Page 15 - Capture Nov-Jan 2021

a look back at 2020 editorial
of daily emergencies, they were also needing to respond to this virus. I spent days and nights with the staff in a quite-rare opportunity to see what doctors and nurses were needing to do every single day,” recalls Geraghty. “To tell this story and to have it published was quite special, and quite important, because with lockdowns, these people in the red zone could not have visitors, they could not be comforted by their loved ones. Nobody was allowed in. So, we needed to show the amount of care that was given by the medical staff. And to tell that story.”
Looking to the future
Among a sea of turbulence, change, and
uncertainty for photography, aside from
wedding photographers, those focused
on photojournalism and editorial
photography are perhaps experiencing
most change as a result of COVID-19.
While the vast majority of this impact
has come as a detriment, there are
cracks of light on the horizon and quite
literally just beneath the surface of this
uncertainty, opportunity for creativity is
boiling away. Most probably as a result of more time working at home, The New York Times Australia bureau chief Damien Cave one day noticed an increase in Australians taking to the ocean with spearguns. Whether this was correlated with the global pandemic or not, Cave and Times picture editor Mikko Takkunen assigned Sydney-based photographer Michaela Skovranova to photograph the story of seaside dwellers who take to the ocean in search of protein, and perhaps some form of city-bound subsistence hunting. “This story deeply relates to my work,” says Skovranova. “It highlights the importance of having the ability to harvest food from the ocean and to provide for a wider community, especially during challenging times, which we are currently experiencing.”
No stranger to adventure, Skovranova has formed a huge following for herself in recent years with partnerships with Huawei and Olympus taking her to Antarctica, and beyond. But as she recounts, the nature of a humble spearfishing mindset and the chance to immerse oneself in the fluidity of the ocean during equally unpredictable times was the antidote Skovranova needed to the stressors of life as a photographer under COVID-19. “Upon my return to Australia in early March as the world began to shut down, all my projects were understandably cancelled [but] in some strange way COVID-19 forced a much-needed pause, and created an opportunity for me to be able to focus on health and attempt to decipher what my future may look like moving forward,” she says. “I believe we have been afforded an intimate insight into the human condition and shared experience of life. I hope this will help to guide us in an uncertain future. We have seen many incredible stories emerge, created locally with local photographers, and I am looking forward to seeing a lot more of that.”
ABOVE: Emma Shearman preparing to dip underwater while spearfishing. From a story
for The New York Times.
CONTACTS
Daniel Arnold
Daniel Berehulak Kate Geraghty
Cory Richards Michaela Skovranova
www.instagram.com/arnold_daniel danielberehulak.com www.instagram.com/kate.geraghty coryrichards.com
mishku.com.au
[capture] nov.20_jan.21
capturemag.com.au
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© MICHAELA SKOVRANOVA
© CORY RICHARDS
© KATE GERAGHTY