Public life has come to a total standstill on the Streets of Nuremberg. Bavarian state authorities have issued a 24/7 curfew for the next two weeks. We can leave our homes only to go to work (if we have a pass from our employer), to seek medical assistance or to buy groceries. Single persons (or people living in one household) can also go for a walk outside. Only grocery stores, pharmacies, gas stations and places selling take-out food are open. When things got bad in China and the government locked up 15 million people in Wuhan, we all said that would be impossible to do in our western democracies. Four weeks later we know better. Crazy world. Amazingly, the majority of the affected population is fully supportive of the measure. Including me.
Not that life has changed much with the curfew, at least not for us. The Significant Other and I have been working from home already for the past two weeks. At least for now, the job that pays the bills is business as usual. The workload is the same, we have full schedules. As we don’t have small children running all around us (all kindergardens, schools and universities are closed as well), we can work pretty much unobstructed, and the digital working environment of our company is holding up well so far. The biggest inconvenience is that there is no cafeteria we can walk over to for a quick lunch, so we have to accommodate cooking us a decent meal.
Although theoretically I could go for a walk with my camera, right now I don’t feel like shooting the empty streets. I’m thinking to do some macro-photography or playing around with my studio strobes. Or do some posts about past travels. Now that traveling has come to a standstill for practically everyone, I like the idea of doing virtual travels via our blogs and Instagram accounts. Let’s revisit some old photographs and do some posts about it.
If you are locked up due to Covid-19, how are you spending your days creatively? It’s important to stay interested and to avoid a personal standstill. Photography is a great tool to stay upbeat!
If you are looking for tips and inspirations around photography, check out my free Learning Center.
You all stay healthy and keep the faith!
Marcus
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We are not under full lock down at this point but we need to be I feel. Using this time to work on my writing but want to go check out your learning center and get my camera back out. Be safe and be blessed!
For some reason unbeknown to me I must have unfollowed you. Sorry about that, Marcus. Happy to have found you again and being able to do some virtual touring with you.
It’s the home office for me now for the foreseeable. Hopefully there will be photo opportunities in my garden which is almost the limit of my wanderings for the time being. Hope you are still well.
Hey Marcus, things are now pretty similar here in the UK. we aren’t officially on a 24/7 curfew yet but i don’t think it would be a bad thing. There are still a lot of selfish people here. I like your idea about looking at past work. As well as documenting things as best i can i too am going to take the opportunity to go through my catalogue of work and re-live happier times. Take care everyone and stay safe.
Thanks for the link to your learning center. I’m so grateful to have photography during this time. May you and your loved ones be well 🙂
Thanks for your kind words, Arati, best wishes also for your and yours! Marcus
Virtual travel through the blogs sounds splendid. Creatively, I am setting up a website for my brother’s business and updating some of my old posts with newly edited photos. All of my children are home now so that makes finding quiet time a little harder (and the house quite messier). However, teens and young adults like to sleep in, so I’m grabbing some time there. Stay healthy and safe, Marcus! 🙂
Well, good that you’re keeping yourself busy and creative. I’m working on the website of my planned little commercial photography business, but it is still WIP 😉 We have only one Teenager at home, and he sticks mainly to his PS4, even we try to convince him to cook for his hard working home officeing parents…lol….Best wishes for you and your family! Marcus
We don’t have the same restrictions yet, but it is probably on the horizon. In the meantime, since we’re retired, life doesn’t have to be that different. But the parks are much busier than usual becasue everyone wants to do something pleasant, and to do something with the kids who are all home now. I have to think carefully about where to walk so I won’t run into too many people, not only because I prefer quiet trails but also because the kids aren’t careful and that can actually endanger me, sad to say. There’s plenty to do but I don’t like sitting (or standing) at the computer too many hours – it’s just too unhealthy. But other people have much bigger problems!
Glad you are doing ok, Lynn, and I agree, we all need to get out in the sun frequently in order to stay sane. We have the woods directly behind the house, so we have it easy to go out and avoid people. And we bloggers can easily connect virtually 🙂 ! Stay safe! Marcus
Lucky you, that’s great! Take care… 🙂
Marcus, everything changing so rapidly also where I live.
Use your creativity (you have plenty of it) and your talent to make any photographs.
Please, take good care of yourself and your family, stay healthy and safe.
My very best wishes to you, Marcus!
Thanks for your very kind words, Kaya, it means a lot to all of us. Apart from my daughter who works as a pediatric nurse in a hospital downtown, we can all stay home and work from here, so all is well. Stay safe yourself, and best wishes! Marcus
Do some still life photography
Thanks, Olivia, was already thinking of it. The problem is that working from home is as intense as from the office, at least for now, so finding time for photography is just as difficult as always ;-). Stay safe! Marcus
> I like the idea of doing virtual travels via our blogs and Instagram accounts.
I like that idea too! It might help alleviate the pain of holidays many of us have had to cancel.
So true – thanks for taking the time to comment! Stay safe! Marcus
I did a photowalk… inside our house! …and i enjoyed it 🙂
Splendid idea! Everyone should do that! Thanks for sharing! Marcus
Danke Marcus,
und viele Grüße ins Home Office
aus der eigenen Heimarbeit
Gute Zeit, schönen Sonntag
Bernd
Danke, Bernd! Hoffe, es geht dir/euch gut! Immerhin strahlt die Sonne, jetzt bräuchte man nur noch die Zeit zum Spazierengehen. Liebe Grüße, Marcus
Hallo Marcus,
eine Viertelstunde oder halbe Stunde ist auf jeden Fall drin, Füße und Beine vertreten, zum Bäcker gehen oder ähnliches.
Gute Wünsche und Grüße
Bernd
Great post as always, Marcus! I love your perspective and am glad that you and your wife are healthy. Although it’s a bummer travel is at a standstill for (mostly) everyone, I’m looking forward to your upcoming posts!
Thanks, Cate, appreciate your kind words so much! You guys stay healthy, that’s the only thing that really counts! Marcus
I’m trying to remain as productive as possible. For now, I’m catching up on writing all my travel blogs! Stay safe and healthy!
Thanks 🙂 , you too! Catching up on blogging is a great way to stay social in these times! Marcus
For me, it’s a more busy time than usual since I’m now working from home AND looking after my very active 3 y.o. twins in our tiny flat with no backyard. No rest for me. Creative thoughts are a utopic dream. Daycare is open but they recommend you look after your kids yourself so that workers of critical jobs can leave their kids at daycare even when daycare human resources are scarce. Strange times. Take care, Marcus! -Snow
Poor snow, the combination of home office and 3 year olds is kind of catastrophic in itself (our cousins are affected). Here, everything is closed, daycare, playgrounds, all activities. A nightmare for mothers working from home. Keep the faith and stay healthy! Marcus
Playgrounds closed…!! 😱
At my apartment on the beach but the beach is closed, I just go to the store 6:30 am senior hour, and I did take my camera and visit a nearby small town for photos. I’m doing the 6′ rule and doing ok with it, but sometime people invade my space. Just seems weird outside
At least you get to see the sea 🙂 ! I read that they start to close the beaches in the US. Doing the necessary shopping once every other day I had my share of (mainly older) people getting tooooo close. Bummer. All will be well, we just need to keep the faith! Stay safe! Marcus
Just back home from Vancouver on Thursday and still trying to sort out all our cases and clothing, to be sure we did not bring anything in. Grocery shopping is also a challenge, with everything being washed before being put away. Going for a walk shortly to get a few more things. Stay well, my friend. Allan
Signs of the times! Stay safe!
Thanks, Ishita, so much appreciated! Marcus
Marcus, we are on our annual Mexico vacation trying to be patient and correctly interpret the various recommendations to not travel and closing of borders. Keeping our fingers crossed that we can return to Portland next week, but feel we’re actually in a safer, more secluded place here. We’ll see what Delta’s schedules look like after the apparent panic this weekend. Meanwhile I’m posting phone photos on Instagram of daily observations around here! I loaded 4 weeks of posts into Sanslartigue before we left home, so there are still 2 weeks of photos there that just keep showing up each morning. Glad to hear you are adjusting to life as we now must live it.
Oh wow, David, how strange it must me to see all the regular life falling apart while not at home. Our government is sending planes around the world to collect stranded tourists, as most airlines have ceased operations. I keep fingers crossed that you guys make it home safely. Who knows what still lies in front of us. I need to find your Instagram. Stay safe and at least enjoy the Mexican sun. Marcus
There’s a link to my Instagram at the bottom of my daily Sanslartigue page
perfect 🙂