[mee]

I make the most of less toilet paper.


Oh you meant photography. Yeah. Nothing has changed for me. One type of photography I value is capturing buildings and every day life settings local to me. Documenting it. Not artsy shots.


The world has enough photos of scenic lakes, mountains, and the like. Lots of pretty photos of aspiring models. Birds, trees, bugs, flowers, cats. But who is capturing how we lived?


50-100 years from now when everyone on the planet has forgotten I even once existed here, the photos I took from back then (now and earlier) could possibly live on to tell stories of what it was like. Especially in places not commonly recorded, at least not in detail (my small region) that I can provide with a 'high' resolution camera.


So I think the currently boring shots of department store parking lots, corner gas stations, grocery stores, and neighborhoods will gain interest by a few as time continues. Especially when they are being built or renovated. At least to the history minded.

[5ks]

By necessity the lack of travel opportunities has made me explore my local area more.

Me too! No holiday traveling abroad with > 2000 pics per week, but instead, simple day or weekend trips walking in the nearby domestic nature (often 100 - 200 pics per day).

But still the biggest change for me was getting (a used copy of) K-1 in March 2020. That sure had a greater impact on my photography than the pandemic. What I mean is the adventure of learning how to benefit from the full form sensor (shallower DOF) and improved overall image quality compared to my older bodies, K-3 and K-5. Nto to say, those APS-C bodies are bad - on the contrary, they're great as well for their purpose. A couple of new lenses, too, but even here, more joy of getting the most out of the FF lenses I already had (e.g. FA 2/35, F2.8/135 and Tamron 2.8/90 macro).

But sure I wish to get rid of the pandemic - not only for photography reasons but others too.

[barondla]

Shooting hasn't changed much at all. I mostly do wildlife, landscapes, still life, and macros. I live in the woods so wildlife is covered. The state always allowed going out into nature so that was fine. Still life shots are everywhere, just like macro.

The only thing covid did to disrupt life was cause me to work many more hours at work, wear a mask, use drive thru lanes at restaurants. Oh, and to "invest" all the extra money into a Pentax digital medium format system.

Others have had it much, much worse.

Thanks,
barondla

[leekil]

For those that were active with their photography last year, what did you learn from it? How has it changed (has it changed?) your approach to photography? What subjects draw your gaze more often? What inspires you?I am more drawn towards capturing everyday images of life right now. Parents with their kids, young couples, quiet happy moments. I am more aware of the sacrifices others have been making to keep the rest of us going.

My normal subject matter is everyday life, people who are around me, but isolating during the pandemic takes me completely out of my regular environment. I have ended up walking in a wooded park near my house, and I am photographing people at a distance, and more nature images.

[3by2]

No real change for me. Most of my pictures are taken when I head out the door for a walk, just a change in light can make something familiar look different. I am looking forward to doing some days and wknds away again now though.

[Wasp]

The pandemic has affected my photography in a very profound way. I used to do street photography in Johannesburg CBD, where my office was. This one was taken on March 16, 2020 - the last one that I considered worthy of editing and uploading to Flickr. There might be one or two more but it's unlikely.





These days I work from home and have to amuse myself with find other subjects.






On occasion these two will do something worthy of recording, but for the most part they do their own thing.




---------- Post added 2021-05-18 at 20:42 ----------

One of my better efforts of the past year. Taken on April 11, 2020 when we were in full lockdown - very uncertain times...

[shyrsio]

I have been photographing my cat and my partner mostly, in that order. even though the pictures are quite beautiful to me, they are not pictures I feel are worth sharing. so my photography during that period has gotten pretty much personal.

[Lord Lucan]

.
I have been photographing landscape (as I normally prefer) but in the same small walking area around me. It is amazing how the same place can look so different throughthe seasons.

[RobA_Oz]

.
I have been photographing landscape (as I normally prefer) but in the same small walking area around me. It is amazing how the same place can look so different throughthe seasons.

I remember advice from a column in ‘Amateur Photographer’ in the 1960s entitled “Exploit Your Spot” which was expressing much the same sentiment.

I’ve been working on a multi-year project photographing the mountain behind our city, from all viewpoints and encompassing all aspects of its seasons, geography and life-forms. Our (thankfully short) COVID lockdown helped me get back into the project, and the lack of interstate travel (in the first instance) and international travel (up to now and the immediate future) has allowed me the time to do so.

[robgski]

It is amazing how the same place can look so different through the seasons.

I'd say that is the biggest change, I was able to go to the same familiar places many times in a week or a month, and it allowed me to plan out some images for the right time of day and the right angle, as well as be surprised at details I'd never noticed before.

[house]

Undoubtedly if you want your photographs to be meaningful to other people the best thing you can do is photograph the things you know. Sites of special interest are generally well covered and you are unlikely to be an expert in them. You are however an expert of you own surroundings and life so you are well placed to photograph them.

[bdery]

I work for Santa Cruz County in California.

We were supposed to visit your area last summer, then this summer... Hoping to visit NEXT summer!

[reh321]

Our senior cat {age 16-1/2} died in January 2020 - then much to our surprise we added a 4-month-old kitten around the end of the month.

So, when the lockdown began, we were in the midst of her discovering our house - and that has continued to provide me with new opportunities until this day {she continually thinks of things that no cat before her has thought of trying}.

added:In February last year, for example, she still fit on the keyboard shelf of my computer

[Wasp]

I have checked my archives. The picture of the shiny scooter was indeed the very last one I took on the streets of Johannesburg before the pandemic changes the world. Things were already different - hand sanitizer stations were starting to appear but masks were not a thing yet.

Here is another from that fateful day that turned out to be the last time I went to Johannesburg.

[Michail_P]

I was cameraless in 2020, and for a few years before that. If I had a decent camera last year, I am not certain if I could have put it to good use. Things were rough...really rough, but hey, you all know it.

For me, March 2020 started off with a bang. I caught the edge of a concrete stair, and fell 8', landing on the right side of my face, and on both knees. I broke more than a few bones with that landing. Needless to say, my attention for the rest of March 2020 was not on the pandemic.

For those that were active with their photography last year, what did you learn from it? How has it changed (has it changed?) your approach to photography? What subjects draw your gaze more often? What inspires you?

I am more drawn towards capturing everyday images of life right now. Parents with their kids, young couples, quiet happy moments. I am more aware of the sacrifices others have been making to keep the rest of us going. Too many paid the ultimate cost here.

The bottom line for me is I am looking for ways to capture the humanity of things. To look for less visually exciting scenes that have deeper meaning. To capture hope, resolve, resilience, fatigue... competence, and a lot more.

That is my contribution to this thread. What would the rest of you like to add?

Really important and interesting question... Firstly, I wish 2021 finds you better, all of us. For me , 2020 wasn’t that great too... we also had a loss in the family. The first months of the new year became a recovery period. Photography has been a great therapy for me, ever since I started it, so I tried to shoot more, be less picky about themes, experiment more with my camera... I’ve been shooting more everyday stuff and as you very successfully mentioned, pay attention to the inner beauty of it. The sad circumstances have a unique nature and offer a n once in a lifetime documenting opportunity , as this is the only (hopefully) pandemic of our generation. I thought I should start such a project, revolving around my social circle... Now, unfortunately, the virus has knocked the family door and we are in containment. So I’ll have a chance for inner exploration and a short time , daily photo set.
The most important thing, photo-wise is that I spend more time with my K-70 and really learning how to master its function set. I also get to practice my processing skills a lot, there’s a bunch of raws that need work...
Next step as a Cov-end gift is a new lens. I’ll worry about it later......