Photographers Under Lockdown
A review on the photography of COVID-19 by MADE IN BED Contributor, Dongmin Kim.
Like nearly all aspects of life, the photography world has been affected by COVID-19. Many UK-based photographers found themselves unable to continue their work due to the highly necessary albeit restrictive lockdown measures. However, as the art world has exemplified, photographers also adapted quickly to their new environment and used the abundance of free time to explore innovative ways of continuing and improving their work.
One such example was through self-portraiture. Although this medium has been widely practised throughout history, the newly acquired significance of it was due to the government’s restrictions on human contact and socialising. For portrait photographers like London-based Tara Rooney whose work depended on close collaboration with people outside her two-person household, this completely halted business. Tara’s portraits are always accompanied with a text on her thought processes behind the shoot which possess a genuine clarity that greatly appeals to millennial viewers. Instead of dictating how viewers must perceive her works, Tara openly and honestly conveys her intentions and experiences behind her photography, allowing for a liberal experience when viewing her works.
By Tara Rooney
Similarly to the wider and historic photography world, self-portraiture is nothing new to Tara’s oeuvre although she has greatly expanded on the genre since lockdown. Most notable in her self-portrait ventures were her experiments in subtitles and utilising her own domestic settings as a natural background. Prior to the pandemic, Tara favoured shooting her subjects against a technicolour arsenal of colorama backdrops which gave her sensitive and authentic portraits an endearing millennial streak. Through a change in backdrop, Tara astutely explored the effects of lockdown and self-isolation related themes, including mental health and the dangers faced by key workers. Before she had been self-isolating, Tara’s portraits explored and empowered body positivity and an expanded definition of femininity which subtly broke barriers. These themes were still explored and expanded to include themes prevalent to lockdown. The insertion of subtitles added another layer of narration that succinctly portrayed the themes of loneliness faced by many during lockdown.
By Tara Rooney
Tara is one example of incredible creative productivity and innovation throughout the UK lockdown. However, she acknowledged and fully understood the need for rest and recuperation in such a mentally taxing period.
By Tara Rooney
Similarly to Tara, Oli Hillyer-Riley took advantage of the ample time provided by lockdown to improve his understanding and application of the medium. Conversely, Hillyer-Riley’s focus was on lighting. As seen in his first photobook, No Wahala! Hillyer-Riley favours sunlight for a range of effects from dramatic chiaroscuro to sensitive colour palettes. The entirety of his book was shot on natural light and most of his portraits and commissions for sports fashion companies such as Vans, are often shot under the sun. However, with limited access to both sunlight and athletes, Hillyer-Riley chose to improve his use of commercial studio lighting.
By Oli Hillyer-Riley
Together with his fiancée Lucy, Hillyer-Riley directed and shot a highly emotional series titled, It’s Still My Day paying homage to the countless brides who had to cancel their wedding due to COVID-19. It’s Still My Day was shot on what was supposed to have been Hillyer-Riley’s wedding day. The four-part series depicting Hillyer-Riley’s partner carrying out mundane domestic tasks in her wedding dress utilise meticulously composed sets and backgrounds, with every component – furniture, household pets and domestic tat being evenly lit. Testament to the complex lighting set-ups painstakingly conducted by Hillyer-Riley. Particularly poignant was the portrait of Lucy lying in bed scrolling aimlessly through her phone, which has become a symbol of our times during lockdown. With so little happening in our day to day lives and thousands of people either furloughed or unemployed, the natural pose is to retreat back into our phones for escapism and information. Whilst using commercial methods, the lighting was soft and naturalistic, showing Hillyer-Riley’s photographic prowess that has huge potential to traverse into the art world.
By Oli Hillyer-Riley
With lockdown measures slowly being lifted throughout London, it seemed important to remember the innovation and adaptation borne from these strange and uncertain times. Photography as a medium is often used to document extraordinary moments and these photographers have created artworks that have also recorded vital accounts of the remarkable human response and resilience to the pandemic.
By Oli Hillyer-Riley
Tara Rooney: @itstararooney
Oli Hillyer-Riley: @olihillyer_riley
Dongmin Kim,
Contributor, MADE IN BED