As we surpass a year since SARS-CoV-2 entered the world, life has been permanently changed for everyone living through it. Our worlds have temporarily become smaller. During the pandemic, travel, social, and working restrictions have been put in place. Working remotely has become the norm for all but essential workers. Our lives have been limited to the distance of a walk from our front doors, and social interactions have become even more crucial than before. Bumping into a friend at the local store relieves the cabin fever we've all been pretending doesn’t exist. It has affected everyone to some extent. Some have enjoyed a well-deserved rest from their busy lives, while others have lost jobs, been separated from families, and mourned loved ones. There will be an end, and it appears to be soon now.
As a scientist working on emerging and neglected infectious diseases based in London, I was faced with the option of staying in a small flat in the city or returning to my hometown of Chichester. I chose the latter and returned to my family home on the first weekend of lockdown. Working on diseases abroad gives you a very different perspective on what disease is—although it is right in front of you, it feels distant as everything around you is unfamiliar. The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic is very different. It is happening all around us, affecting people we know and care about, and changing the face of the places we hold dear. You can't keep this one at arm's length.
With a keen interest in photography and an academic knowledge of infectious diseases, I wanted to document the changing face of Chichester, the town I grew up in, and its people as they are affected by COVID-19. Although this project started with taking photos while wandering around deserted streets, it has evolved into much more. In the photos below, I have tried to display the fantastic ways in which the people of Chichester have managed to continue their lives during this pandemic and how businesses have been able to stay open and keep functioning while keeping their clients and staff safe.
The aim of this project is to create a photo story of Chichester during the COVID-19 pandemic, making it a free public record in photo form that people can use and reference freely. It is a continually expanding project with photos being added constantly, so it isn’t finished yet. Please think of this page as a "snapshot" of the story as it stands, a "placeholder" for the final images.
I would like to say a massive thank you to all those who have agreed to let me in and photograph their activities. I understand it is not easy letting, in some cases, a stranger photograph them, and I appreciate the openness and trust.
Please look through the photos below, and I hope you enjoy them. It has certainly been a pleasure taking them.
Stay safe,
Will Jones-Warner