (from 3 weeks ago) so that takes a lot of my time. I'm generally a color photographer, but I had a lot of B&W photography (post-processing) that I was neglecting. I've taken the time to learn how to post process B&W better and to work on that backlog since I was semi up-to-date with my color photos. It's been good, but I miss being out there photographing. I've done some still life too. Other than that... a lot of internet.

 

[Yokosuka Mike]

Bird Brains

The magpie and the myna bird
Drinking water with each other
So much time yet so few words
They sure winked at one another

Eying each other for some time
Bird brains all a fire
Neither could recite nor concoct a rhyme
Seems they lacked enough desire

What to do with such untalkative friends
Filled with silence and consternation
No one knows the answer to the end
Because,
Nothing works without communication

Mike

 

[Yokosuka Mike]

Would we know

Would we know
When the day had come
When the particles no longer,
Collided
When the sea wind stopped
And all should be forgot
Would we know
When that day arrived

Would we know
That the chase to be the best
Was as meaningless as
The trophy
When time stood still
Despite our will
Would we know
When that day arrived

Would we know
Where the exits are located
And stay close by just in case
Be prepared to jump
Or man the pumps
Questions to ponder before we try
Would we know
When that day arrived

Mike

 

[twvancamp]

Interesting article on street photographers making the most of quarantine: https://thenextweb.com/corona/2020/03/31/street-photography-games-coronavirus/

And some of the photos are pretty great!

 

[Bike Tourist]

The Truth

The Truth

My daughter told me this yesterday:

You and Mom shouldn't have as much trouble as some adjusting to the "shelter in place at home" rules since that's what you normally do anyway.

I couldn't argue with that!

 

[Dogman]

My wife and I have said the same thing about ourselves. We've only been out to buy groceries and prescriptions...but that's what we normally do anyway. Of course I get out and walk around the neighborhood with my cameras but lately even that has become short lived.

 

[Dogman]

I've gotten back into reading fiction. Something I love to do but for the last few months I've been negligent. I've belatedly discovered Gabriel Garcia Marquez and I'm intrigued by his books as well as the magical realism genre. So I've been spending some quality time with the Kindle and paperbacks.

The wife and I also enjoy streaming British TV detective series episodes. We've really gotten into several of them.

It's increasingly becoming difficult to find anything that grabs my interest photographically. I still get out with my cameras but more often than not I come back with nothing. Maybe this is a time to just give it a rest for a while.

 

[Bike Tourist]

Yep, Dogman, groceries and prescriptions. I alternate walking one day with cycling the next. People seem more friendly these days and more willing to exchange greetings . . . at a distance, of course.

 

[zuiko85]

I live close to Olympia, capitol of Washington state, and downtown the streets are deserted. Very easy to avoid contact with the few folks out walking. Getting ready to bring a tripod and home made 4x5 and shoot some paper negatives.
Something to do that does not require a whole load of fancy or expensive equipment.

 

[icebear]

Yep, Dogman, groceries and prescriptions. I alternate walking one day with cycling the next. People seem more friendly these days and more willing to exchange greetings . . . at a distance, of course.

YES ^^^
If the crisis due to the Corona virus pandemic as bad as it is for all the people who suffer and potentially die and their loved ones, for our population, I guess in each country around the globe, there is some positive effect. Until a couple of weeks ago the vast majority of people was self centered and only caring about themselves. People passing each other staring ahead not noticing anybody.
Suddenly we are all in the same boat. Unvoluntarily but pretty much everyone has to face the same issue in daily life. And ... in general people react more friendly and wish "stay healthy" to strangers and they actually mean it. Of course you have one or the other jerk fighting about toilet paper and shouting or worse at the cashier when they are only allowed to get one pack but these are not the majority. Tough time bring out the best and worst. Luckily the latter seems to be the minority.
Along these lines... stay healthy everbody!