Culture
Inspiration During Isolation: Photography Tips in Quarantine
April 27, 2020 @ 2:54pm
Like most people, I find myself with way too much time on my hands in the wake of avoiding Covid-19. One of the first things I, and many other photographers, thought of when social distancing was announced was, “How am I supposed to create if I’m stuck inside?” After taking some time to think about this, I came up with three A’s for creatives stuck at home:
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Archives: Work on old photos or videos that you’ve already taken.
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Avoidance: Figure out how to go out and create new content without exposing yourself to others.
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At home: Find ways to make creative work while staying indoors.
While looking for inspiration from others, I noticed these three trends represented how photographers and videographers were creating new content on their own social media accounts. I’ve shared some of my favorites below. Enjoy, and if you have found any others, please send them to me on Twitter or Instagram @joe_tographer or email them to me at [email protected].
Archives
One way to produce content is to go back and reedit or critique old photos. Zack Lewkowicz has been revisiting his old photos year by year on his Instagram.
View this post on Instagram
Photos by Zack Lewkowicz (IG: @zackowicz).
Another way to use your archives is to try something new: Reece Predmore has taken advantage of time in quarantine to learn how to edit videos using old footage.
Video by Reece Predmore.
Shameless self-plug: Since I’m unable able to go out and shoot as often, I decided to look back at my old photos from when I lived in Rome. The images made me feel nostalgic and I started to notice a theme, so I decided to put them together into a new photobook. Check out more details on this project here.
Photobook by Joe Jasper.
Avoidance
Want to get out to shoot but want to stay safe? Angela Pan shows us how by shooting from her car.
Photos by Angela Pan.
Chances are, even if you are following all of the guidelines, you still need to get out – whether to get supplies or some fresh air. But being safe doesn’t mean you have to leave your creativity at home. When you’re grabbing your mask and your gloves, grab your camera, too.
Photo by Reece Predmore (IG: @reece.o).
Although we all wish otherwise, this pandemic is an important part of modern history, and we need to capture what life is like during this time.
Photos by Chris Jimenez.
View this post on Instagram
Video by Abdullah Konte (IG: dullahvision).
For all the portrait photographers out there, use whoever you have as your models: yourself, your pets or your family.
Finally, not all subjects have to be right there in front of you. Recently, Street Meet DC (@streetmeetdc) helped host a virtual street meet with several different models and environments available for capture. In this day and age, the Internet is available as a new canvas for artists, whether it be virtual meetups like this or using video games as your landscapes. Don’t be afraid to look deeper than just the physical tools you have.
Photo by Kim Rendon (IG: @rendonstudio).
For more photography inspiration from Joe Jasper, visit www.joejasperphoto.com.
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