Contemplation in isolation

This series of portraits and interviews were made in May 2020 during COVID-19 first wave isolation period in Russia. Shots were made using FaceTime and Zoom in conditions of social distancing.

Pandemic of 2020 year makes all the world feel unsafe. This strange time of paralyzing cover all the planet and every person is following through that with his own reflections and thoughts. I decided to document this specific period of our lives through visual and verbal interview of my friends, girls from my native town Samara, they are from 20 to 30 y.o. About this age could be said - it's flexible and easy adapt for any situation, but in the same time it's the age when you more than ever want to have possibility to have freedom, that is not accessible right now.

Isolation period forced us to focus firstly on global world challenges, but simultaneously this time spent alone with yourself or with your family gives a possibility to contemplate inner aspiration and discover inner world to find the answers on not asked before questions.

Portraits are mixed with details of nature and surroundings which cached my eye during my own short walks outside during isolation period.

Daria, freelancer:

"Before the start of the quarantine, I learned that my department was being cut, during the quarantine I lost my job, and now, near the end, I found two new ones. So now I'm a fundraiser for a charity company organization, and I'm also a content producer for a mindfulness and beauty company, which is completely unexpected for me. I have never worked in an office, and for three years now I have been working only remotely. So there have been no dramatic changes in my life".

"In fact, the husband and daughter are now also at home every day. We also invited a friend to live with us and renovate our balcony. We also got a dog. Yes, perhaps, cardinal changes have taken place".

"During the time that we are at home, we began to cook more and buy less. And, it seems, we got a better look at each other. Maya (Daria's daughter), as it turns out, sculpts gorgeously masterpieces from plasticine. And Lyosha (Daria's husband) prepares divine fish soup".

"And if we talk about what I lack because of the quarantine, then I really, literally to tears, miss my mother".

Victoria, student:

"I missing my friends a lot. We are connected online, but it's not the same. Dreaming about first volleyball game I will go playing with my friends after quarantine will end".

"Due to distance educational process these months I spend all day in front of the laptop. So I feel my eyesight is getting worse".

"During isolation period I have more time for calm thinking. I find out that loneliness helps me to find answers to some questions".

Angelina, buyer:

"Quarantine has changed my life a lot. I have to postpone my vacation and my wedding because of this quarantine, so I really hope pandemic will end soon".

"What's good? - Spend more time with my family. Sleep more. Finally I do some exercises in the morning. Eat homemade food instead of fast food".

"This quarantine showed me the real difference between governments. Some leaders support their people. And some leaders think that they don't owe their people anything".

"Most hard is having no possibility to meet my friends".

Alla, teacher:

"I'm an introvert, so staying at home isn't such a big problem for me. At the beginning I was even glad. I don't have to wake up early, go to school, communicate. There are a lot of advantages of staying home. No bra, no make-up, no heels - it's perfect! It's unexpected, but thanks to the quarantine I actually communicate more than usual. My friends and I work at home, so we all have some free time to talk even in the morning or in the afternoon".

"People around me learned something new during this period, but I had no time for contemplation. Cause lot of work".

"Staying at home I really miss the nature".

"I want hug the goats, listen to the sounds of the river, climb the mountains, lie in the soft grass and bask in the sun, search Leo's ass of the same name constellation, immerse my hands into the hot sand ... So after the quarantine will end I'm going to go to the countryside".

Vlada, financier:

"Being at home is not so difficult for me, it often happened without quarantine, I was so tired at work that I preferred to stay at home with my favorite book or TV series. Isolation changed my day - you can get out of the shower 5 minutes before the start of the working day".

"The advantages of being at home now - not to reproach yourself for being at home, instead of walking for example in a wonderful forest full of smells of pines".

"Quarantine has brought changes to my life. First, he added a certain anxiety, an understanding of the importance of the situation and the inability to resist it. All the stages were passed: rejection-bargaining-acceptance. Plans have also changed... they were quite large-scale for a vacation, but now everything is canceled. The hardest thing is the thought that I can't take a ticket at any moment and meet with my family living in other city".

"During this time I discovered new opportunities in my work, the realization of how important it is to me the business that I do and what benefits I bring to society".

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