My ARS 281 Final Project will be titled “Suburbia in Exile.” My entire life I have grown up in a suburban Long Island town, and the coronavirus pandemic has hit hard. The plan is to depict different ways that social distancing and quarantine period have impacted suburban households and families. The photos will show what people have been doing to keep busy and keep sane while in exile. The theme may be somewhat quiet and dreary juxtaposed with a fun vibe of kids playing or riding bikes. Since travel is restricted, the goal is to capture as many people and activities as possible without having to go far or violate social distancing practices or measures. Depending on the unpredictable springtime weather, the photos may convey different moods of whether the photos are taken indoors on a dark and rainy day spent watching movies, or if it is a warm and sunny day at a park or beach. Lots of people, especially kids, need a change of scenery after being cooped up in their homes for weeks on end, and parents have found new ways to keep busy. Hopefully these photos will be interesting to look back on in the future and see what a different time and experience it was to live through a global pandemic.

 

Outcomes:

  • 7-10 well-composed photos that depict what life in quarantine is like in modern-day suburbia
  • Use Canon t6i and photoshop as the medium to complete the photos
  • The photos will be the typical size uploaded online to research journal 

 

Methods/Materials:

  • Canon t6i to take the photos (use flash if needed)
  • Photoshop to edit the images, fix any composure issues, and highlight details

 

References:

  • Sebastian Meyer: After reviewing Sebastian Meyer’s work from my first task, I want to model and style my photos after his album from suburban Ohio. His photos are extremely raw and dainty in detail, showing the basic reality of midwest America.
  • Bill Owens: The black and white photos of Bill Owens show what a traditional American household looks like, with children playing and couples in different rooms around the home.
  • Holly Andres: While her photos tend to be more dark in mood and theme, Andres does a great job of capturing people and families around the house which inspired my idea to cover people spending quality time in their homes.