Photo journalism has always been extremely crucial for documenting history. Whether it be historic moments in time or messages that cannot be explained with words, the power of a photograph is undeniable. Currently we are witnessing a very historic event that has made up most of 2020. COVID-19 has had a detrimental effect on humanity across the world. Living in a developed country, the thought of there being a major epidemic in our borders was hard to believe. My worldview of living in a reliable society, led me to think that no severe sicknesses could develop enough to spread at such a rapid rate. At the beginning, the virus was far away from home, but in a matter of months, the Coronavirus was announced as a worldwide pandemic.
In our Maker 8 class, we used our photography skills as well as our knowledge around the epidemic, COVID-19, to construct a photo essay that would answer our driving question: How can we as photo journalists tell stories of our community during this time of physical distancing. Although, before we could take any photos, we needed to become knowledgeable of both the impacts of the Coronavirus as well as the art of photography.
Milestone two was a huge step forward to answering our driving question, as well as a great example of the “empowered learner”competency. After using technology to research about photo journalism and what makes a strong photograph, it was time to see what someone in my community’s view was on the pandemic and more specifically, physical distancing. This step would help give me some contrast of opinions and beliefs. I decided to interview my neighbour, Linda, who lives closest to my home. Although I would have preferred a face to face, I once again had to use my growth mindset and conduct an online interview. After the interview we had to keep an open mind to photo essay possibilities and brainstorm five different themes. Linda’s stories of her experiences and worries of physical distancing had helped create a somewhat clearer idea of the answer to the driving question.
Since my community is Sunshine Falls Lane, which is very deep in the wilderness, I decided to base my photo essay around that factor. With an idea in mind, and a well thought out plan, it was time to start creating. This part of the project was led with the “empowered learner” competency as well as the “digital citizen” competency, which is about using technology to connect with the world. Milestone 4 helped us create a thorough image of what our photo essay would look like and what story it would tell. Using a story spine that I made for a stepping stone of the project, I carefully drew each photo. I took all that I had learned about composition of a photograph into account, as well as the message I was trying to convey with each photograph. Although this milestone was very time consuming, I knew that it would be crucial for the final product.
Due to my love of photography, taking the photos was very enjoyable. The biggest problem I faced while shooting was not being able to take pictures of my community members due to physical distancing. Although, after convincing my family members to let me put a camera in their face and act as if they were members of the community, I was able to take nine unique photos that answered the driving question to the best of my ability. On each page of my photo essay, I give a brief explanation of what each photo is depicting, but to see the entire story of a community that found its liveliness during isolation through the eyes of the camera is phenomenal. As they say, a picture is worth 1000 words.
Although it is hard to believe, we are all a witness to history. The coronavirus has spread us apart physically, but with the power of photo journalism, I can hopefully bring my community and the larger community of humanity together. I told a story of a rural community that has found happiness and satisfaction in their lives by staying mentally fit during isolation. I’m sure that my story will be true for other communities around the world. Make sure you comment any questions or thoughts about this post.