I had wondered if I might have come to the end of this series of pandemic-related photographs given the relaxing of the lockdown here in the UK, but I’ve got a few new images of scenes in the new, post-lockdown world.
The weekend before last was the final one before non-essential retail was allowed to re-open on the 15 June, so I took a trip up town to see how things looked before the shops returned to life.
The town centre was largely empty, with the largest groups of people I noticed being construction workers and homeless folks. It was a little eerie and the weather – dank and grey – felt more akin to a winter’s morning than one approaching the summer solstice. There were pigeons in the Peace Gardens and I wondered if they’ve been forced to work harder for their dinners given the lack of humans feeding them or dropping scraps?
The city has been given new signage outside some shops (although it seemed somewhat hit and miss as to which shops did – it certainly wasn’t all of them), and benches and the like feature signs requesting they not be used, or to keep your distance from others.
I’ve made a couple more trips since this one (and still have more pandemic-related photos from this roll yet to upload), so I guess this series will continue for a while yet.
Olympus OM-1, F-Zuiko 50mm f/1.8 & Ilford HP5+ (@800asa). Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 10 mins @ 20°.
Taken on 14 June 2020
Steel City Snapper photography 
The first one with the empty passage is definitely my favorite. I also got some opportunities to shoot an empty city during the lockdown. Sometimes it’s great to find these streets empty and silent as well
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Victor. Yes, it was definitely an unusual experience and it was good to be able to make photographs without getting in anyone’s way.
LikeLike
I’d like to see more emptiness. I think we will pay for our ‘out and about-ness’. My post-lockdown work just has more car traffic. I’m still working from home and expect to for several month.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It was a nice, if strange experience. I do want it to get busy again though, if just for the sake of people’s livelihhods. Working from home full-time (even when there isn’t a pandemic) means I tend to miss what’s happening and changing in the city centre.
LikeLike
I’m missing the quietness of the streets already. It was strange yet beautiful and haunting. It’s all back to the old buzz here in France… Love the images
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Yuri. Now the shops have re-opened, the town centre is noticeably busier, although still not as much as before. Plus it’s different, with signage and pedestrian one-way systems implemented.
LikeLiked by 1 person