Staying At Home

For most of us, the last 4-6 weeks (maybe more, maybe less) have meant staying at home, basically all the time. We are dealing with a global pandemic of a kind not seen in a century. I am one of the lucky ones - this situation has not caused me bodily harm, all of my loved ones have been remaining healthy and safe, I remain gainfully employed in a field that has not (at least yet) been significantly disrupted.

Obviously, though, this has impacted my ability to indulge in my passion for photography. I have not been outside beyond the premises of my apartment building to take new photographs since mid-March. The most I have been able to do is to spend hours on the rooftop of my apartment building, which I am fortunate to still be able to access, and which has fairly wonderful views of downtown Washington, DC (including the Washington Monument, Capitol Building, and Jefferson Memorial) which is quite picturesque in its own right. I am also able to view Arlington National Cemetery and surrounding military compound to the South, as well as the Washington National Cathedral to the Northeast. I am trying to make the most of that space to capture cityscapes, architectural images, and even some astrophotography of the moon and visible stars (of which there are still some, despite the abundant light pollution). In a way, these constraints have forced me to confront my creativity in an entirely new way, and I think I am developing skills that will improve my photography in the future when I can go back out into the wider world.

That said, I am very much looking forward to getting back out into the world - when it is safe again to do so.