365:6 MAURICE WEBSTER
Having listened to the latest Friday Photowalk (excellent as always) and heard your request for photos to add to the Community 365 project, I thought I would look for an image or two to share. This proved to be harder than expected! The truth is I have many “favourites” taken in recent years and was undecided as to what to send. Having narrowed it down to an overly large shortlist, I kept coming back to the attached photo which, for me, perfectly encapsulates the mood of 2020 from March 23 onwards.
This was taken in late June, the week when non-essential shops were allowed to reopen following the first lockdown. Having walked along the seafront in Brighton for a bit of much needed outdoor therapy, I was walking back to the car park when I noticed this scene.
What struck me first was the emptiness of the usually crowded streets around The Lanes. I then noticed the shop owner standing in the doorway and felt his expression seemed to reflect the uncertainty the pandemic instilled in us all. I quickly shot a few frames and on returning to the computer I felt that this one photo represented the mood created by the pandemic. I appreciate it is not the most uplifting of images but as a street/documentary photographer it ticks the boxes for me, capturing an important, albeit extremely challenging moment in our lives.
Best, as always,
Leica Q-P 1/2000 sec at f1.7
