Mick Yates ARPS

Coronavirus UK

The project combines a photograph taken daily during the Covid-19 crisis - either at home from the studio or during some personal exercise locally - with a news headline from that same morning. There is discordancy and often paradox between the headline and the photograph.

Throughout lockdown, nature was always there, oblivious to our human, existential issues. Yet every day, nature was different, hour by hour. The light and the weather tell part of the story, as the daily photography reflected the routine of months of home-lockdown.

There are 120 photographs, starting on March 16th when social distancing was imposed with the last from July 13th as the UK started opening up again.

At the beginning of the pandemic, headlines had similarity. But, as time passed, partisan politics arose, particularly after the Dominic Cummings episode which affected public trust.

On some occasions, I took photographs with a morning headline in mind. On others, I let my daily walk drive the photograph, a flâneur on the local byways. The intent was never to be predictable.

If you would like more information about

Contemporary Group North

Contact Patricia A Ruddle, Group Organiser email: patriciaruddle@btinternet.com

The Royal Photographic Society

RPS House 337 Paintworks Arnos Vale Bristol BS4 3AR

Tel: 0117 316 4450 email: info@rps.org www.rps.org VAT Registration No. GB 753 3057 41 Registered Charity No. 1107831

It seemed like an opportunity too good to miss, bringing together the year 2020 with 20:20 vision, an expression for what is accepted as being normal eyesight. The simple concept emerging from this was that each photographer would provide images, taken in 2020, representing their usual but individual photographic approach. Little did we know at the time that a pandemic virus would have such an impact on what we all consider to be normal.

Morris Gregory