B&W Photography

Lockdown Light Play

A photo a day keeps creativity alive…

Pandemic Self-Portraits

In response to the pandemic lockdown, I created a daily photo journal, an assignment to capture at least one iPhone photo every day to keep myself creative and engaged. Seeking light in a dark time, I began photographing sun patterns streaming into my house. With light as the subject, I tracked the sun’s progression across walls as time crept around the wheel of the year. Being confined to a single location for many months (years?) challenged me to find a fresh photo each day. When light appeared, I moved quickly to respond, tracking it along walls before it was gone. My photo journal was subtly different every day, a personal solar clock, like living in a sun dial, a reminder of sun time, nature’s clock.

One morning I walked into the light and my messy pandemic house hair silhouette shadow merged with glowing light hats. Self-portrait shadows emerged from liquid light. reflecting my feeling of living in endless monotone time. 

I started out in large format Black & White photography, working in an archival darkroom at the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts in Michigan. We rolled our own film, developed, printed and disappeared into the cool darkroom for weeks. 

When I moved to sunny California everything was suddenly in outdoor colors.  I switched to pro slide film, carrying a 100 rolls to Europe and back to be developed at San Francisco’s New Lab. 

Ah, Kodachrome… 

Tracking Light in Dark Times

Seeking Solace in a Pandemic

© 2024 Cindy Pavlinac, All Rights Reserved

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