Pandemic + 6

An indelible day
London, ON
March 2020
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Six years ago today, the World Health Organization declared a global pandemic, and in an instant, COVID went from a once-obscure virus that had been fuelling increasingly alarming headlines to a generation-defining event whose impact continues to be felt today.

I recall being at the office when the news broke, surrounded by confused colleagues rushing around and wondering what might happen next. Before long, a company-wide email went out and we were being sent home - officially for the next two weeks until this would all hopefully be over.

Well, we know what happened next. And as I loaded my bike down with everything I could and pointed for home, I thought about how quickly the world had just changed. I pedalled under cold grey skies along the flooded, angry river, and decided I didn’t want to forget what this day felt like. So I hit pause on a nearby bridge and took in the scene.

I remember how I felt as I took this photo, that for a fleeting moment I was able to withdraw into composition, shutter speeds, and f-stops and ignore the chaos spiralling around us. Photography had always been something of an escape, but on a cold morning on an empty bridge, it became starkly obvious just how much this medium now meant to me.

I spent much of the subsequent months of lockdown taking silly pictures like this one, and ended up with a wildly diverse record of an extraordinary moment in history that defied - and still defies - explanation.

I guess we all revert to the things that bring us comfort. I guess we all need anchors in the inevitable storm. #ldnont #london #ontario #canada #throwback #gutter #ice #abstract #stilllife #photography #google #pixel