Global supply chain crunch. A visual.

Where the shelves are empty
London, ON
November 2022
This photo originally shared on Instagram

One day far in the future, I want to imagine that we’ll look back at this chapter in history and wish we had done more to remember it.

I’m a big believer in visual histories, of using technology to capture imagery that tells the story of a given point in time. To me, photography is one of the most powerful ways of taking us back to a moment that mattered to us.

Now, an empty shelf in a non-descript grocery story may not represent anyone’s definition of powerful. But here’s the thing: for as long as I’ve been going to these places, I’ve never encountered emptiness to the degree that I’ve witnessed since the first lockdowns in 2020.

Indeed, the global supply chain crunch means every trip to the store is an adventure in navigating empty shelves and figuring what substitutions may or may not be feasible. Easy? Not anymore.

Which is why this scene speaks to me. It is of its time. This time. And it serves as a signature of a chapter in history we’re now living through.

And long after it’s over, I hope I’ll be able to look back at photos like this one and feel what all this was like. And maybe puts it all into perspective, because we’re lucky enough to live in a place and lead a life where this is often our biggest daily worry.

Which begs the next question: what other visual signatures of the pandemic should we be capturing? Please do tell…

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