{"id":5325,"date":"2020-04-21T12:24:40","date_gmt":"2020-04-21T08:24:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mbrsc.aud.edu\/MBRSCPost\/?p=5325"},"modified":"2020-11-23T10:46:39","modified_gmt":"2020-11-23T06:46:39","slug":"covid-19-photographers-capturing-the-world-on-pause","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mbrsc.aud.edu\/MBRSCPost\/covid-19-photographers-capturing-the-world-on-pause\/","title":{"rendered":"COVID-19: Photographers Capturing\u00a0The\u00a0World on\u00a0Pause"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Venturing out onto the streets of New York, photographer Andrea&nbsp;Ardemagni&nbsp;is stunned by the empty streets and the deserted train platforms. Even homeless people have almost disappeared. A voice announcement through loudspeakers saying:&nbsp;\u201cDo not come in the subway unless it is absolutely necessary to go to work.\u201d&nbsp;He walks a bit along with the empty platform when&nbsp;he&nbsp;sees a woman on the other side of the track. After exchanging stares, he captures that moment with his lens, creating one of his favorite pictures taken during the COVID-19 crisis.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"818\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mbrsc.aud.edu\/MBRSCPost\/wp-content\/uploads\/PIC-1-818x1024.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5326\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mbrsc.aud.edu\/MBRSCPost\/wp-content\/uploads\/PIC-1-818x1024.png 818w, https:\/\/mbrsc.aud.edu\/MBRSCPost\/wp-content\/uploads\/PIC-1-719x900.png 719w, https:\/\/mbrsc.aud.edu\/MBRSCPost\/wp-content\/uploads\/PIC-1-768x962.png 768w, https:\/\/mbrsc.aud.edu\/MBRSCPost\/wp-content\/uploads\/PIC-1-1024x1282.png 1024w, https:\/\/mbrsc.aud.edu\/MBRSCPost\/wp-content\/uploads\/PIC-1.png 1230w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 818px) 100vw, 818px\" \/><figcaption>A woman sitting in a subway station in New York City shot by Andrea&nbsp;Ardemagni. April 6, 2020. @newyork_eyes.&nbsp;<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The outbreak of the COVID-19 virus is causing a catastrophic loss of life and prompted governments around the world to adopt drastic measures, including asking people to stay home. Almost everything is on hold as cities and regions are on lockdown.&nbsp;However many photographers around the world are not putting their work on pause; they are pushing beyond the limits to document what life is like amid the crisis.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI feel brave being one of the few people that go out to document the city,\u201d&nbsp;Ardemagni&nbsp;said in voice messages.&nbsp;\u201cBut I also feel scared, I do not have a proper mask and I may end up getting the virus. What happens then?\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-video\"><video controls src=\"https:\/\/www.mbrsc.aud.edu\/MBRSCPost\/wp-content\/uploads\/VID-1-1.mov\"><\/video><figcaption>Brief video clip of New York City, showing the Empire State Building with its red and flashing color at the top which symbolises an appreciation to all the medical professionals, shot by Andrea\u00a0Ardemagni. 19 April, 2020. @newyork_eyes.\u00a0 <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Dubai-based photographer Bachir\u00a0Moukarzel\u00a0pitched an idea to the\u00a0Dubai Media office\u00a0to document the emptiness of the city.\u00a0\u201cThey accepted,\u201d\u00a0Moukarzel\u00a0said in a video call.\u00a0\u201cEven Dubai TV and Dubai Police contributed to the project.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Dubai Lockdown\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/RjXhF1IUuTk?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption>  Video showing the Sheikh Zayed road with no cars, Dubai mall with no people, roads empty, and attractions free of tourists, shot by Bachir\u00a0Moukarzel\u00a0as a part of a campaign to motivate people to stay at home. Dubai, April 7, 2020. @bachir_photo_phactory.\u00a0 <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe most touching moment was shooting the heart of the city, Downtown Dubai, when the busiest location did not have a single soul; it did not even have cleaners and security guards,\u201d&nbsp;adds&nbsp;Moukarzel.&nbsp;\u201cIt was important to document it, and to show everyone that all places are empty, that everyone else is also at home, and that they should continue staying at home as well.\u201d&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Beijing-based photographer Fred Dufour was also deeply moved by the scenes of emptiness.&nbsp;\u201cIt is difficult to see the city that never stops and suddenly have empty streets, empty malls, and empty parks, just like a ghost town,\u201d&nbsp;he said in a video call.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"685\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mbrsc.aud.edu\/MBRSCPost\/wp-content\/uploads\/PIC-2-1024x685.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5327\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mbrsc.aud.edu\/MBRSCPost\/wp-content\/uploads\/PIC-2-1024x685.png 1024w, https:\/\/mbrsc.aud.edu\/MBRSCPost\/wp-content\/uploads\/PIC-2-800x535.png 800w, https:\/\/mbrsc.aud.edu\/MBRSCPost\/wp-content\/uploads\/PIC-2-768x514.png 768w, https:\/\/mbrsc.aud.edu\/MBRSCPost\/wp-content\/uploads\/PIC-2.png 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption>&nbsp;Beijing\u2019s empty streets amid the COVID-19 lockdown, shot by Fred Dufour. February 20, 2020. @freddufour_.&nbsp;<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>It was a challenge for Dufour to document all this, as there were restrictions to movements across the city. Hospitals were completely off-limits, which crushed his dream of following a doctor around. Apartments and offices were very difficult to enter, and people generally were afraid to&nbsp;mingle. Despite all these obstacles, he was determined to shoot as much as he can. He managed to create many videos and pictures that depict the essence of the crisis, and illustrate the isolation, worry, and fear of the people.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"572\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mbrsc.aud.edu\/MBRSCPost\/wp-content\/uploads\/PIC-3-1024x572.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5328\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mbrsc.aud.edu\/MBRSCPost\/wp-content\/uploads\/PIC-3-1024x572.png 1024w, https:\/\/mbrsc.aud.edu\/MBRSCPost\/wp-content\/uploads\/PIC-3-800x447.png 800w, https:\/\/mbrsc.aud.edu\/MBRSCPost\/wp-content\/uploads\/PIC-3-768x429.png 768w, https:\/\/mbrsc.aud.edu\/MBRSCPost\/wp-content\/uploads\/PIC-3.png 1938w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption>Wang Sijia isolating herself at home for two months in Beijing, shot by Fred Dufour. March 30, 2020. @freddufour_.&nbsp;<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI shot a lot,\u201d&nbsp;said Dufour,&nbsp;\u201cbut I still should have shot more and more because you will never have this happening again.\u201d&nbsp;Dufour considers that documenting life during the crisis, from Beijing, absolutely essential.&nbsp;\u201cAs a journalist, as a photo-reporter, and as a cameraman, it is important to show the rest of the world what is happening here, especially because in a way, we are two months in advance compared to the U.S.A., Europe, and many other countries. It is necessary and interesting to share what happened to us already, which is happening to you now, and what is happening to us now,&nbsp;which&nbsp;will most probably happen to you in the future as well.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Like many photographers around the world,&nbsp;Ardemagni,&nbsp;Moukarzel, and Dufour are facing up to the many ways in which the pandemic impacted them and their work.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After capturing his favorite subway shot, Ardemagni realized that he felt happy because the\u00a0picture&#8217;s\u00a0impact satisfies all his goals, when it came to photography: It was meant\u00a0\u201cto not only show the best things in New York, the Empire State Building, the Brooklyn Bridge and the skyline, but to show the million things that make up the city, so the people, the homeless, the bars, and everything that one sees if they were truly there.\u201d<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Edited by: Raseel Amro <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Venturing out onto the streets of New York, photographer Andrea&nbsp;Ardemagni&nbsp;is stunned by the empty streets&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":5332,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[31,48],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mbrsc.aud.edu\/MBRSCPost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5325"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mbrsc.aud.edu\/MBRSCPost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mbrsc.aud.edu\/MBRSCPost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mbrsc.aud.edu\/MBRSCPost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mbrsc.aud.edu\/MBRSCPost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5325"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/mbrsc.aud.edu\/MBRSCPost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5325\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5333,"href":"https:\/\/mbrsc.aud.edu\/MBRSCPost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5325\/revisions\/5333"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mbrsc.aud.edu\/MBRSCPost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5332"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mbrsc.aud.edu\/MBRSCPost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5325"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mbrsc.aud.edu\/MBRSCPost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5325"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mbrsc.aud.edu\/MBRSCPost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5325"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}