COVID London - Charles Ashton ARPS
COVID London Charles Ashton ARPS In March the COVID-19 crisis was building. I suspected the lockdown was coming and headed to London to document what turned out to be the last day before life dramatically changed. I found a city with tension in the air. Some people were wearing masks, some were dashing around making efforts to keep their distance. Others continued pretty much as usual. It was a sunny Monday and, clearly, there were far fewer people around than usual, driven by apprehension rather than guidance. I arrived in Paddington, took the Underground to Aldgate East, walked up Brick Lane and then to St Paul’s before crossing the Millennium Bridge to the Tate. I chose these locations as they are my usual haunts for street photography, and I have images of the same locations in normal times for comparison. I chose monochrome as I felt it represented the mood of the day and suited the strong lighting conditions with lots of contrast and shadows. I aimed to give the viewer a street level view that captured the edgy atmosphere of the day.
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