Quarantine makes it difficult to create. With a pandemic going on, it feels as though inspiration and motivation are at an all time low. As the world goes into lockdown and people are being disconnected physically, we become reliant on technology to stay in touch. Digital applications allow us to be with each other virtually, and it's important to adapt and take advantage of it. I began this project as an experiment, as I’ve never conducted a photoshoot over FaceTime. I quickly realized that it was definitely a challenge; I had only my voice to direct the person as well as the camera itself, all through a laptop mic. These portraits are meant to show how intimacy is still achievable even if people are miles apart and are facing each other through a digital screen. Photography comes in many forms and while traditional photoshoots are impractical under a lockdown, technology today makes it possible anywhere you may be.
These are people that I’ve known for years now and we've spent a lot of time together pre-pandemic. The familiarity definitely made the sessions easier. I tried to make it as casual as possible for them because for some, they’ve never had “photoshoot” before. As far as clothing went, I encouraged them to wear whatever was comfortable, some dressed up while others chose to stay in pajamas. It was hard finding the words to direct the framing of things because I was so used to having control of a camera in my hands. I had to rely on them to find a place to put their phones where it satisfied the composition in mind. There were a lot of makeshift placements like on window sills, stacked on top of books, towel racks, taped to a wall, and the floor was frequently used. It took mutual effort to produce the end results.
But as things progressed, I gradually became more comfortable and confident in what I was doing. I aimed for compositions that reflected their moods, and the results were a mix between typical fashion photography and photojournalism. But since the subjects weren’t in the presence of anyone actually photographing them, there was also the fine line between a selfie and a formal portrait.
These FaceTime portraits were a way for me to continue making art in the midst of a pandemic, and I owe photographers like Alessio Albi for inspiring me to do something like this. An internet connection guarantees contact with others without the need for touch, and allows us to create remotely.
This project was created in Future Imagemakers in the Department of Photography and Imaging at Tisch School of the Arts, NYU in Spring 2020.
To go to the 2020 Future Imagemakers Gallery, click here.
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