The Lockdown Collection

An exceptionally rare body of work, The Lockdown Collection consists of three hundred images which mark a turning point in history. As the title suggests; the pandemic of 2020. In some ways it is, in its entirety, a historical document. From some angles, it can be seen as a valuable lesson containing subtle messages. Ultimately, it epitomizes of the notion of something positive coming from something negative. If ever there were a time to quote the phrase, "If life gives you lemons: make lemonade"; this is it. That particularly citrus episode, for a photographer, became so sweet in so many ways. 'Bittersweet' encapsulated, perhaps? --- An unusual twist of fate lead to its creation. It paved the way for exciting new projects and, above all things, instilled a genuine appreciation in me for the here-and-now, something many of us had in abundance during quarantine. The opportunity to create it in the first place was nothing short of a privilege. I was in the right place at the right time. Kite Beach, Cabarete. --- The images encapsulate, perhaps with a certain poignancy, the lack of human presence during that time and how nature responded. The dates and locations they were captured are what make them unique. It’s highly probable that this collection would never have come into existence if it weren’t for Covid. Humans have long since returned and to accurately recreate it would be impossible. Kite Beach is a busy, public place and almost every square foot of it is trodden daily. Many of the pictures feature plants growing where plants never normally grow; testament to their rarity. --- The prices set, among other attributes, reflect the truly unique nature of this collection. In a few cases, depending on the image, the values are high. This was, at times, in and of itself, as much an art project as it was a photographic challenge. --- Some of the captures were lucky finds; others were pre-planned and days in the making. A few document fleeting, windswept moments and others, lovingly curated passage of time. Some were taken during moments of perfect calm: some during exceptionally testing conditions without a tripod. All but a tiny handful of the collection, in fact, were taken hand-held. A tripod, in most situations, strange as it may seem, actually caused more problems than it was supposed to solve. --- A select few of the shots, to use an analogy, were virtually flawless gemstones at the taking but still needed careful shaping and polishing. Many of what I consider were, originally, rough diamonds in the collection often took days to polish. --- Speaking as a photographer, aside from this being a once in a lifetime opportunity, all of the images were obtained and finished with dedication to the art bordering on obsession. For that time I was totally consumed, all the while knowing it would come to an end at some point. --- At least eighty percent of what I attempted in the making of this collection failed due to factors beyond my control. Kite Beach was relatively empty during that time: not completely empty. Embarking on an art project in a public place can end up being an exercise on so many levels, regardless of worldly circumstances. It became my routine, my alarm clock and even my calendar. The sunrise, sunset and wind play leading roles in the story. Over time I began to know exactly where the light would rise and where the shadows would fall. Some days yielded; some didn't. --- I speak of this collection in the past tense. The reality is that I still, at the time of writing (December 2023), have around two hundred and sixty out of three hundred left to edit. With a minimum of a whole day spent on each one and, sometimes days on a single picture, there's plenty of time to digest what's on offer so far. I've been watching and waiting for what seems like the ideal platform to promote it and here we are. It will be well into 2024, possibly early 2025 by the time the whole collection is complete. --- --- Given the nature of this collection and my deeply personal attachment to it, I include bespoke editing services on every sale of digital downloads. I also offer complimentary printing advice on digital downloads in the Dominican Republic where I'm currently working on new projects. Please feel free to contact me if needs be. Thanks, Chris